Published: 27 December, 2013
by DAN CARRIER at White Hart Lane

Premier League
SPURS 1, WEST BROM 1

SPURS manager Tim Sherwood saw his side fail to win a Boxing Day clash against struggling West Brom – but told fans the team would soon be firing on all cylinders.

“We have to win our home games and I think the fans will be disappointed,” he said after watching Spurs held to a one-one draw.

The new manager, who was officially installed on Monday, said the busy Christmas period meant he had had little time to work with his side to implement a new way of playing.

“With added time to work on things we will improve,” he said.

“We delivered a lot of balls into the box but were too reliant on getting the rub of the green. We need to show more guile.”

Asked if injuries had played a part in the stuttering performance, Sherwood said he wasn't looking for excuses.

“The fact is we have 11 first-team players who are unfit,” he said. “That is half the squad.”

Spurs started with an attacking line-up that saw Sherwood ditch a holding midfielder. On paper, it looked a statement of intent. On the pitch, it contributed to an open first half. On 17, a cross by Kyle Walker saw Baggies captain Jonas Olsson smuggle the ball away from underneath Emmanuel Adebayor's nose when the goal was gaping. A moment later Hugo Lloris blocked a Matej Vydra effort as Albion carved open the Spurs midfield.

Tottenham took a short-lived lead on 36: Christian Eriksen curled a dynamic free-kick over a West Brom wall that went in off the underside of the bar.

A moment later, Albion's Olsson nudged in an equaliser from close range.

The second half saw Spurs continue to enjoy the better chances, but none were clear cut.

The best came from distance. On 50, Danny Rose tried his luck from 40 yards and his shot was inches over, while Walker stung Ben Foster's palms from a similar range. At the other end, Zoltan Gera nearly turned home a teasing cross in a rare West Brom attack.

Sherwood made a change on 61 with the youngster Nabil Bentaleb coming on. With a holding midfielder, Spurs looked more balanced, but the breakthrough didn't come. Spurs, who have the best away record in the Premier League, have now not won in five attempts at home.

Their last victory came against Hull in October. It's a worrying trend that the new management team has yet to buck.

SPURS COMMENT by Dan Carrier

AUTUMN was spent lamenting the fact that, with Danny Rose injured, Tottenham's best central defender, Jan Vertonghen, had to play as a left-back.

Then, as soon as Rose recovered, Jan took a knock and is out.

Such are the dilemmas that face managers – and it requires tweaking across the pitch to make up for absentees.

With a weakened defence, it made Sherwood's gung-ho line-up with no defensive midfielder hard to fathom. Lewis Holtby and Christian Eriksen like to play in the final third, not get their shorts muddy breaking things up.

Surely, it was obvious Michael Dawson, who has been shown up this term, would need some extra protection?

Midfielder Etienne Capoue, one of the new signings who does look Premiership-ready, sat twiddling his thumbs on the bench. When Sherwood finally did bring on a holding midfielder, Spurs looked instantly more composed – but it was a tactical mistake from the start that contributed to yet more vital points being dropped.

SPURS: Lloris, Walker, Rose, Dawson, Chiriches, Holtby (Bentaleb, 62), Sigurdsson, Eriksen, Chadli (Lamela, 71), Soldado, Adebayor.
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