Pochettino wants Llorente to play with more freedom after Rochdale win

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Tottenham Hotspur thrashed Rochdale 6-1 in the FA Cup on Wednesday night.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has told Football.London that he wants striker Fernando Llorente to play with more freedom after his hat-trick against Rochdale on Wednesday night.

Spurs were back in FA Cup action on Wednesday, as they played the replay of their fifth round tie against League One side Rochdale, having drawn 2-2 at Spotland earlier this month.

Pochettino’s men were expected to coast through the game, though the first was littered with VAR controversy, with the two teams going into half time level at 1-1 after Son Heung-min’s opener was cancelled out by Steven Humphrys.

Llorente dinked Tottenham in front with a smart finish, before adding his second by tapping home from close range after a good run and cutback from winger Lucas Moura.

Llorente completed his hat-trick with a header from Son’s cross, before Son added a fifth and Kyle Walker-Peters scored his first ever goal for Spurs to seal a 6-1 victory and a passage into the sixth round.

With Spurs rotating their side, Pochettino will be glad to come through the game unscathed, and striker Llorente was the main story of the game having bagged a hat-trick.

The Spaniard has been a disappointment this season since his move from Swansea, scoring just twice before tonight’s goal blitz, and he has now received praise from boss Pochettino.

Pochettino has told Football.London that he thinks it’s important for Llorente to find the net after a difficult adaptation, and now wants to see Llorente play with more freedom and become a key contributor between now and the end of the season.

“I think it’s important,” said Pochettino. “I am so happy for him, all the people are happy for him. Of course I was disappointed from the beginning it was difficult for him to adapt. We hope that that hat-trick helps him to feel more free, be more natural and become an important player and can help us to the end of the season,” he added.