Tottenham auction poppy shirts from Arsenal draw to raise funds for the Royal British Legion

Five key issues for Tottenham during the international break

• 1/5 How to turn negatives to a positive

  The spine of Pochettino's squad may be set to spend some time away from the club, but a number of first-team players will remain.
  Ryan Mason and Nabil Bentaleb were both regular starters last term but their progress has been curtailed by injury this season.
  The pair will aspire to return to the starting line-up with an extended period to work on their fitness and get up to speed likely to boost Pochettino's options when the international break is over.
  Eric Dier and Dele Alli have excelled, as have many other young players, but to expect them to continue for an entire season may be too much to ask.

• 2/5 Can the Andros Townsend saga be resolved?

  The midfielder has been banished to the Under-21 squad after a spat with the fitness coach and the situation needs to be rectified one way or the other.
  Pochettino's handling of the situation has been praised thus far and, given how he has rid himself of several undesirable characters in the dressing room, it could be make or break time for Townsend.
  The England international wants to play in order to prove his worth to Roy Hodgson ahead of Euro 2016 but he needs to buy into Pochettino's plans or be shown the door.
  Spurs have the luxury of a solid, tight-knit group and it would be difficult to compromise the harmony for Townsend.
  However, with Nacer Chadli sidelined Townsend might need to be on side even if he is to leave the club in January.

• 3/5 Can Spurs maintain momentum?

  As previously mentioned, momentum is crucial to any season.
  Spurs have it at present, despite being held to a draw at the Emirates Stadium, and the next couple of weeks will test Pochettino's man-management skills.
  He will need to keep the members of his group that are not on international duty training at an intensity that will benefit the others when they return.
  A period of readjustment could see the club's form falter given that they face three games in eight days immediately after international duties come to an end.
  Inconsistency has been a barb directed at Spurs far too often in recent years and the new order must disprove the theory that Spurs are hit and miss.

• 4/5 Will Tottenham strike the balance?

  A packed fixture list brings the question of priorities to the table.
  The Premier League deserves to be put on a pedestal ahead of the Europa League, certainly this month.
  Domestic fixtures against West Ham and Chelsea are more important that the upcoming midweek trip to Qarabag but Pochettino needs to choose his battles wisely.
  Such a lengthy away trip to Azerbaijan is expected to be energy sapping either side of two crucial London derbies yet the Argentine has continued to play strong sides in the continental competition thus far.
  For example, the onus is often is on Harry Kane to start, or at least feature, but key members of Pochettino's team may need to be managed meticulously during the final two thirds of the campaign.

• 5/5 Any plans for January?

  While Tottenham's squad is in good shape it would be naive to suggest that it would not benefit from investment during the January transfer window.
  It may seem some way off now but the time frame for recruitment is narrow and targets should be identified and potential deals explored.
  While the general consensus was that Spurs enjoyed a positive summer as they retained key men in the form of Hugo Lloris and Harry Kane, plus made a sprinkling of successful additions, they also missed out on key targets.
  Victor Wanyama and Saido Berahino were sought after but did not arrive; Pochettino and the club may need to be bold if they do decide to add to their options.