Tim Sherwood insists he remains fully focussed on Tottenham Hotspur, despite strong speculation he will be relieved of his duties in the summer.
The 45-year-old was the surprise choice to succeed the sacked Andre Villas-Boas earlier this season, having previously impressed whilst in charge of the under-21 side. Despite a good start to his reign, winning five of his first six fixtures, few have expected him to fulfil the 18-month contract he was handed when he replaced the Portuguese.
And this has looked increasingly more likely in recent weeks as Spurs have lost ground on the battle for a top-four finish, and on Monday, speculation was rife that he has already been told he will not be in charge next season. Later that day, though, Tottenham thumped Sunderland 5-1, and Sherwood denied his future has already been decided.
“We had a chat about next season, there are players I’ve identified and we’ve talked about pre-season,” he said. “Nothing has changed. It [the speculation] doesn’t affect me. I’ve got an opportunity to manage this club and I owe it to the players and fans to do the job professionally. I don’t think it does anyone any favours, but you just get on with it.
“All I was focused on was winning the game, preparing the boys and being professional. It has been an opportunity to manage this great club and I’m relishing it. My record has been very good; in the Premier League it has been second to none. In the Premier League, of any manager that has been here, my win percentage is higher than anyone.”
Louis van Gaal, who will step down as coach of the Holland national side after the World Cup Finals, is the strong favourite to be installed at White Hart Lane next season. However, the Dutchman is also thought to be a candidate for Manchester United should they decided David Moyes is no longer the man to take them forward. And talkSPORT pundit Stan Collymore alluded that the speculation surrounding Sherwood could have been a message to the 62-year-old to inform him that the Tottenham job will soon be available.
Mauricio Pochettino, the Southampton boss, is another name to have been linked with succeeding Sherwood. The Argentine coach has hugely impressed since replacing Nigel Adkins last season, and his Saints side now boast some of the best young players in the country and also play some of the most entertaining football in the Premier League.
Sherwood, meanwhile, must have made an impression during his short time in charge of Spurs, as he is already being mentioned as a potential option for Norwich City who sacked Chris Hughton on Sunday. Neil Adams has been placed in charge for the remainder of the campaign, but the Canaries could then turn their attention to the current Tottenham coach, who spent three years at Carrow Road as a player from 1989-1992.
