Mauricio Pochettino: Tottenham 'Need to Accept the Criticism' for Recent Form

Mauricio Pochettino believes his Tottenham Hotspur squad is "united," but he thinks the group must "accept the criticism" for a recent run of poor form.

Pochettino addressed Spurs' struggles ahead of Saturday's game at home to Southampton in the Premier League, per BBC Sport: "If we don't get the results that people expect, we need to accept the criticism. For nearly five years it was all praise for Tottenham. Now, if we deserve to be criticised, we need to accept that."

Criticism on some level is to be expected following a run of just two wins in eight games in all competitions. The dire sequence has included losing 2-1 to Leicester City in the top flight before falling to a humbling penalty-shootout loss to League Two side Colchester United in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.

Those results were preceded by Pochettino's men blowing two-goal leads to draw 2-2 with north London rivals Arsenal and then Olympiacos in the UEFA Champions League.

Despite the dropped points and an early exit from a competition offering the chance for Spurs to end a trophy drought extending back to 2008 (excluding the International Champions Cup and Barclays Asia Trophy), Pochettino remains upbeat about his team's prospects: "We're not so far away. Our performances are not as bad as the feeling creates. I'm sure that we are going to start to win games, but we need to find the solution."

Getting better will demand every member of the Tottenham squad being on the same page, and Pochettino is convinced his group is still together: "We are united. We are talking and trying to work harder and being strong."

Those words are in sharp contrast to Pochettino's recent statements hinting at divisions among the squad. The 47-year-old had spoken of "different agendas," per Ben Grounds of Sky Sports.

Pochettino's latest comments may be an attempt to present a happy front amid what is the most challenging period of his tenure. His motivation and future have been questioned, with former Tottenham striker Jurgen Klinsmann keen on taking the job if the Argentinian walks away, according to Steve Stammers of the Daily Mail.

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Meanwhile, The Sun's Neil Ashton believes former Juventus chief Massimiliano Allegri would show interest.

There is no doubt Pochettino faces a daunting task to get Spurs back on track and prove an entrenched squad can still realistically compete for silverware this season.

His core players, including striker Harry Kane, playmaker Christian Eriksen and centre-backs Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen, have been together for some time. There is a sense this team may have run its course despite the obvious talent in the ranks.

In fairness to Pochettino and Spurs, the club has tried to refresh things by adding Tanguy Ndombele, Ryan Sessegnon and Giovani Lo Celso this summer. However, injury problems and inconsistency have prevented the trio from exerting their influence.

Setbacks for the new faces have left Pochettino trying to find internal solutions. It's meant playing Harry Winks more often, with the 23-year-old starting every game in the engine room so far.

Pochettino has also leaned more heavily on forgotten man Erik Lamela. The winger has actually proved a useful creative outlet in central areas.

Yet these ploys haven't done enough to replace the missing influence of arguably Tottenham's most important player, Dele Alli. The England international has made just one substitute appearance in the league while he's dealt with hamstring issues, and Spurs have missed his technical quality and late-breaking runs between the midfield and forward lines.

Alli's tenacity is also a key part of the pressing game Pochettino feels has dropped below standards this season:

There is a lot for Pochettino to do to improve Tottenham's form, but he still has the resources to keep the Lilywhites among those vying for a top-four finish. Results will prove whether Spurs remain unified in pursuit of that same cause.