Harry Kane has admitted that Tottenham have lost some of the values they had during their time under Mauricio Pochettino.
Spurs are in a tough form, one that Kane admitted could be his toughest spell in football and looks set to miss out on a place in the Champions League next season.
Under the Argentine, Kane and Tottenham made it to the Champions League final and nearly pushed Leicester to win the Premier League, trophies that would have been their first titles in any competition.
They fell short, but were expected to persevere before Pochettino was surprisingly sacked. From then on it has gone downhill.
Speak against Sky SportsKane opened up about the issues surrounding Tottenham at the moment, including last week’s humiliating 6-1 defeat to Newcastle and how the Spurs team have gone downhill.
Harry Kane has admitted Tottenham have lost some of the values they had under Mauricio Pochettino
Tottenham enjoyed their best success under the Argentine for years before he was sacked
The club lost 6-1 to Newcastle last weekend in their final hurdle in a tough season
“There are some things that need to change and I think everyone is doing everything they can to get there,” Kane said. “But if you look at the competition in the Premier League now, the thin line between being one of the top clubs and finishing 10th or 11th is very thin and you have to make sure you compete in every department.
“I think we had three or four really good years competing at the top and that was without spending a lot of money.
“We had a very good mix of young and experienced players. It’s impossible in football to click your fingers and go back to the good times and say, “Let’s go back to how things were,” because every season and every situation is different. But I feel like at that time there were some values and a certain culture that really helped us achieve the things we did.
“We may have lost parts of that over the last few years and it’s about looking back on that and seeing the good things we can take out of that and trying to implement that going forward.”
Cristian Stellini (pictured) was sacked as interim manager after the defeat and Ryan Mason took over
Tottenham Hotspur are now fifth in the Premier League, six points behind Manchester United in fourth after having played two games more.
Kane is now 29 and has yet to win a major career trophy, and with his Tottenham contract set to expire next season, he is plotting his next move.
There have been suggestions that he could run out of contract with the club, with Manchester United keen to sign the striker in the summer.
Kane insisted he wants to win a trophy with Tottenham Hotspur, but acknowledged the side are a long way from that at the moment.
Spurs reached the Champions League final in 2019, but Kane failed to lift the trophy
“I’ve been here since I was 11. You understand what the fans are like, you understand what the club is like,” he said. “I’ve had good moments with the club, I’ve had less good moments.
“Everyone wants to win and everyone wants to lift trophies and that is ultimately our goal every year. But we are in a different situation than some clubs around us and we have to accept that but still find a way to improve and get better.
“We probably haven’t done that in recent years, so ultimately it’s about getting back to the top and our team has enough talent to do that.”
Cristian Stellini was sacked as interim manager after Spurs’ loss to Newcastle, which Kane described as one of his “worst” experiences on a football pitch.
Ryan Mason took over and oversaw a 2-2 draw with Man United last week, and many Spurs fans are now happy to see the back of Antonio Conte and Stellini.
“It’s one of the worst feelings I’ve felt on a field at that moment. All you can do is keep fighting and try to find a way to better yourself,” Kane added.
Mason (centre) will once again take charge of Spurs until the end of the season, followed by Liverpool
“I think leading up to the Man Utd game people can talk about a lot of things like tactics, formations and how we’re going to play, but at the end of the day it comes down to just fighting a bit and having character.
“This season has been a tough battle for a lot of teams, it hasn’t been easy and we’re in a position where it’s not the end of the world; we still have European football to fight for. You have to try to forget that (the loss of Newcastle) as soon as possible. We know that overall the game wasn’t good enough and a lot of games this season weren’t good enough, but we’ve had some good moments too, so we’re trying to take positives from that.
“Now we go to another game, out at Anfield, which will be very tough and we have to be ready for.”
Tottenham will face Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.