Published: 22 December, 2013
by DAN CARRIER at St Mary’s

Premier League
SOUTHAMPTON 2, SPURS 3

STAND-IN Spurs boss Tim Sherwood sent a strong message to his chairman Daniel Levy tonight (Sunday) after he watched his team win a thrilling 3-2 away victory at Southampton’s St Mary’s ground.

The Saints, who have enjoyed a remarkable season so far, offered stiff opposition for Sherwood’s rejigged side, but his 4-4-2 formation, starring a two-goal Emmanuel Adebayor, came away with all three points.

Sherwood hopes to be offered the vacant manager’s seat permanently and will have done his chances no harm with a result that pushes Spurs into seventh.

Sherwood praised his side after they came back from being a goal down. He said: “Our first half wasn’t great. The second half pleased me most. In the first period, we kept turning the ball over and it was frustrating because I know we are better than that and we kept giving the ball away.

“We knew we had to get our top players on the ball in the correct areas as much as we could and then we knew we would cause them problems.

“In the second half, we achieved that.”

Spurs started badly when Hugo Lloris failed to get down quickly enough and stop an Adam Lallana daisy-cutter on 12, but the home team’s lead disappeared when Roberto Soldado, playing up front alongside Adebayor, was set free down the left. His pinpoint ball across goal to Adebayor was thumped home by the Togo striker.

In the second half, a Danny Rose cross was turned in by Saints defender Jos Hooiveld but then England striker Rickie Lambert netted to bring Southampton level on 60. Four minutes later, Adebayor popped up to give Spurs the lead once more, and while Soldado had three good chances to make the game safe, it ended 3-2.

Sherwood praised Adebayor, who had not featured in the league under previous coach Andre Villas-Boas.

He said: “He hasn’t been playing, but it doesn’t need much motivation to throw him in back into the team, because of what he has done.

“He has scored goals at Arsenal and Manchester City – and it is a squad game, so everyone has to play their part.”

Meanwhile, former Spurs boss Glenn Hoddle has told the club he would love to have the chance to manage the White Hart Lane outfit again. Speaking today to Sky Sports, he said the club is “in my blood and bones” and added he would be happy to fill in for the rest of the season if he was called upon.

However, with Sherwood masterminding an away victory against high-flying Saints, the Tottenham hierarchy look increasingly likely to offer him the job until the summer if they can’t sign their number one target, Luis Van Gaal.

SPURS COMMENT by Dan Carrier

TIM Sherwood went back to basics today and saw his side look instantly more comfortable playing 4-4-2.

Roberto Soldado, with the physical presence of Adebayor next to him, suddenly looked like a £27m striker: his movement was excellent, and while he could have had a hat-trick, it must have been pleasing to note he was getting the chances that so far this term have been non-existent.

Whether Sherwood is the man to lead the club permanently is debatable, but for now, he looks like he has restored some of the confidence in the squad by reminding them football is a simple game when played well – and can best work with a simple formation.