He said: "If we win our two matches this week then we should be in the top four. That is how important these games are.
"My message to my players is simple. We have five more games and we have to win. They have to go right to the end in the league, because that is still the best route into the Champions League next season.
"It is easy for me to motivate for the Champions League, all the players will be up for that. But the most important games are the ones this week.
"We have to win them, we have to be motivated for them. You can easily be distracted by the Champions League, but for me, the top four in the Premier League is still far more important. That is all I think about at the moment."