Watford head coach Xisco Munoz insists he is “ready for everything” as he prepares to take charge of his first game against Championship leaders Norwich City this weekend.

The Spaniard is aware that being tasked with taking a side from the Championship to the Premier League is a big responsibility for him, especially at this point in his career, but he believes that, with his ambition, teamwork and by quickly learning from mistakes, there is more than enough in his squad to guide the Hornets back to the top flight.

“We know it’s a big chance, this is true,” said Munoz in his first press conference after taking over at Vicarage Road. “But I’m ready. I’ve prepared for this moment for too much time. I know what’s important, the team, and I know what we have. Believe me in my head I have not stopped. Every day, my mentality is ambition, ambition, ambition, and we need to learn and we need to learn and we need to learn, learn, learn, learn, learn. I will tell everyone, I will make mistakes, sure, because this is life. But I don’t want to repeat the same mistake. I want to learn from the mistake and then I want to continue.

“This is my objective in life. It’s a normal situation for me. Before I stayed in lots of dressing rooms and so the atmosphere is normal and I know what happens in all the situations. I’m ready for everything and I want to enjoy the situation too.”

The 40-year-old described his first two days in the job as “perfect” and said that he already loves the players he has at his disposal.

It is his hope that a positive mentality from all involved with the club can make the difference as he embarks on a tough start to life in England, with away games against promotion hopefuls Swansea City in the league and Manchester United in the FA Cup following soon after Saturday’s game against the Canaries.

“I need a good atmosphere,” he said. “We need everyone together, we need to play like a team. We need our fans to continue to help us, because I know every time they want to help us. We need everyone in the same way. I won’t say everything is easy, all the games are difficult, but I think if everyone is together in the same way, it’s more easy for us as a team.

Harrow Times: Picture: Alan Cozzi/WatfordFC Picture: Alan Cozzi/WatfordFC

“I know I have the best players. I know have perfect players. I love them because these two days they gave me big things.”

Effort and passion are at the heart of Munoz’s footballing philosophy and, win, lose or draw, he wants his team to play with an identity that the club’s fans are proud of.

He knows that changes are needed for this to happen, but it is something he says he has started working on from the moment he arrived.

“We need to change and we need to give different things,” he said. “We are working and you will see, in the next game, different things.

“Our team needs a plan and for them to try, try, try. For sure, we need to also have a good defence. This is true, because in football you need balance. But I want to speak with the guys, I want to see everyone, and also the fans most importantly, want to see everyone play with passion and work with passion.

“I think the team received this message and we are starting to work about this and this is our objective. We need to play very hard and every time when the fans see us, they can say, ‘this is my team’.”

Munoz also believes the fact that he was a player just five years ago means he has a good understanding of how the relationship between coach and player should work.

He knows he has to earn the players’ respect, but also that there will be times when he has to be firm.

“It’s important everybody knows we have the same way,” he said. “We have the same things, we have the same objective, we have the same problems. Everything. I have to communicate a lot and have to respect them a lot.

“You win the respect, with your words, with your work with every day. You need to take the respect.

“It’s important to not forget you’re working with people. When you’re working with people it’s a normal situation.

“When we need to push them I’ll push them. I want to give good solutions for players. These are good players in difficult moments, every time I will support them, because I was on the pitch I know how difficult it is.”