"I'm the manager of the biggest club in the world with the biggest support base in the world, and my loyalty is to the fans.
"I have loyalty to the players as well, of course, but I've got to produce a winning team and that's where the tough decision-making comes into it.
"There's nothing I can do about that. I've been given that job and I've never shirked it. It doesn't matter who they are at this club - if they don't produce on the football field they'll learn the hard way.
"It's a hard business at the top and only the best can do it. That's why it's an important season for us. The players have responded before and, believe me, they'll have to respond again, but they are capable of that.
"I pick them but they drop themselves, there's no doubt about that now. These decisions won't be hard for me either, they are straightforward decisions.
"You might think they will be hard and so might the players, but I don't. A winning team is a winning team and I don't think you change it."