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On the slide

Neville: 'The obituaries have already been written, I have been judged in six weeks'

The Valencia manager has failed to register a La Liga win from nine attempts.

Updated at 18.50

GARY NEVILLE INSISTED he is intent on continuing as Valencia boss despite stretching his winless streak in La Liga to nine games with a 1-0 defeat at Real Betis on Sunday.

Valencia are now just four points above the relegation zone with defeat coming just days after a 7-0 thrashing at the hands of Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semi-finals.

“I said before I came, I would be judged in five months. The obituaries have already been written, I have been judged in six weeks,” said Neville, who only signed a contract till the end of the season in December.

“I continue to believe in the work (we are doing). There is structure, belief, organisation, far better fitness.

“The biggest problem I have are the results. I don’t believe the results reflect the work, effort and order we are now seeing in the performances.”

Neville’s business relations and friendship with Valencia’s Singaporean owner Peter Lim played a big role in him getting his first managerial role at the Mestalla.

And the former Manchester United captain insisted there was no need for the club to offer him a vote of confidence despite growing speculation in Spain he could be sacked in the coming days.

“Statements don’t offer any clarity to anyone really. If you do that, you set a precedent. It’s only done when it is necessary and at this moment in time I don’t think that it is necessary.”

Sunday’s defeat was another tale of missed chances for Neville’s men as Alvaro Negredo failed to convert with the goal at his mercy seconds after Ruben Castro had handed Betis the lead four minutes into the second-half.

“It will turn. I can’t believe that we will keep missing chances and that every time there is a chance the other team will take it,” added Neville.

Former Manchester City captain Negredo has been made captain by Neville after being frozen out by his predecessor Nuno Espirito Santo.

Yet, even Negredo refused to offer his full backing to his boss staying in the job for next weekend’s vital La Liga clash with Espanyol.

“That’s not up to me. We know the coach well but that’s up to the club. We shouldn’t get involved in things that we aren’t supposed to,” Negredo told Canal Plus.

© AFP 2016 

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