FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Brentford - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - October 19, 2024 Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag applauds fans after the match Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff /File Photo
(Reuters) - Manchester United centre back Matthijs de Ligt feels bitter about the dismissal of the club's manager Erik ten Hag last month and annoyed over the penalty decision that ultimately cost his compatriot his job.
A lengthy VAR review showed De Ligt had clipped the leg of West Ham United’s Danny Ings, a decision that left Ten Hag shaking his head and earned the London side a penalty to secure a last-gasp 2-1 win.
Ten Hag was fired the following day.
"Normally, I am always self-critical and can get annoyed about things I don't do well. But this was not my fault, I couldn't blame myself for it," De Ligt told reporters in the Netherlands on Wednesday, where he is preparing for Nations League matches with the Dutch national team.
"The referees' committee also called us to say that it was not a penalty," he added. Howard Webb, the chief refereeing officer of the Premier League, admitted on Tuesday that West Ham United were wrongly awarded a penalty.
"He (Ten Hag) has not been very lucky. We played well in many games, but we did not take advantage of the chances we got. It is a shame that it had to end like that," added De Ligt.
The 25-year-old moved from Bayern Munich in August, having previously worked with Ten Hag at Ajax Amsterdam.
"He brought me to Manchester, the goal was to achieve success together with Erik."
De Ligt has not had any contact with new manager Ruben Amorim, who started his job on Monday after being lured from Portuguese champions Sporting Lisbon.
"He did well at Sporting. Hopefully, he can also help us move up a notch. Amorim is not my first coach and he will not be my last coach. I did not just move to Manchester United for Ten Hag.
"It is still one of the biggest clubs in the world. I just have to do my own thing and play well myself. I feel very fit now and things are going well. Hopefully, I can continue that," added the defender.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Ed Osmond)
