Antonio Conte stressed he was immensely proud to be Tottenham's manager and said Monday's 1-0 win at Fulham was a "starting point" for the club as they aim for a top-four finish.
Harry Kane scored the only goal, his 266th for the club, to equal Jimmy Greaves' record and earn a precious win after successive defeats to Arsenal and Manchester City.
These results left them three points adrift of fourth place despite playing more.
"I got a good response from my players," Conte said after the match. "I asked them for solidity last season and the will and desire to fight and be tough. Great result for the fans and we showed that it's difficult to play against us when you play as a team.
"I'm happy with the performances in the last few games but we've suffered two defeats, against Arsenal and Manchester City. Today should be a starting point to do our best and we'll see what happens in the end.
We have to try to stay in the Champions League and try to qualify for the next round of the FA Cup. It is important to talk and explain the situation in the last few days. We continue to score goals compared to last season, but conceding 21 goals in 10 games is not positive. But I'm happy with the feedback.
Reports emerged over the weekend that Conte had decided not to renew his contract. The manager was asked by Sky Sports if he was happy at the club, with Conte insisting he was.
"I am very proud to be the manager of Tottenham," he continued. "I have the opportunity to be the manager of an important club, it fills me with pride and it should be clear to everyone. That's why I want to fight with my players until the end, we are a hard-working team and I can't say anything about my players.
"Recently we have been sleeping, maybe because we lost some quality from last season. I have spoken to my players and I have good players, but mostly good people. They understand that we have to fight for important positions in the end we have to fight, and we must be willing to suffer.
"When I accepted to be the manager of Tottenham I was happy and I was happy. Every moment and every second of my day my first thought was for my players and my club to improve. And to make our fans proud of a Premier League team is not easy, hard and there are many clubs who are willing to spend a lot of money on the team.
"We are in the right direction, then we will see. The most important thing for me is to work with my players and have a good relationship with the club."
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