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Hugo Lloris believes Tottenham Hotspur lost some confidence recently and has had to send a reminder that there will be frustrations while building a new project.

Lloris has seen it all at Tottenham over the past decade. The goalkeeper has been a part of many different squads under a range of managers. Currently, the club captain is part of Antonio Conte’s revolution in north London.

The Italian tactician arrived with a big reputation after the sacking of Nuno Espirito Santo in November. There have been some bumps in the road, though, leading to concerns about Conte’s long-term future.

But the ex-Inter boss has regularly claimed to be happy with the project he has undertaken. Things look to be heading in the right direction again after a 5-0 thrashing of Everton recently.

For Lloris, it showed Tottenham what they are capable of. But they must make it a habit rather than a one-off. Admitting their confidence had dropped, the skipper said they need to stay calm as they build together for a new era.

Lloris told Sky Sports: “It’s only been four months under the new manager. We’re still looking for consistency and improvement. We know there’s potential there.

“It’s important to stay calm in any circumstances, even if I can understand at some moments there could be some frustration.

“When you feel you can reach a level and in the next game you drop from that, it can be really frustrating. But we are looking for consistency. The repetition of games, the repetition of results will help to improve confidence. But the quality is there. No doubt.

“When we have more days to prepare games, we feel more comfortable. That’s an aspect we can improve in the future, but the potential is here – we know that.

“In football, you can lose confidence easily. That’s probably what happened during the last month.

“When you want to take something on, in the short term, or medium term, it’s difficult after three or four months to see a real impact. Even if we can see and feel the improvement, some great managers have arrived in the Premier League and taken one year, two years to get the best from the players and team.

“There has been a lot of inconsistency, and we’ve lost too many games. Beating Everton was a great answer to that, collectively in front of our fans, especially after the two defeats we had at home.”

Lloris looks ahead to Man Utd battle

Next up for Spurs is a trip to face Manchester United on Saturday. Both clubs are on the outskirts of the European places at present. They enter the weekend with United in fifth – after losing heavily to Man City – and Spurs in seventh.

Arsenal have the advantage over both to claim the fourth and final Champions League spot. But neither will be willing to give up in their attempts to catch up.

Saturday’s meeting between Man Utd and Spurs should give an idea of who has the best chance of breaking in. Lloris does not think it will be make or break, but knows the importance of facing a close rival.

The Frenchman explained: “Even if Manchester United lost their last game in the derby, they have many top players looking to play in the Champions League next season and they’ll be ready to compete, and ready to fight. It’s a big game for them too.

“The game is about three points, because after that there will be plenty of games left in the race for the top four, and when you face another challenger it’s important to respond.”

It would have seemed unthinkable for Tottenham to finish in the top four a few months ago. It is still an uphill battle but Lloris is ready for the final push.

He said: “We’re close to the final sprint, and it’s time to get the best from each other, with personality and finish the season strongly.”

READ MORE: Coach confirms Tottenham talent will be subject of transfer deliberation – but not yet

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