Latest Aston Villa news from BirminghamLive as Tottenham Hotspur Ben Davies shares what interim manager Ryan Mason has told the squad during his time in charge
Ben Davies has revealed the clear instruction that interim Tottenham Hotspur boss Ryan Mason has given the squad ahead of their clash with Aston Villa.
Spurs head to Villa Park on Saturday in a crucial game for both sides’ European aspirations. Villa slipped three points behind Tottenham with their defeat to Wolves at the weekend but could find themselves above Spurs and back in the top six with a convincing win at B6, should Brighton also fail to beat Arsenal.
The north London side got back to winning ways against Crystal Palace last time out after going four games without a victory. Defender Ben Davies has admitted that Ryan Mason has shared a rather simple message with the players as they aim to shut Villa out of the European spots.
“It’s not the easiest situation to come into,” explained Davies. “We’ve got a limited amount of games so it’s hard for him to come in and completely change things and do it his own way.
“But there’s been a clear message that we need to be as good as we can with the ball and tighten it up without it. It’s pretty basic but that’s the way we’ve been training and working. Ryan’s instilled that belief in us that we’re able to do that.”
Spurs opted for a slightly more fluid system against Palace, switching from a back four to a back three in possession. With the team solely focused on their remaining league games, Davies insists that Tottenham are driven to finish in the top seven but Emery’s Villa could scupper their plans with a statement victory on Saturday.
“Now we get to spend two or three days during the week where we actually go through some shape ideas, see what works and what doesn’t, and try and show our best selves out on the pitch,” Davies continued.
“Our aspiration is to play in European football and be involved in as many competitions as we can,” admitted Davies. “We have the squad, we have the number of players, so it’s probably necessary that we are. Our aim is to go as far as we can in every competition. Any European competition is important for us.”
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