How did you find moving from Spain to England?
I experienced mixed emotions. There was the excitement of joining Tottenham [Hotspur], a team with great history, and the prospect of working in the Premier League, a competition that has always inspired me. On the other hand, I had to leave Seville, a team that I had managed for three years and that helped me to achieve some significant milestones. It was one of those confusing situations when you don’t know if the decision that you have made is the correct one or not. The truth is that, since I landed here, I have been very happy. I think I took the decision to move at the right time.

When you arrived at Tottenham, what surprised you?
The culture of the club: the timetables, the training sessions, the meals. In Spain, and not just at Seville, when we had a double training session, we would have one in the morning like we do here, then we would eat, rest and return for the second session at 4 or 5 o’clock. It was surprising that, just after finishing their lunch, at 1 or 2 o’clock, the players wanted to go straight out to train. I could not understood how an athlete who had just eaten, with a full stomach, could be in the right condition to work. But that’s what we did, we took the second session at 2pm. That is the way things are here and it is easier for us who arrived to get used to the way things are rather than change the ways of the whole squad.

What role does Dr Antonio Escribano have?
We knew we had to improve the diet of the players and needed a specialist in the areas of diet and physical conditioning. Since Antonio has been at the club, the results have been spectacular. The squad has lost a significant amount of weight. Every player has been given an individual diet. We knew that it was necessary.

Have you instilled tactical discipline in the team?
This is what we are trying to do. In Spain, I don’t think you would ever see crazy games like our 6-4 win over Reading. In the English league, the teams at the top of the table, like Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool, pay more attention to finer tactical details that, in turn, allows them to win more games. You have to make people understand that, if you really want to win a game, you have to think in a measured way about what is happening on the pitch, not just running hard.

Do you feel like a coach or manager?
A coach because, when I arrived, decisions had already been made and the squad had been assembled. I was very happy with the squad and we have to move forward with that group of players. After this season, we will take a look at things and decide whether or not we need to look for reinforcements.

What are your objectives at Tottenham?
Our short-term objective is to save the season. The situation that we encountered on our arrival was very complicated, with the club in the relegation zone after a poor run. We seem to have overcome the period of anxiety. In the medium term, a club like Tottenham has tremendous potential. Everyone involved has to convince themselves that we deserve more. We have to be ambitious and say: “We are going to take that step forward”. Once this mindset has been achieved, we can look to the long term. I am convinced that Spurs have the potential to begin to challenge the top four, to fight to play Champions League football and win league titles. It is not down to only me, it is up to the club to support us and allow the club to fill that potential.

How are the English lessons going?
Very well. I always talk to the players in English and we understand each other perfectly. Just in case, we have Gus [Poyet, the assistant coach and former Tottenham and Uruguay mid-field player] to help us out if needed.

— Guillem Balague is a regular guest on Revista de La Liga on Sky Sports 1.