It’s funny when you see certain newspapers back Tim Sherwood. Those very same publications openly criticised Andre Villas-Boas (AVB) and hounded the Portuguese coach out of White Hart Lane.

The journalists will blame almost everything on the ex-manager and hope that Sherwood is given time to sort out all the problems.

But its hard to look at Tim’s tenure so far at Spurs and think that he is genuinely any better than AVB.

People will point to the positive results against Everton and Man Utd. There will be those that also point out the resurgence of Emmanuel Adebayor. In those aspects they are right, Sherwood has gained some success in his first few months as manager.

But the team have also been thumped 5-1 at home to Man City and 4-0 to rivals Chelsea this weekend.

After the Chelsea game Sherwood came out and ripped his team to shreds. He questioned his own players character and commitment. He was a dejected man, who seemed to be in over his head.

Obviously those in the press, that demand the young manager receives more time, will state that the man was gutted about the defeat and was just being honest, passionate and that the squad needed such a tirade.

I cannot agree. I have never understood managers who publicly humiliate their sides. In the privacy of the dressing room, then by all means tear a strip off them. In the public eye, comment on how disappointed you are and that the players need to do better. But to question a squads ‘character’  the way Sherwood did is just a bit crazy in my opinion. Does that low end psychology really work these days? Or will the players turn against a manager that lacks top level coaching experience?

Now there is a bit of a debate on whether or not a foreign coach or a British manager would be better for the Tottenham post.

For me its simple, the position should be filled by the best manager available.

Now when AVB was sacked, it made sense for Spurs to look within, give the job to Tim and then evaluate the arrangement in the summer. In my opinion if Daniel Levy and Tottenham Hotspur are serious about breaking into the ‘Top Four’ then they need someone with more experience.

At 44, Tim Sherwood has no previous managerial experience. He doesn’t hold a UEFA Pro Licence.

In his few months in charge he has done well in steadying the ship but he still hasn’t done enough to integrate the new faces that arrived during the summer.

The club need a fit and ready Erik Lamela in the first team as soon as possible. The twenty-two year old Argentine could be a real match winner if he can be successfully integrated into the EPL.

Roberto Soldado needs to get on a run of goals. More needs to be done to provide the striker with chances in the box. Andros Townsend and Aaron Lennon have their fans but as wingers do they provide enough good crosses and assists? No they don’t! They have one assist between them in the league this season.

With Adebayor they have a striker capable of creating his own chances but believe me its easier when you have wingers that can actually create chances!

Nacir Chadli has more assists than both Townsend and Lennon put together but the Belgian doesn’t seem to get the same game time.

No one at Tottenham has more than four assists and the player that has four is actually Soldado, eh he’s the one we want to see score the goals.

These problems should have been ironed out by now. Sherwood, like Villas-Boas before him, has failed to get the best from the players at his disposal.

Louis van Gaal will be available after the World Cup and for me Spurs would be foolish to not approach the Dutchman. He could be a good, experienced manager who advances the clubs cause for the next two/three years. He could lay the foundations that would possibly see Tottenham challenge within that same time-frame.

It would be better for Sherwood to stay on and learn from van Gaal but I just can’t see the man from St Albans accepting a back-seat role again at White Hart Lane. His pride will probably see him leave and fall back on TV work. Which would be a shame because given time in the right role or at the right club and Tim Sherwood could become a very successful manager. But at the moment he is trying to run before he can walk.

People with media agendas who like Tim because he’s honest, because he is English or because they have known him for twenty odd years, won’t do him any favours when they overlook his shortcomings and lay the blame at everyone else’s door. Its true he didn’t get Tottenham into this mess, its also true he hasn’t been an abject failure in the role but can we really say that he has proven he’s ready for such a high profile job in the long term?

I don’t think so. That is why Tottenham will act in the summer and will have to replace Sherwood as boss.

Posted on March 10th, 2014 by scott
Filed under: Article