text: Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino is unsure whether a planned boycott by Newcastle fans will prove a help or hindrance to his side this weekend. This season, like so many in recent years, has been a frustrating one at St James' Park and that has led some fans to take action when Spurs arrive on Sunday. A number of supporters plan to boycott the televised game in protest against owner Mike Ashley, which is likely to lead to a peculiar atmosphere in the north east. Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino (right) is in an upbeat mood ahead of the trip to Newcastle . Newcastle fans are staging a mass protest against the current regime at St James' Park . It will certainly make it an interesting test for Pochettino's side as they look to recover from some disappointing recent results of their own. 'You never know because sometimes the effect on the players and team maybe is positive,' the Spurs boss said. 'Maybe sometimes the players are scared and run more than all season. 'Or maybe it is a very negative atmosphere and they feel under pressure and don't show their face. 'You never know in football how it can affect all the decisions around the team. For that it is difficult to guess what will happen on Sunday.' On paper, this looks a good opportunity for Spurs to make amends for the goalless draw at Burnley and home defeat to Aston Villa. Christian Benteke scored the winner for Aston Villa to leave Spurs' season in danger of fizzling out . The fact Pochettino's predecessor Tim Sherwood oversaw the latter's victory made it all the more frustrating, yet the Spurs boss was in a surprisingly upbeat mood ahead of the trip to St James' Park. 'I think that football is football and I am a person who has spent all my life in football as player, manager and head coach,' he said. 'I accept in football there are good and bad moments, but one thing important is to keep your balance and a good mood. 'We always want to win and we are ambitious, but always we need to have a very good mood. 'We need to have patience, we need to work hard, we have to have our minds on the players and we need to have very good energy to repeat some of the performances this season.' Pochettino will come up against his countryman Jonas Guiterrez following his recovery from cancer . This weekend's match against Newcastle will also see Pochettino come up against a countryman who has made many a headline of late. Former Argentina international Jonas Gutierrez's recovery following a battle with cancer and his return to top-flight football has inspired many. 'I am very happy for him,' Pochettino said. 'When he went in the game against Liverpool, he got a good ovation and it was good to see him playing football. 'This is real life. Sometimes we worry about a lot of things and results, but this is real life when you have the problems that he has. 'For me, I am very happy to see him come back to football.'
target: Tottenham travel to Newcastle for their Premier League clash on Sunday .
  Magpies supporters are planning a mass protest at St James' Park .
  Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino doesn't know how this will affect players .