Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino insists that he is not looking for results in pre-season games as he believes that the ability to compete for the full 90 minutes is what matters the most at this stage.
After winning their first match of the International Champions Cup against Paris Saint-Germain 4-2 on Sunday, the Lilywhites were humbled 3-2 by Italian giants Roma, conceding in the very last minute of the match thanks to a goal from Marco Tumminello.
The Argentine manager, whose team themselves had scored a late goal to take the score to 2-2, insists that the performance was more than pleasing for him because it showed that the team have the ability to compete for the full 90 minutes.
"We're in pre-season and the result isn't important, it's [important] to compete and we competed for 90 minutes", the manager said in an interview with his club's official website.
The manager wasn't shy about admitting the mistakes that his team committed though, insisting that there is still need for improvement, though the overall performance from the players was satisfying.
relatedNewsStory
"Okay, we made some mistakes that we need to improve on but generally I'm so happy with all the players."
There was also a word of praise in the manager's words for the New Jersey fans, he believes were nothing less than "fantastic".
"I think 80 per cent of the stadium were our supporters!
"They are so fantastic and I say thank you very much to all of them.
"We're a little disappointed with the result, but it's amazing to share a night like that with them."
