But what I'm not is someone who just comes in and becomes a lapdog to the board. Anyone who knows my personality knows that's not me.

I always ask two questions when we are closing in on a deal: What currency are we dealing in and how many people are expecting to get paid as part of this transfer?

I've been a manager in the Premier League for many years and you do become conservative when you're in that bottom section. There's so much stress, because it is so important and there's so much scrutiny.

If you're in the middle of a field, surrounded by armies, left right and centre, you can't just say: 'I've had enough now, sorry.'

I'm the football manager. I make all the football decisions that evolve around the game that's being played on a Saturday.

I experienced great professionalism in Dutch football. I don't want to give a stereotypical view of them, but they are needy in terms of wanting to know exactly what the game plan is, what their role is, that information.

A player's mentality is very important. The five or 10 per cent where they're not focused because of wanting to go somewhere is enough for them to haul off their quality. It impacts on everything. So, as a board and manager, you have to make a decision.

I look at Rafa Benitez in his time at Liverpool, he had difficult periods and the same goes for Brendan Rodgers in the same job now. These difficult periods come and you have to accept that. I did as well as I could at Newcastle.

The pleasure of winning at this football club matches nothing I've ever experienced before. But if you're going to get those ultimate highs, you're going to get the ultimate lows.

The AZ captain Teun Koopmeiners, a left-footed centre back who can sit in midfield, is probably the best player in Holland in defensive areas.