Dembele: Spurs don't need to change tack

Mousa Dembele does not believe Tottenham should alter their attacking mindset, despite crumbling against Manchester United.

Mauricio Pochettino’s first season at the White Hart Lane helm has been fairly successful to date, having led Spurs to the Capital One Cup final and a shot at Champions League qualification.

However, their chances of a top-four finish were harmed on Sunday as a first-half collapse saw the north Londoners fall to a 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford.

The display led onlookers to suggest – not for the first time – that Pochettino’s attack-minded philosophy was foolhardy in such a match, yet midfielder Dembele defended his manager’s tactics.

“We’ve played some games against the top teams where we played unbelievable attacking football,” the Belgium international said.

“We don’t have to change anything at the moment because we are capable of beating the big teams.

“We didn’t do it at Old Trafford and that game was different from what we are used to, but we are playing well. We have shown this season what we can do against the big sides.

“We want to end the season in a good rhythm. Has our chance of a top-four finish gone? We don’t need to think like that otherwise we could become demotivated. Let’s try to win all our remaining games and see where we end.

“We have three more full days before the Leicester game to concentrate. We have a good group and a good mentality so I hope we bounce back at the right moment.”