Premier League

Sherwood wants full-time Spurs job

ESPN staff

December 20, 2013

Sherwood has worked as a coach at Spurs since 2008 © PA Photos

Enlarge

Tim Sherwood has confirmed he wants to be the next Tottenham manager, but he has not been given any assurances that he will still be in charge of the first team after Sunday's Premier League game at Southampton.

A confident Sherwood faced the media at Tottenham's training ground on Friday, as he settled into life as the Spurs manager following the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas last Monday.

With a host of high profile names being linked with the Tottenham vacancy, Sherwood accepts his spell as the club's manager may be brief, yet he has insisted he would not be interested in working alongside a more experienced manager if chairman Daniel Levy opts to make an appointment of a new manager in the coming days.

"If it was down to me, I'm getting a ten year contract now, but football doesn't work like that," said Sherwood, as he confirmed in public for the first time that he would like to take on the challenge at Tottenham.

"It's all about getting the results. I listen to managers all the time talking about the project, but the project is you win games or get sacked. End of story. I hope to have chat with chairman.

"I'm obviously taking the game on Sunday, but the games come thick and fast around Christmas, so I don't know when we are going to get [meeting] in."

When asked whether he would consider working as assistant manager to a more experienced senior coach, Sherwood stressed he would not consider that role, as he has his sights set on the top job and yet he has strong competition to land that role.

Frank de Boer, Ronald Koeman and Glenn Hoddle are some of the 'big names' being linked with the Tottenham job, but Sherwood suggests the right fit for the club is more important than the status of the next manager.

"It's not always about the biggest name," continued Sherwood, who confirmed he has been given no assurances that he will remain in charge for the hectic Christmas fixture list.

"A manager might have done well at another club, but he might not do well at this one. So it's up to the chairman and the board to make the correct decision that is right for the long term future of this club. "It's not good to keep changing managers.

"I don't think Daniel [Levy] is linking the club to these names [to the club]. It's the press linking these names there. They are all good guys, all good managers, but we have had good managers at this club. Sometimes it's got to fit. The club and the manager have to be compatible.

"There are different ideas how to win a game. No one is brought into a football club and told they have to win pretty or win ugly. If winning is not enough and you have to be pretty also, club have to get a man to do that."

Sherwood went on to outline his case for being handed the Tottenham job, as he believes his lack of touchline experience is compensated by his knowledge of how the club operates.

"I know all about the football club, I played here, it's my club," he added. "I know what the supporters want, I know what they demand. But it ain't my decision to make the appointments and have to respect men making the decision.

"I know the players we have got here and I know the good young talent coming through the club. It's up to the club and I need to sit down and talk about philosophies. Are we looking to buy players? Are we looking to bring them through? All of this needs to be taken into consideration when I decide whether it is right for me or not.

"Whether that is what the hierarchy here want, is a different matter.

"We need to determine what long term success is at this football club. That is something that the powers that be need to decide."