Mauricio Pochettino Admits Tottenham 'Must Improve' if They're to Compete After Win Over Cardiff

​Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino admits his side must improve if they have aspirations of major honours ​following their 1-0 win against Cardiff.

Eric Dier's goal in the eighth minute was enough to separate the sides at Wembley, in a game that saw goal line clearances from both teams, as well as Cardiff be reduced to ten men following Joe Ralls' cynical foul on Lucas Moura just before the hour mark. 

The win against the ​Cardiff comes off the back of a disappointing defeat to Barcelona in midweek, and while Pochettino was delighted that Spurs were able to bounce back, he knows they must perform better if they're to compete for silverware and the top four.

Speaking to ​Sky Sports post match, he said: "When you lose games the expectations and the criticism arrives and you need to accept that. We are there [in the top four] but I think we all agree that we need to improve a lot if we are going to be a contender and in the top four at the end of the season.

"I'm happy with the three points and to move closer to the top and after Barcelona it was so important to have the feeling of victory again."

​Tottenham's sixth ​Premier League of the season sees them move up to third in the table ahead of the remaining fixtures, and are a point better off than they were at this stage last season. 

The win came as some welcome relief for Pochettino, who has had to contend without a number of first team regulars, and believes the win is testament to the strength of his squad. 

Thanks for your fantastic support today #COYS pic.twitter.com/xnT9Xxc3Lg

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) October 6, 2018

He continued, stating: "We trust and believe that we have a squad to be a competitive team and of course we're disappointed by the injuries - this is why we build a squad so that in every moment they can help you."

Source : 90min