Tottenham Boss Pochettino: It's Not How We Start, It's How We Finish

Tottenham's new manager Mauricio Pochettino has demanded patience from Spurs fans, claiming "it's not how we start it's how we finish."

The former Southampton boss has had a difficult start to life at White Hart Lane since replacing Tim Sherwood earlier in the summer.

Spurs won the first two Premier League games of the season but have since struggled to secure another victory and are ninth in the table with just seven points from five games.

Pochettino suggests Tottenham need a transition and insists he didn't expect an easy job when he arrived in North London earlier in the summer.

"No not really. We know that maybe happen up and down in different period" Pochettino told the Daily Mail. "[It's] always different when you arrive at a new club with different players you need time to get to know each other. I'm not worrying about the situation.

"I believe at the moment we need to have more points to reflect the table, it's the beginning of the season, it's not how we start it's how we finish. We are sure our team will improve, not only in how we play but in the results in the next few weeks."

The North London side face Nottingham Forest in the Capital One Cup on Wednesday before their crucial Premier League derby against Arsenal on Saturday.

"We are ready to compete and to fight against Forest because we expect a tough game."

The Argentinian believes the team have to be more aggressive but insists they will need time to establish their new style.

"We need to move the ball quicker, faster. West Brom played a long ball and to try to win the second ball. Maybe we have problem because the second ball we arrive late always, we arrive a lot of time too late in the box of the opposition. We need to be more aggressive in the last third of the pitch.

"We had the possession more than 60%... [but] we need to be more aggressive. We are in the moment we need to set our style and philosophy. This is a normal process, it is maybe up and down in the beginning, but we need to be strong and to carry on and to work hard and believe in our way"

Meanwhile, the manager confirmed Andros Townsend is ready to return after missing the Sunday defeat against West Bromwich.