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Pochettino focused on improving, not on rumours

Cape Town - Mauricio Pochettino acknowledges that his position as Tottenham manager will come under pressure if he is unable to turn their season around.

Spurs have endured a terrible start to the season, winning just three times in 12 games, which has seen Pochettino face scrutiny for the first time in five and a half years at the club.

The Argentinian says that he is not affected by speculation, and pointed to his lack of grey hairs as evidence, but knows the pressure on him will only get worse if his side cannot turn things around.

"The rumours happen in any club when you don't win," Pochettino said. "That doesn't mean they are true and you need to care or pay attention about what has happened.

"But I understand it's the business. I am 47 - look, why do you think that I don't have white hair?

"Because I don't pay attention to any of this. I only pay attention to what we need to do to improve our performance.

"And if we don't improve our performance, what is going to be the result?

"Always the same in football. Yes, you are thinking the same as me."

As well as the 7-2 humiliation to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Spurs caved to a 3-0 defeat at Brighton and needed a late leveller to draw with winless Watford at the weekend.

Pochettino said: "We are in a period where we are fragile like any team. In five years the team did a lot of good things, we put standards so high.

"Nearly all the players - 99% of them - have enjoyed a good period at the club in the five and a half years we have been here. It had always been very positive so this, what is happening now, is a very new thing for us.

"But if you look at the history of Tottenham, now it looks normal for Tottenham to be in the Champions League but five years ago it wasn't normal. We need to face a different period but the belief is there and the faith.

"It's normal to have questions like, we train too much, we are tired, all the rumours that can appear. Our answer is to only laugh."

- TeamTalk Media

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