Tottenham 5-0 Red Star: Mauricio Pochettino reflects on Spurs' crucial first step on road to recovery

Richard Parry22 October 2019

Mauricio Pochettino refused to take Tuesday’s thumping victory as anything other than a first step on Tottenham’s road to recovery.

Spurs went into their self-proclaimed ‘must-win’ Champions League tie with Red Star Belgrade on a run of just three wins from 12 games in all competitions.

Their manager, facing the first real test of his five-year tenure in north London, needed a win. Boy did he get one.

Two goals apiece from Harry Kane and Heung-min Son, plus a well-deserved goal from Erik Lamela on what was his 200th club appearance saw Spurs run out 5-0 winners .

After the heaviest home defeat in their history against Bayern Munich last time out, they responded with their biggest home win in the competition.

In Pictures | Tottenham vs Red Star Belgrade | 22/10/2019

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But Pochettino is not getting carried away just yet.

The 47-year-old conveyed a calm demeanour during the game, and showed little emotion for each of his team's goals.

That calm, grounded persona continued into his interviews post-match, albeit with a little burst of humour at the end.

"I don't feel great, I feel OK,” he told BT Sport. “It's only one game, but of course we need to build our confidence and we have to start at some point.

"So it's great for the confidence and tomorrow a day off because we scored five goals!"

Spurs supporters serenaded their 'magic' manager as Spurs recorded a first European victory since they progressed to last season's Champions League final.

While support in the terraces is clear, questions have been asked of the unity inside the dressing room.

Pochettino was quick to extinguish such suggestions.

"In football we try to find a reason from nowhere,” he answered.

"The problem was on the pitch and that is all. It's normal to see problems on the pitch, and you try to find a way to spark the team. But things happen in football you can't explain. It is so difficult and complex to explain.

"The most important thing is to be together and be calm and know that this type of thing can happen in any team.

"It is most import to show togetherness. If you do not win, the reason is because you are not performing on the pitch, not something that happens outside of the pitch."

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