Antoine Griezmann has told Le Parisien he expected to endure the trying start to life at Atletico Madrid he has experienced following his move to the Spanish capital this summer.
Griezmann, 23, broke into the France team earlier this year thanks to his stunning performances at Real Sociedad, but was tempted to join the Liga champions following the 2014 World Cup in Brazil after nine years in San Sebastian.
Prolific at the Anoeta, Griezmann has found the net only four times in 15 competitive outings for his new club, but the France international -- who will start Friday's friendly with Albania on the bench -- is far from dispirited with his slow start to life at the Vicente Calderon.
"I knew I would need time to adapt to Atletico. It's really a different style of play," he said. "At Real Sociedad, we worked much more with the ball, I had to put in less effort physically. Here, athletically, it's really tough.
"As I arrived after the World Cup, I was a bit behind the others. I have had to put in a lot to get back into top shape. Now, I feel better and I'm more confident. My teammates know me, and vice versa."
Griezmann's meteoric rise to prominence last season, which saw him arrive on the international scene in the months just prior to the World Cup before becoming first-choice in Brazil due to Franck Ribery's injury-enforced absence, meant increased expectations on the young forward's shoulders.
A post-World Cup dip in form led national coach Didier Deschamps to criticise Griezmann's performance in September's friendly defeat of Spain, while Atleti coach Diego Simeone recently suggested his player should "be a man."
But Griezmann has faith in his ability and approach, adding: "It's always good to be given a wake-up call. A player knows when he has played badly. Against Spain in September, I wasn't good. The coach explained things to me clearly.
"At Atletico, we have a style of play in which you have to be fully committed to every tackle and he uses that expression, 'to be a man', in that regard. But honestly, that's already what I try to do on the pitch."