Wednesday 2 March 2016 22:59, UK
Mauricio Pochettino says Tottenham are being inspired by a set of family values in their quest to secure a first league title for 55 years.
Spurs can go top of the Premier League on goal difference with 10 games to play if they beat West Ham on Wednesday night.
Leaders Leicester stumbled on Tuesday as they were held 2-2 by West Brom at the King Power Stadium and that has left the door open for Pochettino's men to seize the initiative.
A win against the Hammers would cap a remarkable rise for Spurs under Pochettino, who only took over in May 2014, and the Argentine pointed to his team's spirit and rules for their resurgence.
"I think we start to feel we are a real family," he said. "For me it is key because always the supporters are very important. For the players they are very important to feel the support from them.
"The team shows respect - it is not about winning or losing, it is about showing respect for the club and a love of the badge. That is special because our supporters love Tottenham and our players respect that so we create a big link.
"The potential is massive. This season we start to create a basis for the future of the club. We are in the beginning of a great period."
The 44-year-old from Santa Fe has done a remarkable job of changing the culture at White Hart Lane in just 21 months and has got them in a strong position as they enter the home straight in the title race.
He froze players like Andros Townsend, Emmanuel Adebayor and Aaron Lennon out of the first-team picture when they failed to meet his high standards.
That sent a message to others in the squad but Pochettino is confident everyone at the club has now embraced the changes he has implemented.
"They are now not my rules, today we share the rules," he added. "We share the rules, not just on the pitch but out of the pitch too. Maybe from the beginning we feel they were rules but today the players share the values."
One routine Pochettino introduced involves hand-shaking before training, a ritual he believes promotes camaraderie and togetherness.
"Every morning we shake hands with everyone," Pochettino said. "Maybe this means this was a rule but it wasn't a rule, just respect to each other and showing how you feel in the morning when you meet.
"It is just small things but it means a lot to create in the end a real team. You feel your team-mates, you feel your people. It shows you're interested in people when you shake hands. It shows you're interested a lot.
"Things like this are important to apply so we can show the team are ready to fight for each other. We have that collective and it is a big achievement for the squad and we need to protect that. I believe in my players. I show belief in them from the beginning of the season.
"Today it is easy to believe. The most important thing was to believe from the first day of pre-season. That's the reason they behave like this today. They have a very strong mentality not only to play in the derbies, but for every game."
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