Mauricio Pochettino: 'Tottenham Hotspur players don't need to be afraid'

New Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has revealed that his players will "suffer" in training, but has insisted that they do not need to be "afraid".

The Argentine coach took on the role last month after deciding to leave Southampton after just one full season with the Saints.

In his first interview as Tottenham manager, the 42-year-old spoke to Spurs TV in English, which is in stark contrast to his press conferences at Southampton, where he had a translator on hand.

"The players don't have to be afraid," Pochettino told the club's channel. "Our style is demanding, sometimes too much but we use common sense. We demand a lot from them because that is our style.

"Our philosophy is 'suffer in training so you don't suffer in the game'. But the players don't have to be afraid because we work with common sense all the time. We can only expect full commitment and a positive attitude."

Pochettino agreed a five-year contract with Spurs, who sacked Tim Sherwood at the end of last season following an interim stint after Andre Villas-Boas's dismissal in December.