Cristian Stellini has told Tottenham's players to expect a fresh start on selection during his tenure as interim head coach.
The Italian has handed renewed hope to fringe men like loan forward Arnaut Danjuma, even scotching any issues with Brazil star Richarlison in calling for unity in north London.
Spurs face Everton at Goodison Park on Monday night in their first encounter since Antonio Conte's departure last week. Conte's position was left untenable by his remarkable outburst criticising the club and his players after Spurs's 3-3 draw at Southampton on March 18.
Now his former assistant Stellini has stepped up to take temporary charge until the summer, as Spurs face a 10-game shootout for Champions League qualification.
Asked if all Spurs's players have a new chance to state their selection case, Stellini replied: "Yes, absolutely. This is important and one point we have to work on.
"We have an important target to reach, which is important for everyone, because everyone can have an important feeling and impact on the future. So that has to be the point, that we can create unity between us.
"This is the most important thing, and something fresh. We don’t want to change what we did in the past, otherwise we wouldn’t be here [in the table].
"We are where we want to be, we can challenge [for a Champions League place], we can reach the target, this is what we want, this is what we have to fight for."
Villarreal loan forward Danjuma has featured just four times since making the January move to Spurs. Richarlison lamented a "s**t" first season at Spurs in a bizarre interview in the weeks leading up to Conte's departure.
The 25-year-old later denied a report that he had been a "mutiny leader" against Conte, however, after the fiery Italian's Spurs stint came to an end. Richarlison has just two goals in 27 Spurs appearances since last summer's £60million move from Everton, but Stellini branded any suggestions of rifts among players as "only speculation and not reality".
Spurs face Brighton and Bournemouth after Monday’s Everton trip, in a trio of fixtures in which a Champions League side would hope to make Premier League hay. Stellini insisted, however, that Spurs cannot afford to look beyond their Goodison assignment.
"We think day by day," said Stellini. "We want to win the next game and we’re not thinking about anything else."
Heung-min Son lamented Conte's exit by wishing he could have performed better for the unseated coach. Stellini praised the South Korea forward's candour, then urged all his players to think along similar lines.
"What can change in the mind of the players is not only the new manager coming in, but also the old manager you lost," said Stellini. “It’s not only the new manager coming in, because you lost something and it’s the responsibility of everyone.
“It’s not normal that you change manager in the middle of the season. I appreciate a lot what Sonny said. He takes responsibility. If you take responsibility, it means you are lucid and you want to do your best. Every player has to do that."
