Tuesday 8 October 2019 11:05, UK
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino insists he retains the support of his chairman Daniel Levy despite his side's troublesome start to the season.
Last year's Champions League finalists suffered a fourth Premier League defeat this term, and 12th in 2019, when they were beaten 3-0 at Brighton on Saturday, leaving them eighth in the table.
Pochettino admitted he needed clear-the-air talks with Levy across several meetings earlier this season, after a summer transfer window that did not go the manager's way, yet the team's form has not improved.
However, Pochettino has told a global football summit in Qatar: "We maintain a very good relationship and it is extraordinary to have that support.
"I have always told him that, in addition to my chairman, I consider him a friend.
"Football is not a drama, it is passion and we cannot separate it from emotions. But neither can we make a sport as fantastic as this one because of the latest result.
"We must learn from defeats to be able to exceed our limits and that begins by accepting that you don't always win and that the opponent also works hard and makes merits.
"You must always react with dignity to the result, regardless of whether it is good or bad."
Analysis by Sky Sports' Adam Bate:
'Not a Mauricio Pochettino team? On the face of it, it's an absurd observation. How could it not be? All but one of the Tottenham players who started the 3-0 defeat to Brighton have been at the club for more than three years. Half of those have been there for more than six years. That continuity has been integral to their success. Now it is a problem.
'It was the fourth time since September that Pochettino has named a Tottenham team with an average age of over 28 years old. Having had the youngest starting line-up in the Premier League in each of his first three seasons, Spurs now possess the fourth oldest in the competition. It is more than a quirk. It's a fundamental issue facing this manager.'
