MONCHI: "WE ARE IN AN UGLY SITUATION, BUT WITH STRENGTH AND ENTHUSIASM WE CAN TURN IT AROUND"

Monchi spoke to the media in Manchester this morning at the team hotel, where he spoke about the team's situation and also about the match against City: "It's not a normal game, we can't change where we'll finish, but it's a Champions League game against City and with the Sevilla badge on our chest. You have to give it the respect it deserves and you can't stop competing to get the best possible result. At a time like this, morally, getting a positive result can help us to regain confidence and believe in ourselves".

On his period of fewer media appearances, he says that "it hasn't been that long. It was a personal decision because when you talk so much, combined with the fact that I always attended matchdays, there came a time when I got tired of listening to myself and I imagine that the fans did too. I thought it was good to step back a little bit because the message wasn't getting through and because I was possibly getting confused about the message I was sending."

"Sometimes you are not so clear-headed to say what is necessary at any given moment and what is best for the club. I think I have been at a standstill for about three weeks in terms of interviews, but I have continued to do my day-to-day work, which is the important thing."

Sometimes, if you can't transmit what you want and you get confused in your message, it's better to stop, take things into perspective and start again. But I have not been on holiday. I've been at the stadium, travelling, watching football and doing my job."

He was asked if this is his most difficult period as sporting director: "It always seems that the most recent period is the hardest and most difficult. It is a complicated moment, not on a personal level because that is now secondary. Now after more than 20 years as sporting director, we are in an ugly situation, but with strength and enthusiasm, we can turn it around."

"We can't take time to lick our wounds and we must recognise our mistakes, of which there have been many, be truly self-critical behind closed doors, and look for solutions. We need to talk less and do more."

"I have earned the criticism. If until relatively recently my work was praised and now there is criticism, it is because I am not doing things right. There is no need to look elsewhere for blame. If people, rightly I think, are not happy with what we are doing, I have to take that criticism on the chin and work to improve what we are doing. There is no other way but to apply yourself."

"People don't want to listen to us, they want us to do things to change this situation. It's frustrating for a Sevilla fan to see our position in the league and I understand that I'm the one in the public eye.  Now I have to recognise that, if there is criticism, it's because It's merited."

"Now I have to recognise that, if there is criticism, it's because It's merited"

Even if things don't work out, the desire is still there: "I can argue with myself or understand the lack of success in decision making, but the will, the enthusiasm, the desire to do things and improve are still intact. It hasn't gone one bit. Perhaps I even have that inner revenge of trying to turn the situation around."

"The people closest to me know what I am saying. I have grown up professionally in this club and it is 'never surrender'. It's time to prove that with hard work, enthusiasm and desire. I'm 100 per cent motivated and I hope that I can get that inspiration so that things can click, which is what is most important."

"The club has grown on the basis that everyone has high standards and puts them on the table. It has been discussed and, once we believe it is the right way, we will all head in that direction. I'm sometimes tough to work with because I'm short-tempered. I argue with the president or the vice-president, even when we won in Cologne or broke our points record in LaLiga."

"You have to raise your voice from time to time, but always in a constructive way. That's what happens now and what has happened in the past. I haven't thought about leaving, on the contrary. Just threatening to do so would be cowardly. I can be many things, but never a coward."

I've always accepted the consequences, sometimes things work out and sometimes they don't, but all I think about is trying to regain our inspiration, together with everyone at the club, and turn this difficult situation around, which requires our very best effort and absolute focus on our goals. We have had to get rid of a successful coach and the situation is not good. There is no room for error and we have got things wrong. We are going to look for the version of the past, where we got it right".

"Just threatening to leave would be cowardly. I can be many things, but never a coward."

Coming up there's a Champions League game, a derby and our poor position in the league: "I'm worried about everything. Today is a game where there is nothing at stake in terms of the league table, but we do have a badge to represent. I'm worried about today, but at the same time I'm worried about the solutions to this situation."

"If I told you that I'm not thinking about Sunday, you'd say I'm a fool. It's an important game against a rival who are playing well, who are doing things the right way, but we are Sevilla and we'll be looking for a win. We mustn't look back at previous results and prepare for it with optimism. The squad itself knows what the game means and we have to face it with the necessary concentration, knowing that we represent a very important part of the city."

He then touched upon Sampaoli's words and the need for reinforcements: "There are players who have no back-up because there are a few injuries. With them we would have more replacements. I think what the fans want is for us to stop saying things and do things. There are two LaLiga games left, a Champions League game and a cup game and then we have a break, originally we saw it as an inconvenience, but it's going to be very good for us."

"We'll have time to sit down together, assess all the possibilities and nobody should doubt that we're going to try to make the greatest possible effort to change what's happening. From the 14th we have time to analyse everything calmly, coolly and assuming that we have made more than our fair share of mistakes in order to find a solution".

Monchi reiterated that everything possible will be done to improve the squad in January: "Obviously this squad has more football knowledge and better performances than they are currently offering. We don't have a squad that deserves to be 18th. It is a squad that can be improved and we are going to study everything that we believe can be improved. There are some restrictions that have to be kept in mind, but we will try to make the efforts that allow us to do everything without fear."

Finally, he spoke about last summer's planning: "I made all the decisions with absolute freedom and conviction, at the time, that it was what was needed. Looking at the results, there is no doubt that we have done things wrong."