Bob Bradley has denied that players called him Ronald Reagan behind his back during the American’s ill-fated spell in charge of Swansea City.

The 58-year-old former USA national team coach lasted just 85 days as manager of the Premier League club before he was sacked by the club’s American owners, Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan, on 27 December.

Bradley, who took eight points from 11 matches, was reportedly given the nickname by insiders, who felt he was old-fashioned in his methods – a throwback to the 1980s when Reagan was US president.

But in an interview with the Times, Bradley said: “Trust me on this, not one of those players knows who Ronald Reagan is.”

The former Derby County manager and Bayern Munich assistant Paul Clement was appointed Swansea’s new head coach on Tuesday, overseeing their crucial win at Crystal Palace on Tuesday. But Bradley warned the club’s problems run deep.

“There is a real trust issue between the supporters and the people involved in the change of ownership,” he said. “That has to improve. The other aspect is the team. When you take over a team and you’re in that part of the table – just like when I took over from Francesco [Guidolin] – it’s for a reason. The reason is that the team needs to be improved.”

Bradley, the first American to manage in the Premier League, felt the Swansea squad lacked a winning mentality and are short of fighters. He added: “Part of what I said [to the board] was that we needed more winners, more fighters, more guys that come in every day desperate to improve. I think in the last 18 months or so, as different players have left, the club hasn’t been able to replace some players with others at the same level.

“When a team goes through a tough period, you need people you can count on, people who are strong, people who will stand up for the team. It takes that kind of strength to get back on track. I was very direct in those conversations and at some level I think that came back to hurt me.”