Published: 19 December, 2013
By DAN CARRIER at WHITE HART LANE

Capital One Cup Quarter Final

Tottenham Hotspur 1 (Adebayor) West Ham United 2 (Jarvis, Maiga)

SPURS stand-in manager Tim Sherwood saw his side crash out of the Capital One Cup tonight to West Ham – and said after the game he wasn't sure if he would be in charge for Sunday's tough league game away at Southampton.

“I need to have a chat with the chairman about the immediate future,” he said.

“It would have to be right for me and right for the football club. There are a lot of big names being bandied about but, I am up for the challenge. I think I can manage, but it is out of my hands.”

He added he hoped to meet the chairman tonight or tomorrow to speak further about who runs the side and could take the next first team training session, which is on Friday.

He added he felt Spurs had performed well in the 2-1 reverse but were undone by not being able to keep up their own frantic pace.

“It is a major, major disappointment,” he said. “We had asked them to be more gung-ho and up and at them. I thought we started really well and were unfortunate not to score in the first half, but things did not run for us.”

Andre Villas-Boas's complicated 4-2-3-1structure was consigned to history: Sherwood went back to a traditional 4-4-2, with Emmanuel Adebayor and Jermain Defoe leading the attack.

From the off, Spurs looked like they meant business. Adebayor seemed desperate to make up for lost time, linking midfield and attack well, while two orthodox wingers gave the side a balance and width missing under AVB.

Defoe, Adebayor, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Mousa Dembele all tried their luck in the first half, while both Aaron Lennon and Andros Townsend sent crosses over when ever they had the chance. It was encouraging stuff for the caretaker manager – his tactics were working and he was getting a blood and thunder performance from the chosen XI.

The breakthrough came on 66: a West Ham corner fell for Townsend and the winger's pace took him up field unmolested. He slipped a pass through to Defoe. His cross found Adebayor rushing into the box.

He made no mistake with a thunderous volley.

Spurs seemed to have done enough to book a place in the semi-final until a a hopeful punt forward on 80 found Matt Jarvis free on the left. He finished cleanly.

Four minutes later it got worse, with Madibo Maiga rising highest to nod home a cross and make it 1-2.

Spurs had no way back, and Sherwood's first – and perhaps only – game in charge ended in bitter disappointment.

“Confidence is low,” he said.

“But who ever is in charge will get them performing.”

SPURS COMMENT by DAN CARRIER

EMMANUEL Adebayor is a great footballer – when he decides to show up.

Last season, when Tottenham needed something at Chelsea, he hit perhaps the goal of the season and ran them ragged. Tonight, after being ostracised for the entire season, he was given a start and instantly knitted the midfield with the attack, carved chances for himself and others and gee'd up every one around him.

He scored a beautiful volleyed goal home in the second half, which should have been enough to win it.

His removal with 14 minutes to go seemed to give West Ham a boost. Sherwood said he had always planned to take him off before the end, as he wasn't fully fit – but admitted he was tempted to leave it as late as possible, such was the player's performance.

It has to be one of the first things who ever is in charge has to sort out: how do you get Adebayor fit and interested for the rest of the season? If Sherwood can do that – and not many managers have – he will go some way to helping Tottenham's misfiring season getting back on track.

Lloris, Walker, Rose (Fryers, 61), Chiriches, Lennon, Adebayor (Holtby, 76) Capoue, Townsend (Chadli, 72), Defoe, Dembele, Sigurdsson.

Subs not used: Friedel, Soldado, Eriksen, Fredericks.