Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has urged his players to eradicate the kind of below par performance they offered up against West Bromwich Albion last Sunday.
Spurs slipped to a surprise 1-0 defeat against the Baggies at White Hart Lane as they missed out on the chance to move into the Premier League's top four, with their manager stressing he expects more from his squad.
"We need to change the mentality and make sure we are ready every time," said Pochettino ahead of his side's Capital One Cup tie against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.
"You go to the stadium and you have to be able to compete and be strong because every game is different. We need to be more prepared and more ready because the Premier League is strong and the Europa League is strong.
"We need to move the ball quicker, faster. West Brom played long balls and tried to win the second ball. We had a problem because we were always late to the second ball. We took a lot of time to get into the opposition's box. We need to be more aggressive in the last third of the pitch."
Pochettino faces a vital few days in his fledgling career as the club's manager with north London derby against Arsenal on the Tottenham agenda for this Saturday, but he is refusing to show any public concern over his side's indifferent form.
"When I arrived here I knew the situation," he added. "I knew that maybe there would be some ups and downs at the start of a new period. It's always different when you arrive at a new club with different players and you need time to get to know each other.
"I'm not worrying about the situation. I believe at the moment we need to have more points to reflect the table. It's the beginning of the season. It's not how we start, it's how we finish.
"We are sure our team will improve not only in how we play but in the results over the next few weeks."