X

WORLD FOOTBALL

NEWSSCORESTEAMSTRANSFER RUMORSPREMIER LEAGUECHAMPIONS LEAGUELA LIGASERIE AMLSBR Sports on Max

    Mauricio Pochettino: Tottenham Must 'Fix' Form Immediately to Reach Potential

    Gill Clark@@gillclarkyFeatured Columnist IIOctober 19, 2019

    Tottenham Hotspur's Argentinian head coach Mauricio Pochettino gestures during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Watford at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on January 1, 2019. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
    GLYN KIRK/Getty Images

    Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has said that his team must "fix" their form in order to reach their potential this season.

    Spurs needed a controversial late equaliser from Dele Alli to secure a 1-1 Premier League draw with bottom side Watford on Saturday, and Pochettino offered his thoughts after the match, per the club's official website.

    "Watford defended well, they were so strong, but I'm happy for the players because at the end we found a way to score. We maybe deserved to win in the second half, we didn't, but this is the first step to build our confidence again after two bad games against Bayern Munich and Brighton.

    "Five years ago, we started in the same way and then we made an unbelievable second half of the season and our objective now is to fix this as soon as possible and to be in the way I believe the team deserves to be."

    Tottenham have struggled for form in 2019-20 and have looked a shadow of the team that went all the way to the UEFA Champions League final last season, beating Manchester City and Ajax along the way.

    The team headed into Saturday's match on the back of two demoralising defeats. They were hammered 7-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League and followed that up with a 3-0 loss against Brighton & Hove Albion.

    Mauricio Pochettino: Tottenham Must 'Fix' Form Immediately to Reach Potential
    Video Play Button
    ✨ Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content Right Arrow Icon

    A fifth defeat in six games looked to be on the cards until Alli scored in the 87th minute to deny Watford a first Premier League win of the season.

    Sports reporter Nick Godwin noted how Alli's goal caused confusion:

    Nick Godwin @NickGodwinsport

    #thfc's equiliser looked as though it hit Alli between the shoulder and the elbow. VAR looked at it, the ref pointed to the centre spot, the screen said it was disallowed. Couldn't have been more chaotic if they tried.

    The draw leaves Spurs with just one win in their last seven games in all competitions and prompted criticism of Pochettino after the match:

    Dan Kilpatrick @Dan_KP

    #thfc FT, 1-1. Alli strike got Spurs out of jail but that was pretty abject, albeit in the face of a committed Watford. It's increasingly hard to fathom some of Poch's selection decisions. How many times is he going to reward failure in defence when there are other options?

    James Dickens @JamesWDickens

    That was predictably rubbish. The definition of madness is repeating the same thing and expecting different results and Pochettino keeps picking the same players and expecting change. It's a huge worry.

    Tottenham's form has placed Pochettino and his team under scrutiny. However, the Argentine said after the defeat to Brighton he does not fear being sacked, according to Jonathan Veal at the Evening Standard.

    Yet Spurs' performance against Watford will have done little to convince Pochettino's doubters, and he will face increasing pressure unless Spurs start to pick up wins quickly.

    Tottenham now face a couple of tough fixtures. They go in search of their first win in the Champions League next against Red Star Belgrade and then head to Anfield to take on Premier League leaders Liverpool.