Ten Hag insisted squad better than ranking in final press conference as Man Utd boss

LONDON : Fired Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag believed capturing a trophy would have made this season a success, saying the team was better than their lowly 14th place in the Premier League standings.

Ten Hag was sacked on Monday after the team's wretched start to the season, but less than 24 hours before he was shown the door he conducted a pre-match press conference in London ahead of Wednesday's League Cup tie against Leicester City - a game he will now have no part in.

"We have to do better, that is the ranking. But I will tell (the players) the ranking is not reflecting our performances and our levels," the 54-year-old had said on Sunday night. "But at the end of the season we have to get this right."

That task now falls on interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, who will be in charge for the first time on Wednesday.

British media reported that Ruben Amorim is the front-runner to replace Ten Hag, with the Old Trafford club said to be in advanced talks with the 39-year-old Sporting manager.

Managers traditionally hold press conferences on the eve of games, but because of the travel and short turnaround between Sunday's 2-1 away loss to West Ham United and Wednesday's League Cup tie, Ten Hag was tasked with previewing the Leicester clash.

The quotes and footage from that part of the press conference were not permitted to be printed or broadcast until Tuesday afternoon.

Ten Hag had been asked whether winning a trophy would make the season a success.

"Definitely," he said. "It is about trophies. There are not so many trophies you can win, if you win a trophy in top football, that is the most important, that is what the fans expect, what we expect - to win a trophy.

"We have had five opportunities and one we missed, that