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Sherwood: Spurs much of a muchness

Tim Sherwood is set to leave Tottenham at the end of the season © Getty Images

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Tim Sherwood admits he doesn't know his best Tottenham starting XI because his squad are "much of a muchness", and insists he has no world-class players at his disposal.

The head coach, who is set to leave White Hart Lane this summer, pointed to goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and striker Emmanuel Adebayor - who has 13 goals this season despite being frozen out under Sherwood's processor Andre Villas-Boas - as the only certainties on the team sheet, but suggested Christian Eriksen is on the right path to joining them.

However Sherwood has rotated his line-ups heavily throughout the season, particularly in midfield where he has a host of players vying for the same attacking positions at his disposal, including Eriksen, Paulinho, Mousa Dembele, Nacer Chadli, Erik Lamela and Gylfi Sigurdsson.

"I couldn't tell you what my best team is and I don't know whether that's good or bad," Sherwood said.

"I have assessed the players more than anyone and I could not tell you the best 11 players at Tottenham. They are all so similar, much of a muchness regarding the same quality.

"I'm not sure there's any hierarchy. Our two exceptions are the goalie [Lloris] and Adebayor. Christian Eriksen is getting that way inclined. You can't leave him out at the moment.

"They are all good but the fans know it themselves - is there any world-class Gareth Bale-type player? No, there is not. Always you look for blend. Some of the guys are quite similar in the way that they play. We need different types of midfield player, for instance.

"But it is unfair to compare anybody to Gareth. He is exceptional, isn't he?"

Spurs splashed more than £100 million, including the £86 million they received from Real Madrid for Gareth Bale, on seven new faces this summer with mixed results.

Eirksen has been a hit with six goals in his last eight games and 12 in total this season, with Paulinho and Vlad Chiriches impressing sporadically.

However Roberto Soldado, Lamela, Etienne Capoue and Nacer Chadli have all flattered to deceive - but Sherwood believes all seven of Spurs' summer signings will come good next season.

He added: "All of them will benefit from a year. All of them will be better, without a doubt, because they will have had a season in the Premier League. That's the ones who have played. You need to have a certain amount of games.

"Probably Erik and Etienne have not played enough but they will have benefited from a year in London and their language will be better and hopefully they can settle on the pitch.

"The rest of them will all be better. All of them can improve."

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