They were stunned by lowly Southampton on Saturday who secured a 2-1 home win.
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Tottenham target Federico Chiesa is highly rated (Image: GETTY)
Speaking after the clash, Pochettino looked to play down expectations with his side now battling to stay in the top four.
"It is so difficult to understand why we changed so much from the first half to the second,” he said.
"The second half, we did not take it seriously, I don't want to criticise too much but when you lose a game that was under control after 45 minutes - we should be 3-0, 4-0 - and finishes in 2-1 defeat, it is difficult to accept.
Mauricio Pochettino's side have struggled in recent weeks (Image: GETTY)
"Their first goal was a cross in front of the goal where four players can put the ball out of the stadium.
"This is our reality. People talk about perceptions but we need to realise if you do not fight with intensity for the Champions League, you will struggle.
“We are fighting against big sides. We had a big gap, welcome to the reality, we are under pressure to win games.