Pochettino: Focus is back

Mauricio Pochettino said his Tottenham side had rediscovered their ‘focus’ after a difficult start to the season in the 4-0 win against Crystal Palace today.

Spurs took just five points from their opening four matches of the season, and looked labored in their most recent home game – a 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United.

Uncertainty surrounding the future of Christian Eriksen seemed to have an adverse effect on the players on the pitch during the first games this season, but Pochettino says his team showed their class against the south Londoners.

He said: “The team was unsettled and when the team is unsettled it is difficult to perform how you want to perform. I’m not blaming anyone but the focus wasn’t to play football, it wasn’t to try to improve, the focus wasn’t in the place we want to be.

“We had quality enough to win games but were not focused, but when you are focused as we showed in the first half performance (today), when you are able to do that, with the quality that we have, then it’s good.

“I am happy to recover that feeling, but now we have to keep pushing. This is the first step of the season, we now have seven games in 21 days and all the players are going to have the possibility to play, we are going to rotate and give the opportunity to all the players to show their quality and show they deserve their place.”

Serge Aurier started for Spurs in the right-back position, in place of the injured Kyle Walker-Peters, and Pochettino was impressed with his display – being directly involved in two of the Spurs goals.

Pochettino said: “He’s very happy, the performance was great. The first half was fantastic, his focus and concentration, but now he needs to show the consistency. That is the key for the whole team. Every time we compete we must do our best.”