Pochettino expects Spurs improvement

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino challenged his team to improve on their fifth-place finish in the Premier League last season.

Pochettino’s men finished fifth in 2014-15, but they were six points behind fourth-placed Manchester United in the race for the UEFA Champions League spots.

Having added Toby Alderweireld, Kevin Wimmer and Kieran Trippier to his squad, Pochettino is expecting improvement.

“I think we expect a very important season, we need to do better than last season,” the Argentine said on Monday, ahead of Spurs’ Audi Cup clash against Real Madrid.

“We know that in England in the Premier League, it’s a very difficult league.

“We need to compete with teams and I think that we will expect to start the season next Saturday at Old Trafford [with] a very tough game but we need to do better than last season.”

A trip to Manchester United shapes as a tricky first encounter for Pochettino’s side, but they could have some good news on the injury front.

Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who fractured his wrist in July, could be fit to play.

“We need to assess him [on Tuesday] and Wednesday but [he] may be alright, but not sure,” Pochettino said.