Mauricio Pochettino insists Harry Kane deserves thanks rather than negativity.
Kane has been the subject of plenty of focus in recent weeks after a sluggish start to the season, where he has now gone four games without a goal.
He has not been at his dynamic best and there have been suggestions that he is in need of a rest, with his former England coach Gary Neville leading the calls.
Kane has still scored twice this season after winning the Golden Boot at the World Cup in the summer and Pochettino insists his striker should be the toast of the club.
“Harry is a target,” he said. “It’s easy when he doesn’t score to start to talk about him.
“But Harry, after four years at the club, it’s time to say thank you to him.
“Of course he needs to improve, but the team needs to improve. It’s easy to blame Harry.
“He’s in front. If the team lose and we don’t score goals, it’s easy to blame him.
“It’s easy to analyse, to talk, it’s always about the perception and the reality.
“They’re on the opposite at our club. For us, the perception versus the reality are too far away.
“I accept that situation at the beginning when I signed my contract more than four years ago.
“My challenge is to be better every day. When you see fans, every single person, every single team-mate of Harry needs to say thank you.
“When you see in the last four years what he provides the team, it’s too difficult to complain because he’s not scoring goals.
“I’m not concerned. The reason is not tired or not tired, run or can’t run, rest or no rest.
“The moment of the team is not the best, it’s a collective problem, not only one player.
“Different reasons why we’re not winning the last few games.”