Tottenham: Mauricio Pochettino vital for Spurs says Vertonghen

Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen believes that Mauricio Pochettino has brought excitement to the Spurs dressing room which is showing no signs of waning. The north London club made easy work of Manchester United last weekend at White Hart Lane, defeating the Red Devils 3-0 with goals from Dele Alli, Toby Alderweireld and Erik Lamela within seven minutes of each other, which saw them keep pace with leaders Leicester City.

Spurs are currently seven points adrift of Leicester and six ahead of arch rivals Arsenal and will be looking to keep pace with the leaders till the end of the season. The Belgian has attributed their success to the induction of Pochettino, who has instilled a sense of confidence into the squad, which they were missing in recent seasons.

There has been talk of Pochettino moving out of White Hart Lane in the upcoming transfer window, with Manchester United a likely destination. However, Vertonghen has urged the management to hold on to the Argentine, failing which could see them go back to challenging for a place in the top four rather than the title.

"If you feel the spirit in this team, it is something special at the training ground, between the players. It's everywhere," Vertonghen said, as quoted by the Guardian. "If you feel the buzz around the club, it's something I haven't experienced before in this way. I am extremely excited. It is something I have never experienced before and we have to keep this together. Not just the players, the squad as well, the crowd and then nice things can happen."

"For me it is vital. To keep this thing going, he has to stay. I think everyone wants him to stay and he feels that. We want to fight for him and that this team is the best thing for him so I hope he stays," he added.