Mauricio Pochettino fears Tottenham could 'crash' against Watford after thumping Manchester United win

Dan Kilpatrick @Dan_KP31 August 2018

Mauricio Pochettino has said Tottenham must improve on their performance in the groundbreaking 3-0 win at Manchester United on Monday, warning his players they will 'crash' against Watford if they start to believe the hype.

Spurs scored three times in the second half to win at Old Trafford for the first time under Pochettino and confirm their best start to a season since 2009-10.

On Sunday Spurs visit Watford, who also have a 100 per cent record from three League games, and Pochettino warned his players they will struggle if they do not improve on their first-half display at United.

"My mood wasn’t great. I was so disappointed," said Pochettino, who will be without captain Hugo Lloris (thigh) and Moussa Sissoko (hamstring) at Vicarage Road.

In Pictures | Manchester United vs Tottenham | 27/08/18

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"We need to improve our performance. The first half I wasn’t happy and I translated that to the players. We need to fight against the perception. When you compare the perception and the reality, the reality was in the first half we can concede one, two or three goals.

"The team showed character and in the second half we were much better. But if we want to fight for big things – before talking to you and expressing our feelings to the media and our fans – it’s about trying to improve.

"And we need to improve because it’s only three games from the beginning of the season. We need to show we are contenders during 10 months.

"We’re going to play on Sunday against a very good team – a team that’s going to fight and is in a very good moment. After three games, they’re over the moon. If we’re not ready and we believe because we beat Manchester United 3-0 that all is fantastic, I think we are going to crash. That is my mood. That is how I feel."

Moura scored twice against United on Monday night.
REUTERS

Harry Kane's first goal at Old Trafford and a clinical double from Lucas Moura consigned United to a damaging defeat after Pochettino had lost four straight away games at United without scoring.

But he added: "It’s easy to talk about perception. When you’ve beaten Manchester United 3-0 in Old Trafford, a historic victory, it’s easy to say our performance was fantastic and they were not so good.

"But when you watch again the game I think the line was very thin [between] the positive or negative. In the last three games we’ve conceded a lot of chances.

"Our 'keeper made an unbelievable save to keep the team alive. Of course after we scored we showed character but come on! If we want to fight and be a contender, we need to talk on the pitch – and not outside. We need to show we are capable after 10 months, not only after three games."

The Spurs manager urged supporters to "be patient and understand" the club's complex new stadium project after they asked the EFL board for permission to play the League Cup third-round home match against the Hornets at Stadium MK – 50 miles outside London.

Meanwhile, the Argentinian said the club would "look after" Son Heung-Min if the South Korea captain fails to earn exemption from his country's national service by beating Japan in the final of the Asian Games on Saturday.

If South Korea, captained by Son, retain their gold medal in Indonesia, the 26-year-old forward will be exempt from being conscripted for 21 months before the age of 28, but if they lose Son's hopes of avoiding service look bleak.

"It's a subject that we talk about a lot," Pochettino said. "He was worried and he wants to deliver the victory and win because he wants to avoid [military service], of course.

"If – if – something wrong happens [on Saturday], it's not in our hands. We'll see what happens. But he's our player. We look after him and we care about him but we're positive and we hope we can score and win, be happy and enjoy his career here with us.

"I'm not going to wish luck because I haven't so far and I don't want to be the person who wishes him luck and then something wrong happens! It's so difficult in the spotlight. Of course, it's such an important game for him. We all hope we can win."

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