Eric Dier explains why Tottenham’s losses have helped them this season

Tottenham Hotspur F.C.’s 4-1 victory over Colchester United on Saturday was fully deserved, according to manager Mauricio Pochettino.

After Eastman’s departure, Nacer Chadli put Spurs ahead with an accurate, arrowed shot across Kean into the far corner, but Spurs couldn’t add another before the interval, for his third goal in three appearances.

Colchester progressed to the fourth round after they knocked off Charlton 2-1 at the Community Stadium, thanks to goals from George Moncur and Marvin Sordell.

“I always work for the present and the future”, Pochettino continued.

Their league form will see Spurs’ licking their lips, as Colchester have failed to win in League One in their last 14 attempts.

With FA Cup and Europa League hopes both still alive, Pochettino’s stock has rarely been higher but the Argentinian maintains he is not listening to suggestions of interest from elsewhere.

The hosts were disrupted early in the piece when centre-back pairing Alex Wynter and Tom Eastham clashed heads, leaving Wynter needing a trip to hospital.

“We are supposed to receive the rumours and we are in a media that all is about rumours”, he is quoted to have said by Press Association Sport.

Chadli, who set up Carroll’s strike to cap a superb all-round display, said Colchester – who sit bottom of England’s third tier – presented a sterner test than the scoreline suggests.

The home crowd grew in belief, but it was Spurs who should have got the game’s second goal.

Seconds after the restart Colchester got their consolation after Massey’s low drive came back off the post but hit defender Ben Davies and snuck in.

Nacer Chadli curled in a fine shot from 20 yards to open the scoring before Eric Dier netted a deflected drive.

Townsend joined Newcastle for £12million this week, with Pochettino insisting it would have been “normal” for Hodgson to tell the pacy midfielder to chase regular first-team football.

Tottenham have now scored in 15 consecutive away games in all competitions, their longest such run since April 1987.