Mauricio Pochettino says England’s 6-0 win over Bulgaria will prove a much-needed boost for Harry Kane and help to break Tottenham’s “negative dynamic”.
Kane bagged a hat-trick of assists and scored in Sofia, but the match was overshadowed by racist abuse of England’s players by sections of the home support.
The England captain has cut a frustrated figure during Spurs’s difficult start and he left for international duty on the back of three defeats in four club outings, before the 2-1 loss against the Czech Republic last week.
Danny Rose, who started against the Czechs, was suspended for Monday’s game, but Pochettino was relieved to see Kane and Harry Winks respond emphatically to that shock defeat in Prague, as the Argentine attempts to change the mood ahead of tomorrow’s clash against Watford.
“It was a tough game against the Czechs and people were down,” Pochettino said. “For our players, it continued the negative dynamic. I was hating watching that game, thinking, ‘We need to win, we need to win’, putting on my England shirt! After Friday, it was tough, but the best medicine is to score, assist, feel the victory and for sure that is going to help our team, too. After the disappointment on Friday, it was good for England, Gareth Southgate, the coaching staff and, of course, the players to feel that confidence again.”
Pochettino added he was proud of the way Kane, who will wear the captain’s armband at club level, too, with Hugo Lloris sidelined until at least January with a dislocated elbow, handled the ugly situation at Levski Stadium.
“He has become a natural leader,” Pochettino said. “We’re so proud of how he behaved, he handled everything perfectly.”
Predict the results for gameweek 9 in the Premier League
