Tim Sherwood knows that his days as manager of Tottenham Hotspur are numbered. That must be why the 45-year-old is busy boasting that he is the most successful manager in Spurs’ Premier League history.
Currently seven points out of fourth with three games left to play, it looks highly unlikely that Sherwood will be able to secure a Champions League berth for next season. Still, he remains confident that he should remain in charge at Tottenham.
“The record’s good – it is better than any Premier League manager in the history of this club,” said Sherwood. “There has been no one at this club who has done a better job at the Premier League. My record stands for itself.”
Cynics might point out that Sherwood, who took over from Andre Villas-Boas back in December, has a mere 17 Premier League games under his belt. And while Spurs’ managers do tend to come and go rather frequently – Harry Rednapp, who lasted just under four seasons at White Hart Lane, has the longest Premier League tenure – less than twenty matches is a ridiculously small sample to be basing his success upon.
While many believe that Villas-Boas was fired because it looked as though the Champions League was out of reach, Sherwood insists that fourth place was not a condition spelled out by the club when he was appointed. “What was said to me was: ‘Can we make the team a little bit more attractive and score more goals?’ and I think I’ve ticked that box.”
Yes, watching Tottenham play is often fun – particularly if you are not a Spurs supporter. Under Sherwood, the side are certainly knocking in the goals, but they’re also conceding almost at will. Losses of 5-1 to Manchester City, 5-0 to Liverpool and 4-0 to Chelsea don’t look so great on a resume, not for a side used to finishing high in the table.
Spurs still face Stoke City, West Ham and Aston Villa, so it’s highly likely Sherwood’s winning percentage improves, along with the number of goals scored. But it’s also highly likely that he’ll soon learn that, in this business, sometimes winning isn’t the only thing.
