I think football reflects our society. Our society changes. The evolution of society dictates the evolution of the game.
I understand that when people try to wind me up, it's because I'm playing well. Whenever I had trouble, it was because I reacted to something. Now I'm much more focused on the game and on doing my job.
In my time at Arsenal, we had a really good balance. We had players who were fast, players who were really strong physically, and players who were really creative. When you look at the generation of Arsenal at the moment, they may be playing better football than we used to, but they win less than we used to - so, where's the balance?
When you are 14, 15, 16, you can train every day in France, and sometimes you can train twice a day.
A winning mentality does not come in one day. I'm sure that every single player at Arsenal wants to win, but it is coming to the moment when you need to play really bad games and win 1-0.
When you're in youth development, you have to develop players - win or come in second. But the job where I am and the reality of our industry is to win to be successful, and that is what I have to do. I have to be successful, and I want to be successful, so we'll do everything we can do to win.
You need somebody to open your eyes, to tell you there's things that you can do, and I had that person in Brian Marwood. I think if I'm where I am today, it's because of him.
It was complicated at Madrid. I was suspicious. The lack of recognition for Makelele over there scared me. I was scared it would happen to me. But I should have gone there. Today, I don't regret the career that I have had, but if I could have changed one thing, it would be that: to go to Madrid.
When I told Arsene Wenger I was leaving, he said to me, 'I have £25m to spend on a few players.' My answer was, 'Obviously, Mr. Wenger, you are not shopping in Harrods. That will only buy you one good player.' Now I have been proved right.
I love London. I feel at ease there; I can push my trolley in the supermarket without being bothered. If I want to go to a club, a cinema, or have a walk, I am free - free to live my life as I wish. I have talked about it with some players, and I am convinced that we are in one of the best countries.
When, in 2005, there was an offer from Juventus, I was in the Bahamas. When I came back, Arsene said to me, 'There is an offer from Juve. What do you want to do?' I understood that he was saying, 'If you want to leave, leave.'
I wasn't ready to manage straight away. You have a few players who stopped and managed a first team straight away and were successful, and then there are the other ones who take different pathways. And I think what was important for me was to understand what I really wanted to do.
I'm a good listener, and I take into consideration everything people tell me, but at the same time, I believe my eyes as well as the experience I had as a player. So players who underperform? There has to be a reason why... my job is for them to perform.
I'm passionate about the job. I'm really excited. I'm really determined.
You train far more in France than in England. Here, we still see football as a game. Football is a job. There is still the mentality where training is at 11, you come in at 10:30, and when it is finished, you leave straight away.
I sincerely think that firing Roger Lemerre was the easiest solution. There had to be a guilty party, and it was him. He was the ideal prey. He had his share of responsibility like everybody else, like the French FA who organised friendly matches at the other end of the world, but the actors - the players - have the greatest share of it.
In England, the respect for the ex-players is something that people take seriously.