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Pochettino defends Spurs' 'best performance' of the season

Argentine boss loses his cool after suffering three straight defeats with the London club for the first time

Mauricio Pochettino defended his team selection after Tottenham Hotspur suffered a "cruel" 2-1 defeat by Inter Milan in their Champions League Group B opener at the San Siro yesterday morning (Singapore time).

With England right-back Kieran Trippier and Belgium central defender Toby Alderweireld left out of the squad for what Pochettino described as "technical reasons", it was a chance for Serge Aurier and Davinson Sanchez to stake their claims.

For 86 minutes, they impressed in a measured away display and Spurs were comfortably protecting the lead given to them by Christian Eriksen's deflected 53rd-minute effort.

But all the good work went to waste as Mauro Icardi volleyed in an 86th-minute equaliser and Matias Vecino looped in a 92nd-minute winner to give the hosts the points.

Inevitably, the post-match questions returned to Pochettino's decision to travel to Italy without Trippier and Alderweireld, especially as Dele Alli and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris were also unavailable because of injuries.

"Why? They were on the pitch against Liverpool and Watford. They are easy targets," Pochettino said before losing his cool.

"We need to talk about football," he said. "You force me to say something that is not good.

"You disrespect the players who were here today.

"You can blame me on my selection of the starting XI but please don't disrespect the players on the pitch."

Pochettino, who has now lost three consecutive matches for the first time since taking over at Tottenham in 2014, felt that despite losing, they had put in their "best performance of the season".

"I'm happy with the performance - we dominated until the end - but of course the result was so cruel. For me, it was our best performance since the beginning of the season," he said.

"The last few games, we're paying a lot and suffering the punishment for our mistakes."

CRACKS APPEARING?

Former Celtic manager Neil Lennon believes Spurs' poor form and Pochettino's uncharacteristic outburst suggests there could be cracks at the club.

He told Sky Sports: "It's not like him. Maybe there is a little grumble of frustration there. Normally, he is quite smooth and serene in front of the cameras.

"I'm a big fan, not just the way he sets his team out but the way he handles the media as well, so a little bit of a crack there I haven't seen before.

"I always think it's important to add players to your squad. I think that (not signing new players) may come back to hurt Spurs over the season."

Former Spurs player Jermaine Jenas, meanwhile, feels Pochettino is enduring "one of the lowest points" of his career with the north London club.

Jenas told BT Sport: "'Tottenham invited them (Inter) back to the party to an extent.

"Spurs were getting into great positions and should have done better with those. This is probably one of Mauricio's lowest points he's found himself in as Spurs manager."

Spurs fullback Aurier insisted his side dominated the match but were let down by a lack of focus.

He told BT Sport: "We controlled the game in the first half and in the second half we played well.

" Every player played well but we conceded two stupid goals. That's a Champions League game. You have to stay focused."

Spurs will be seeking to avoid a fourth straight defeat when they travel to Brighton in the EPL on Sunday morning (Singapore time).

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