Antonio Conte admitted Spurs are too inconsistent to win a trophy - after crashing out of the FA Cup to Middlesbrough.
Josh Coburn grabbed an extra time winner to take Spurs’ trophy drought to 14 years.
The Italian coach said: “There is only one way to work and avoid these ups and downs. We have to become stronger. If we want to become competitive we have to become a stable team. Too many up and down feelings for us.
“I feel that we lost a good chance to go to the next round. There is for sure disappointment for the final result.
"We have improved a lot of situations. This type of defeat shows us we have to improve. We have to use perseverance, and grow this group.
“I can’t hide the reality that we are too up and down.”
Asked if he would question his own future, like he did last week after losing to Burnley, Conte added: “For me there is the desire and will and patience to work hard and improve and make this team more stable than the past because this is the key that can change the situation.
“Sometimes it is important for the coach to end a press conference with a strategy. Sometimes he has to be strong, sometimes light.
“My old coaches in Italy, they teached me the coach sometimes has to use the carrot, sometimes the stick. After Burnley, the stick, and we won. After Leeds, the carrot and we have lost!
“I need the right key to go into the mind of the players. Sometimes it is not technical or tactical. Sometimes you have to push in mental aspects and stay focused. I know it is very difficult.
“We should kill the game before. The opponent has to feel it will be a big night. We kept giving them life, and they took confidence and created chances to score
“When you play away we have to kill the opponent in a sporting way. We didn’t take the chances to score. When you give confidence to the opponent you risk the game. Compliments to them, then manager and the players, because they played very well.”
Asked what the motivation would be until the end of the season, Conte said: “We have to continue to work and know that there are three months to get the best results.
"To see at the end of the season which is our position in the table. We have to improve in many aspects.”
