Mauricio Pochettino set to use extra time off to fine tune Tottenham for the New Year

Spurs’ full squad will enjoy a full seven days between games twice over the next month

Mauricio Pochettino has plans to fine tune Tottenham ahead of the New Year (Tottenham Hotspur FC)

Mauricio Pochettino will use the extra time Tottenham Hotspur now have between games over the next few weeks to “introduce different concepts” to his team, and fine-tune some details.

The switching of the club’s home fixture with West Ham United from New Years Eve to 2 January, as well as the fact there are League Cup games after Saturday’s away match with Manchester City, mean Spurs’ full squad will enjoy a full seven days between games twice over the next month.

That is the first time that will be the case since August, and the manager plans to use it to work on plans, especially with players signed late in the summer window.

“The first six months is always difficult for the new players because we don't have much time to work,” Pochettino said. It's so difficult - sometimes we work only through the video because we can't do anything on the pitch. And it's not the same. Just today we were talking about the next week - it will be key for us to work with the new players, introduce different concepts that we need to improve on the team.

"And of course I hope that the second half of the season, with all the squad fit and all together, we will be more competitive. We are going to have Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League and we need to be competitive and strong.”

Pochettino admitted the switching of the West Ham match was a bonus in that sense.

“Yes, in the end, you need to play. But yes, it's good for us to have these two periods to work in, of course.”

Pochettino said he also feels there is more “competitiveness” in the squad, with the pending return of key players like Erik Lamela and Victor Wanyama.


 Spurs currently sit outside the top-four 
 (Getty)

“It's true that for different reasons, like injuries or other things, we've missed this feeling [of competition]. Of course, in the second part of the season, if we can recover every -- now Lamela is nearly 100% or Victor Wanyama, Toby {Alderweireld] later -- it's very good news for the team.

"To have everyone at a very good level. For the new players that arrived to be more comfortable here, to know everything, to adapt their quality to the team.”