Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag admits he doesn't have the players for the team to perform as he wants.

Ten Hag has enjoyed an impressive first season as United manager, with his side in a strong position to secure a third-place Premier League finish and the Champions League qualification that comes with it.

He also guided the Red Devils to their first piece of silverware since 2017 last month, when they saw off Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley.

During that final, Ten Hag's men enjoyed just 38 per cent possession of the ball as they sat back and frustrated Newcastle, who failed to break down their resilient defence on the day.

"Of course I have a certain philosophy about how I want to see football," Ten Hag told former United striker Robin Van Persie in an interview for BT Sport. "And one thing is I want to play attacking, I want to play proactive.

"It's not about the way you want to play, but the players - they decide and they dictate the philosophy of how you play. You have to adapt, definitely.

"But for instance, for me, now football is you attack with 11 players and you defend with 11 players. So if you ask me about full-backs, you find them sometimes in positions you don't expect them. That's what I like, I'm looking for that type of player."