Jose lit the way for us
Spurs have lost their past three games ahead of their trip to Brighton today and four of the past six goals they have conceded have come from set pieces.
Manager Pochettino, an uncompromising centre-back in his day, said his players are not aggressive enough when the ball flies into the box.
“When I was playing I wasn’t the best but you need to have that bravery or desire to fight with someone,” he said.
“It’s about a fight at a corner. You need to watch the ball but don’t lose your man. If you lose him, all the tactics and preparation are gone.
“It’s in your education, how you were taught or how brave you are, how you feel – like it’s an insult if someone beats you.
“If I’m supposed to mark someone and he touches the ball, then it’s a dishonour for me.
“If you don’t want to mark and say, ‘No, because I don’t feel well’ or, ‘No, because I might lose my marker’, then it’s difficult. It’s about wanting to fight.”
Pochettino said practice on the training ground could only do so much. “To anticipate the action, about who is stronger, about who is going to win. That’s the thing in set pieces – the only way to be good is to be aggressive and to anticipate.
“You can work on your organisation, you can work on the line – if it’s a wide free-kick higher or deeper. On the corner, you can use different positions to cover on different players because you know how the opponent works.
“But in the end it’s up to them. You can’t do too much from the outside. The big teams always have big personality players, characters – maybe not the best but winners.
“You can have unbelievable players like Maradona, Pele, Di Stefano, Cruyff, Messi, and they are able to create from nowhere and score goals. If not, when the level is so equal, you need to be strong.
“We are going to show trust and work hard to convince players to try to believe – and we are going to improve, it’s clear. But we have a tough game against Brighton and it will be difficult to defend.” NUNO Espirito Santo has thanked his former manager Jose Mourinho for being a trailblazer for other Portuguese coaches in the Premier League.
Wolves boss Nuno played under Mourinho at Porto during his reign from 2002-04 when they won their domestic title and European honours both seasons.
Ahead of visiting Mourinho’s Manchester United, Nuno said: “He made headlines all over the world with the impact of success with Porto and Chelsea.
“It is not easy to come in the first season in the Premier League and achieve what he achieved.
“Mourinho was the manager who opened the door for all of us that came after. He was the first who proved the quality of Portuguese managers and allowed us to have a chance away from our country.”
Diogo Dalot will have to wait for his Old Trafford bow after Mourinho confirmed the 19-year-old right-back will not play today.
Dalot shone in the 3-0 midweek Champions League win at Young Boys, but Mourinho said: “I want him in this process of adaptation. I want him to play totally fresh.”