Omer Riza had a lot say to the media during his pre Blackburn press conference, less than 48 hours after the defeat to Luton.
"The first thing for me is, I'm the manager of the football club and anything that happens at the club in respect of our performances on the pitch, the decisions players make in terms of tactics and player positioning, is all on me," he said.
"I take responsibility for my team. Whether it's results. Whether it's tactics. I think that's important because sometimes when I do press calls or I do things after games, I don't ever want it to sound like I'm blaming my players.
"My players and I, and my staff, are all one. So I think it's really important that everyone understands that. I'll always take full responsibility for my teams wherever I'm at."
Riza continued by responding to what he felt was unfair criticism of recent tactical decisions.
"When we talk about player positionings on the pitch," he added. "We play players in positions we feel can do the job. So for instance, I'm playing a 4-2-3-1, and playing Rubin Colwill left side of a three. People turn round and potentially say that he's playing out of position.
"He's not playing out of position. He's playing the 10, but he's creating a box. He'll drop in and create a box with Alex Robertson. Then we've got (Calum) Chambers and Rambo (Aaron Ramsey) behind it. In the last game we played, it gives Callum O'Dowda the licence on the left wing.
"So you've got to understand the game and you've got to understand it tactically. You've got to understand strategical things in the game in respect of player positioning.
"With Calum Chambers, he's moved into midfield this year. I think we've been very successful with Calum Chambers. He's moved up there and he's probably been one of our best midfielders this year.
"So it's a player out of position, who's been excellent. Andy Rinomhota was a player that was a bit of a nomad if you like. He wasn't getting many minutes and was very disgruntled with not playing. He's done excellent this year. He's played right-back, he's played central midfield, he's played up and down the wing and he's done very well.
"Also with squad rotation. Sometimes squad rotation is something that you have to do, because you haven't got the players that you played the previous game. Boys get injured. Boys pick up injuries on the bench before a warm-up.
"These things are all important. We're all working towards the same goal. That's the press. That's me. That's my staff. That's the players. That's the club.
"In respect of where we're trying to get to, and where we're trying to get to is getting this club back to where it's been before and even higher if we can."
In full flight, Riza then touched on the club's recent transfer dealings, which he insists cannot be attributed to just one individual within the club.
"Everyone at this club has played a part in recruitment," he continued.
"Whether it's Yousef Salech, or Will Alves in January. Whether it's Sivert (Mannsverk) in January. The work that goes into bringing these players into the club is not solely on one person. It's not solely on Paddy (Deboys) at the recruitment. Paddy and the boys have done an excellent job when it comes to selecting a group of players that could potentially come into the club.
"Then, above that. The board have to say 'yes' to these players coming into the club. Then the owner of the club has to put his hand in his pocket, which he's done on many occasions to bring these players into the club.
"With myself. I might know a manager, or I might know a player from the past. That's our jobs. My job isn't to claim that I've brought in players, Paddy's brought in players. It's about all of us. It's about us together.
"I think one of our slogans is 'City as One' and that's what we need to be.
"Then there's the medical department. Doing the medical examinations on players from dusk until dawn, or early mornings to make sure these players are fit and ready to come in.
"If there's blame it's about what we're doing together. Sometimes when things aren't going well, you can start nit-picking over who's done what. Why this hasn't happened and why that hasn't happened.
"For me, I'm the manager and if there's any blame on anything, it's on me and the decisions I make, which is fair. I take that. I'm not perfect. I'll make mistakes like everyone makes mistakes and that's part and parcel of this job."
Riza concluded by praising the support of owner Vincent Tan during his tenure as manager, and says the pair are still speaking regularly amid this latest difficult run.
"Finally, since I've been at this club, the balance between the fans and the board, and the manager in between, can be really difficult at times," he said. "But I can honestly say, I've been here since June, and the relationship I have with Vincent Tan. Our relationship is very good. We talk constantly. All the time.
"Our opinions may vary and we might not be on the same page with certain aspects. But since I've come in here, I don't know all the stuff that happened prior or the problems the fans have had with the club prior. But the job Mr Tan has done for me in terms of giving me the opportunity and giving me the players I want, putting his hand in the pocket to bring players into the club, the constant communication we have, has been excellent.
"So I can't sit here and say I've got any issues with anything that's been given to me until this date. So anything that's happening; results performances, is all on me, my staff and my players. We're all working together.
"That's the club and that's how it will always be. I'm a man of honesty, integrity and hard work, and that will never change, whether I'm here today. Whether I'm here tomorrow. I'll talk honestly and I think that's just important to say."
