'Some situations': Ryan Mason shares what concerned him about Tottenham's display

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Tottenham Hotspur’s interim manager Ryan Mason was thrilled about the way his side bounced back from a sluggish first-half during their 2-1 comeback victory over Southampton, as he told Football London.

Throughout the final few months of the Jose Mourinho era, Spurs made a habit of scoring early, starting well and then dropping off a cliff after half-time.

The London giants dropped points from winning positions against the likes of Manchester United, Crystal Palace, Wolves and Fulham; a less-than-helpful habit for a club pushing for Champions League qualification.

But, on Wednesday night, Tottenham flipped everything on its head.

Spurs were noticeably lacking in intensity, energy and belief during the opening 45 minutes against a fired-up Southampton, falling behind to a brilliantly guided Danny Ings header.

But Mason, the youngest manager in Premier League history, can be proud of the way his side performed after the interval, turning the game around thanks to a Gareth Bale stunner and a Heung Min-Son penalty, while showcasing the sort of character and confidence so often lacking under Mourinho.

“It was just about giving them the belief, the energy, to have the bravery to play and express themselves but within that we had to compete as well because I felt there were some situations in the first half where they were quicker to the first ball,” Mason said at full-time.

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“The duels and tackles I felt they were coming out on top but we changed that second half.

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“We gained full control of the match and we played the game pretty much in their half I thought and I thought we fully deserved to win the match overall.

“I felt, second half, we were outstanding.

“The performance, the commitment, the energy was brilliant because I thought in the first half we found it very difficult.

“It was quite tough to get out and they were very good. They created some chances. Hugo (Lloris) pulled off two world class saves for us but I thought as the game wore on we gained control of it and I thought there was only one team that was going to win the match.”

The hard-fought win means Tottenham are now up to sixth in the table, two points shy of Chelsea in the Champions League spots.