Gary Neville, unrelenting: "I have belief in my work"

If you were working as a television pundit, in a situation like this, would you think Valencia need to change coach?

From my point of view, I just work. My belief is strong and it always has been. There’s no words that I can give you that will make you not ask me that question and make the problem go away. You cannot win a game in a press conference. From my point of view, I don’t think we deserved to lose the game today but things aren’t going our way in both boxes. We make one mistake, and it goes in, and at the other end of the pitch, we have two or three moments, and they don’t go in. In our last two league matches, I don’t believe they were performances that merited two defeats; but the reality is that we have had two defeats and I am aware of the consequences of two defeats when you don’t play well – or even if you do play well. It’s the result that matters now but this was a game that was going to be about one or two moments – and those moments didn’t go our way. The fine line between defeat and victory is so fine in this game.

Let me put it another way: to help Valencia, to help your friend Peter Lim and to help yourself, wouldn’t it be better to step down?

There’s no doubt at times like this, it’s a moment when everyone needs to stay together. I agree that everyone suffers - the fans more than anyone. But we suffer with them. I could be sat here after winning the last two games and everyone would be smiling but things are just not going for us at this moment in time. That was a pretty solid away performance today. I continue to work, I continue to have belief and any conversations are between me and the owners.

The team has gone 12 games without a win – nine while you have been in charge; what needs to be done so that Valencia don’t go down?

I understand what you’re saying - if I saw that we were struggling in games in relation to the teams we are playing against but for me it’s quite clear. We are better than some of the teams that we are playing against – in fact quite a few of the teams but the results are just not coming with it; and that is the most difficult thing for me to explain at this moment. I’ve been involved in football for quite some time – the gentleman over here asked me what I would think as a commentator, I would say that it was a very tight game and that the line between success and failure is very fine. I know I keep saying it, but we have to turn this around very quickly and if we keep playing like we have been, it will turn. I can’t believe that every time our rivals have a chance, they’ll take it.