Do you think there is a smear campaign against you?
Not at all. I have been in Spain for five years and I understand it is something normal for a Real Madrid coach to deal with. There have been eight or nine coaches in recent years. I don't think the finding a downfall for the coach is the right way to go. I don't feel attacked. It comes with the job.

Why is there so much debate about the way the team plays?
I always want the team to play well, which means having a bad game is not allowd. We have a defense that hasn't given up a goal in five games and one of the stongest offenses. I know what we are doing and I am certain we will see an improvement. Luis Aragones, for example, was also heavily criticised when coaching the national team because he used this same system, We need to find our identity, which comes with time. The team had been playing the counterattack in recent years, but I like a different kind of football.

You yourself said that the team took a step backward in Alcorcon.
The season as a whole and the match in Alcorcon are two different things. What happened was an accident due to several factors.

Do you think the players question your authority?
The players have no doubts at all and I think we will compete for every title at stake.

Do you feel like your job is on the line over the next few matches?
I have spent the last five years looking at this from the outside. There is a strong group of top brass who gave me a contract to carry this team forward. I do not fear and have heard to news about what is being said in the press. I have a good relationship with Valdano and Pardeza, and neither have put my job in question.

How do you handle Guti so that he calms down?
He was never disrespectful. I saw that he wasn't himself and tried to do what was best for the team. Guti and I have spoken a lot one-on-one. I am troubled by the fact that a player has been hurt when he did nothing wrong. Every player has a unique attitude and it is my job to get what I need from each one of them.

Do you feel like players tend to retreat their positions when things aren't going well?
When a team is used to playing a cetain way, it has doubts when the game isn't going in its favor.
 

Are the players at fault for the Alcorcon match?
The last couple of matches have been a step in the wrong direction. We cannot display this image. It is not a problem of the players. It was a bad week that has been picked apart under a microscope. We are working hard to get back on track. We have had inconsistent moments, but that is expected during a building period. I never asked for time because Real Madrid won't grant it, but we have to take steps forward which takes time.

Are players affected when the press talks about substitutes?
You need to ask them, but I don't see it based on the relationship I have with them.

How are the players after hitting rock bottom against Alcorcon?
It was a terrible first half, but we have the second leg at home. This weekend's match against Getafe can put us atop the league table, and a win against Milan atop our Champions League group. The Alcorcon match is now a thing of the past. The players are always affected by not getting results that they expect, but I am sure that we will turn the tie around.

Are you still happy coaching?
I will always be happy when I do a good job. I get worried when we don't see the results we expect, but any pressure from the press is less than what I put on myself. Winning is always better than losing. I am convinced things will turn out well.

Is it more important to regain the psychological factor or the football factor?
The psychological factor always goes hand in hand with the football factor. The team is strong, so I have no doubts at all. The defense isn't bad, the offense scores goals...

Will you start the same players in the second leg against Alcorcon?
We first have to play against Getafe and Milan. Then we visit the Calderon to play Atletico before our match against Alcorcon. There is plenty of time still, so we will see.

Top brass believe that not having a set starting eleven hurts the team.
We lost against Sevilla and Milan when we stopped rotating. We will continue doing so because it's the right way to go and what the sporting directors aprove of. I always know what the club is thinking and vice versa.