Tottenham vs Newcastle: Mauricio Pochettino says under-fire Alan Pardew deserves more respect

Tottenham manager says ups and downs are all part of a career in football, writes Paul Smith

Banter: Alan Pardew has played down Mike Ashley comments (AP)

Alan Pardew has an unlikely ally in Mauricio Pochettino even though a Tottenham win at White Hart Lane on Sunday will lead to more calls for the Newcastle manager’s head.

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Pardew has had a torrid time after just one win in eight. The club occupy a relegation place and demonstrations against Pardew and owner Mike Ashley have overshadowed below par performances. But Pochettino (right) has called on people to have respect and claims every manager faces moments of crisis in their career.

“I don’t like it when managers are under pressure and get criticised. You have ups and downs and it’s important to get some respect because in this job we all face moments of difficulty. As a player and a manager I have had bad moments. I played 17 years and obviously every season wasn’t the same. Sometimes you have success and others you have bad performances. That applies to management as well.

“The only way to deal with the situation is to be natural, professional. You can only deliver your best.”

Maurichio Pochettino (PA)

Not that Pochettino is in any mood to be charitable after Tottenham look to rebound from their 4-1 drubbing last weekend. They appear to have got the defeat out of their system after their 5-1 Europa League win.

“Of course it gives us the opportunity to gain some momentum following the defeat by Manchester City and the win over Asteras Tripoli,” Pochettino said.

“The confidence would have been lifted after Thursday so we go into the game against Newcastle in good spirits. It won’t be easy, though. We have to be ready because Newcastle are strong.

“They may have had problems at the start of the season but when any team is trying to adapt when new players arrive it is always difficult. They’ll be tough opponents.

“They come here after winning their first home game and that means they will be coming with confidence. For us it’s important to perform and get three points.”

Tottenham’s lack of consistency, even at this early stage doesn’t please their Argentine boss.

“We need to improve and learn from our mistakes. Improvement and consistency are important if you want to do well. It is my job to look at individuals and try to improve everyone. Some of the players improve at one pace and others take longer to move on. We are still a team in construction and what I look for is improvement in every game.”