Thursday 21 December 2017 14:19, UK
Mauricio Pochettino says Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli needs help and trust in order to rediscover his best form.
Alli has struggled for consistency this season and was fortunate not to be sent off for his challenge on Kevin De Bruyne during Spurs' 4-1 loss at Manchester City last weekend.
But Pochettino says such dips in form are only natural for a 21-year-old.
"His success in two and a half years is massive, a fantastic achievement," said the Tottenham manager.
"It's not that he isn't doing good - the problem is that in the past he was amazing.
"Sometimes to be consistent, a player needs to go down to come back up. The most important thing now is support from the club and the coaching staff, to trust and help him reach the same levels as before."
Pochettino has been pleased by the reaction of his players since the loss at Manchester City and hopes they can build some momentum during the busy Christmas period, starting with Saturday's trip to Burnley.
"We trust each other, the team trusts what we are doing," he said. "We are in a position where the ambition is to be as high as possible. We know we need to win, to be superior.
"The busy schedule is not a problem. We have similar stats to last season - I think we are only three points down - but we are still in the Champions League.
"And there are different circumstances. Some teams have improved a lot from last season, like Manchester City. We need to keep going.
"Belief is important. We need to try and change the dynamic, to win games and get close the top four. It's a long way until the end of the season."
Tottenham conceded an injury-time equaliser against Burnley in August and Pochettino expects another tough outing against the Clarets, who sit one point ahead of Spurs in the Premier League table.
"I was so frustrated because we dominated the game," said Pochettino of the Wembley draw. "The way that we dropped two points was terrible. But we move on.
"Our idea is to try and win on Saturday. It will be very tough - they believe in the way they play. At home, they are very tough but the three points are massive for us. We are ready to fight."
