Eric Dier believes Tottenham are no longer a "soft touch" as they head for the top four

Eric Dier believes Tottenham have finally thrown off their soft touch tag

WITH drill sergeant Mauricio Pochettino barking orders from the technical area, Eric Dier believes that Tottenham have finally thrown off their "soft touch" tag as they prepare to march into another Premier League London derby against Chelsea.

 

The 4-1 win against West Ham on Sunday was the club's 12th game in a row without a defeat and served notice of their intention staking a claim on the Champions League places.

The style with which full-back Kyle Walker scored the fourth with the outside of his foot showed that the club's "to dare is to do" philosophy is still very much to the fore.

But the bravery and instinct for a battle under Pochettino is more akin to the SAS motto of "Who Dares Wins".

 

It used to be that Tottenham's aesthetes were one of the clubs teams liked to face - a "soft touch" even.

However, England's newest international Eric Dier, who exemplifies that energy and tenacity, feels that is changing.

"Hopefully we have got rid of that label because it is not a nice label to have," he said. "I think we have proved a lot of people wrong on that subject this season.

"We have played some very aggressive football, we get stuck in, we get about and I think we are team most others don't want to play against.

 

 Dier made his England debut in the last international break

"Our tempo has been one of our main characteristics this season and we showed it again against them. If we want to win football matches that's how we've got to play.

"It may have been niggly at times on Sunday but that is normal in a derby. It's football, and things are going to get out of hand sometimes.

"I think West Ham were getting a bit frustrated more about the football side of it."

The victory was comfortable enough but Pochettino's exhortations from the touchline did not let up for a second.

 

"It's great for us," Dier said. "He doesn't let us rest on our laurels or get complacent, which is what we need. We are young team and need a manager who tells us if we are getting complacent or making too many mistakes.

"It's a characteristic of the team and it comes from the top. He wants us to play at 100 per cent no matter what the score is or what time of the game it is.

"We work on our fitness a lot in pre-season and during the season so all the boys are quite fit. Obviously you get tired sometimes towards the end of games, I think that's normal. But we recover well and get ready to go again."

It is a trip to Baku on Thursday to face Qarabag in the Europa League next before Spurs head back to London for the visit of Chelsea on Sunday.

"We've had it before so we are used to it now," said Dier. "So hopefully we'll do everything right now behind closed doors - recover well, train well and get lots of sleep - and hopefully we'll be ready.