Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino defends Christian Eriksen over poor Champions League display

Eriksen had one of his poorest games in recent memory in the 2-2 draw, repeatedly squandering possession and failing to provide Spurs with the spark they needed in Athens

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has defended Christian Eriksen after the player failed to impress against Olympiacos in the Champions League.

Eriksen had one of his poorest games in recent memory in the 2-2 draw, repeatedly squandering possession and failing to provide Spurs with the spark they needed in Athens.

His poor display comes after a summer of intense speculation over his future, during which he admitted he was ready to “try something new”.

But Pochettino has come out in defence of the 27-year-old.

“No, I am happy with the performance,” Pochettino told a pre-match news conference on Thursday, in response to a question over Eriksen’s poor display in the Champions League.

“Maybe Olympiacos wasn’t his best game, like the team. The collective performance wasn’t the best from us.

“I am happy with the commitment of Christian. He ran a lot and was very committed with the team. I am not concerned about him.”

Pochettino also called on Tottenham to toughen up in matches after taking the lead.

“We need to improve in this type of situation – leading against Arsenal, leading 2-0 against Olympiakos,” Pochettino said.

“We are not talking about quality, we are talking to be in this type of situation to manage it better.

“Look, a few months ago we played the final of the Champions League, we were not talking about mentality because we played the final. We got a lot of praise because we played the final.”