Manchester United axed Dan Ashworth as sporting director after just 159 days because he lost the faith of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and failed to gel with the club’s new football hierarchy.

United announced Ashworth’s departure in a 41-word statement on Sunday morning after his shock exit was agreed in a meeting following the dismal 3-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on Saturday evening.

Ratcliffe had described Ashworth as a “10/10 sporting director, one of the best around”, in February.

But Ratcliffe’s initial belief that the 53-year-old was the right fit began to erode as the United co-owner developed doubts about whether he was equipped to deliver at a club facing such big challenges.

Ashworth is also understood to have struggled to develop synergy with Omar Berrada, United’s hands-on chief executive, and technical director Jason Wilcox, the team Ratcliffe had assembled in a bid to overhaul football operations at the beleaguered club. In turn, Ashworth began to see his influence in the decision-making processes wane.

Ashworth’s exit after barely five months in the role and a long, acrimonious battle with Newcastle to secure his services before a near £3 million compensation package was agreed with the Tyneside club, is an embarrassment for United.

It is understood that United will not rush to bring in an immediate replacement for Ashworth as they take stock of the situation in the latest drama to engulf the club this year. Wilcox and Christopher Vivell, the interim director of recruitment, could take responsibility for the January transfer window in conjunction with Berrada.

There have been claims Ratcliffe blamed Ashworth for United extending former manager Erik ten Hag’s contract in the summer, only for the club to sack the Dutchman 115 days later and pay him £10.4 million in compensation. But that decision pre-dated Ashworth’s arrival and he was on record in September as insisting he had no involvement in that process. “I didn’t start until July 1 so none whatsoever,” Ashworth said when asked what input he had.

While there is no suggestion of a fall-out, United resolved that Ashworth’s appointment – considered a coup at the time given his work at Newcastle, Brighton and the Football Association – has not worked out and a change was imperative.

Although the final agreement was said by the club to be “mutual”, it was United who instigated a move that was firmly backed by Ratcliffe. Ashworth’s exit was agreed in a meeting at Old Trafford with Berrada, whom he reported into, after the error-strewn loss to Forest. Club sources claimed it had been a “very difficult” decision.

Berrada and Wilcox knew each other well from their time together at Manchester City and have a strong working dynamic. They are also said to have dovetailed well with Ratcliffe’s advisers, led by Sir Dave Brailsford and Jean-Claude Blanc, the Ineos director of sport and chief executive respectively.

But sources have told Telegraph Sport that did not extend to the same level with Ashworth and that it became apparent over the months that he was struggling to slot in as they hoped.

Ashworth, who had been put in overall charge of football performance, recruitment and operations at Old Trafford, had been accustomed to greater governance on football matters in his other roles.But he encountered much more crossover in terms of responsibilities at United, where Berrada wields considerable influence.

Ashworth was involved in establishing a short list of managers to replace Ten Hag based around the requirements of the board but it was Berrada who was the driving force behind the appointment of Ruben Amorim as head coach.

While Berrada led a delegation that travelled to Lisbon to meet Sporting officials and complete a deal for Amorim after Ten Hag’s dismissal was announced on Oct 28, Ashworth remained in Manchester to support interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Ashworth was heavily involved in the club’s summer transfer business and said in September his time had been spent almost exclusively working on the window. United spent around £180 million acquiring Leny Yoro, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui and Joshua Zirkzee.

Ashworth’s departure comes after Ratcliffe warned that more “difficult and unpopular decisions” are required at United if the club are to return to former glories.

Ratcliffe was scathing of United’s past recruitment and also launched a damning assessment of the club’s “very poor” data analysis, which he said was “still in the last century”. They are departments which Ashworth would have continued to hold huge sway over had he stayed but Ratcliffe wants those responsibilities placed in other hands going forward.

Ratcliffe’s claims that United are no longer an “elite” club but instead a “mediocre” enterprise was underlined against Forest when a succession of individual errors contributed to a sixth league defeat that left them languishing in 13th position.

In a statement, United said: “Dan Ashworth will be leaving his role as sporting director of Manchester United by mutual agreement. We would like to thank Dan for his work and support during a transitional period for the club and wish him well for the future.”