Valencia boss Gary Neville says he is learning Spanish but explains his grasp of the language will not make communicating with his players any easier.
The defender was considered a surprise appointment due to his inability to speak Spanish, but he insists getting his ideas across is not as simple as being familar with the native tongue.
“If I spoke Spanish, it’d also be difficult to communicate with the players on the pitch,” he told Marca in the second part of his interview.
“I’m an assistant for England and I’ve been a player for many years, but communicating with players is always very difficult, regardless of their nationality or another.
“Still, I have [Miguel Angel] Angulo and [Jose Manuel] Ochotorena and there’s no problem communicating with them.
“I can communicate with [the players] by showing them a screen with the tactics, or I can show them videos.
“[Injuries] are the great challenge for any team playing Saturday, Wednesday and Saturday.
“We’re close to having everyone back and not having anyone on the treatment table is the most difficult thing.
“We must be at our best every three days. That’s what the big teams do.
“We had more time to prepare before, but not now. I’ve seen our schedule for January, but I’m used to it as a player and now a Coach as well.
“As a club, we need our young players to be physically and mentally prepared for performing at their best.
“I feel very relaxed. There are many things you can’t control. I want to win and I’m used to winning games.
“The fans want the team to win games, but if we start losing and the fans don’t like what they see, I’ll accept the consequences.
“That’s not a problem. It’s happened with England. For two or three years, the fans was very critical.
“I have no problem with that. I’m also a football fan and you can’t get angry with them, you can’t discourage them, nor do I have the right to say anything to them.
“They pay to go through the turnstiles and watch the team. They are the most important [aspect of the club] and can do whatever they want.
“What I want is for the fans to enjoy themselves, to support the team and be happy, but I understand the consequences.
“I believe in the promotion of youth. [Fran Villalba] is a great talent but has a long way to go.
“He needs to mature both physically and in regards to temperament, but I’m proud to have given him his debut and the fans enjoyed [watching] him.
“I’m convinced that we can get [Alvaro] Negredo back to his best. All strikers need confidence, but he hadn’t played for three months.
“We’ve seen enormous progress from him, but we won’t rush him. I don’t want to take risks.
“For now, I try to [study Spanish] for an hour and a half or two a day.
“I’m watching videos of our opponents non-stop. When I move into my house on December 27 then I’ll start watching Spanish television.
“At the moment, I’m learning the ‘I am, you are, he is’.”
