Mauricio Pochettino has warned his Tottenham Hotspur players they must "suffer" in order to see the benefits of his rigorous training methods.
Spurs endured another disappointing loss last Sunday as they were beaten 2-1 at home by Stoke to leave them 12th in the Premier League table after 11 games.
Pochettino was brought to White Hart Lane in May after receiving praise for his work at Southampton, but so far his new side have struggled for form.
However, after receiving the backing of former Spurs striker Jurgen Klinsmann, the London Evening Standard reports the Argentine told El Pais he has no plans to change his philosophy on the training ground.
"We come from a culture that likes to train," he said. "And we do double training sessions [morning and afternoon], which are not customary in England.
"But we must improve the resistance to suffering of the group. The English player is very intense and you have to improve their endurance and ability to suffer, so they can be aggressive for longer.
"Do you suffer in training so you don't have to suffer in games? Yes, and they understand that through this, they will enjoy playing.
"When we were at Southampton, people spoke about the hard training sessions. But we're not fools. We must also take into account that footballers become comfortable -- I know this because I was a player, too.
"You think that if you do well through what you've always done, then why do more? But I don't want them to be afraid. I do expect respect, which is the hardest thing to earn. I believe we have it, because the players know they will grow with us.
"Our job is to help them grow, earn better contracts, be happier. And for that, all methods are good. I always apply common sense in my relationships with players. Sometimes I'm tough, sometimes distant, sometimes affectionate.
"You always have to be very clear in the way you interact with the group. I don't know if you can be friends with a player. It's a big word. The player will give you as much as he wants to give."
He added: "We have believed more in English players than they have in themselves. And here, English players are disparaged a little. We just had to trust them and make them understand our philosophy."