Sherwood’s Fire Sale

Article by Brent Weber

Tim Sherwood is now our permanent manager and it appears he favours the 4-4-2. As much as I love the attacking style, I hate sacrificing a midfielder for a striker. The majority of players on the roster were brought in for AVB’s 4-2-3-1 system and many don’t fit Sherwood’s system. Sherwood could be planning a fire sale and major reconstruction in January. There are fringe players on this roster that need to go and we need reinforcements that fit a 4-4-2 system. In addition, I won’t be surprised if a few players leave due to Sherwood’s hiring.

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In my opinion, there are up to 10 players that could be on their way out. Some of these players are underperforming, some will be casualties of the new system, and some will just want out.

The most likely to leave in January are Kyle Naughton, Gomes, and Defoe. I think it is almost certain these 3 players will be gone. Gomes is looking for playing time and he won’t get it at WHL. Naughton is just a defensive liability and too inconsistent. Defoe’s play has dropped off and he seems uninterested. Sherwood favours Adebayor over Defoe so I think Defoe will make his move to the MLS in January.

The midfield has become crowded under Sherwood. AVB had the midfield roster packed due to his 4-2-3-1 formation and now there are less spots. There is no way we are keeping all these guys. Eriksen is our best attacker. Sandro is our best defensive midfielder. Paulinho is a solid player. Bentaleb appears to be very high on Sherwood’s list. That leaves Dembele, Holtby, and Capoue. Based on the last two matches, I think Capoue is a definite departing because he will be looking for consistent playing time heading into the world cup and won’t get it with Sandro and others in front of him. Dembele is getting lots of attention from Serie A clubs and if the money is right, I think he is gone. Although many Spurs fans love Holtby, I have been slightly disappointed with his play and I struggle to see where he fits in the line-up. I love his passion and commitment, but he has been very inconsistent. Once Sandro is healthy Holtby’s playing opportunities will be increasingly limited. I’m not sure he will want to stay and I’m not sure Sherwood will keep him if a good offer comes in.

The moves he makes with the wingers will be as interesting as the midfield moves. I am confident that Lennon and Townsend are staying, which leaves Sigurdsson, Chadli, and Lamela. I think the moves with the wingers come down to economics. If good offers come in for any of these three, I think Sherwood will move those players. I would personally hang on to Lamela due to his potential. It is just too early to give up on him with 3 league starts and a few Europa starts. Sigurdsson is a potential transfer despite starting the last few matches. Sigurdsson lacks pace to pressure the defence in 4-4-2 and he is too inconsistent playing in the middle. Chadli has the pace and athleticism but he has failed to impress. He is fighting for a starting spot with Belgium and will want consistent first team action, so I won’t be surprised if he asks for a transfer.

Kaboul is the most likely of the CB’s to be on the move. Although I would love to see Dawson gone, I would guess that he has very little transfer value as well as limited demand. Kaboul has struggled to maintain fitness and I’m just not sure he will ever get back to form. There are Serie A clubs showing interest in Kaboul so Levy may need to sell him while he has value.

Summary of Potential Departures in January:

Player Out	% Chance		Player Out	% Chance
Naughton	100		Holtby	40
Gomes	100		Chadli	40
Defoe	95		Lamela	40
Capoue	75		Sigurdsson	40
Dembele	60		Kaboul	40

As far as reinforcements, the priorities are LB, ST, and CB.

Our highest priority is LB, regardless of formation and system. Danny Rose has far exceeded my expectations and is playing great! However, durability is an issue and it is unrealistic to count on him every match which leads to cover issues. We need cover here in the worst way because we cannot continue to use Vertonghen as LB cover. I truly think Sherwood will recall BAE which is the easiest and cheapest option. My top two LB candidates would be Pereira and Criscito.

Our second priority is Strikers! Assuming Defoe is gone, we will need at least 1 quality striker. I would like to see a proven goal scorer from another Premier League team brought in like Dzeko , Chicharito, or even Berbatov. I know there are rumors of Vucinic coming in a swap deal with Lamela. I think he would be a good acquisition but I still prefer Dzeko or Chicharito.

CB’s are a big concern! Sherwood’s wide-open, attacking 4-4-2 puts even more pressure on the CB’s than AVB’s high line tactics. Our current CB’s are just not good enough to handle constant pressure. Dawson is struggling, Kaboul is never fit, Vertonghen is solid when healthy, and Chiriches has been inconsistent. We need an injection of youth, pace, and quality quickly. Schar from Basel, Zouma of St. Etienne, Mangala, and Benatia of Roma would be high on my list.

I know we brought in numerous players in the summer. Unfortunately, some of the new players have not met expectations. Others just don’t fit Sherwood’s system. We need reinforcements in the right areas and the underperformers must go. I don’t think Sherwood is the long-term solution for THFC but we all want him to be successful. It will be tough and expensive reconstructing this roster in January, but it can be done. If Sherwood has any chance of being successful, Levy and Baldini must get him the players he wants and needs. If not, I will be writing another article in the summer describing the fire sale of another manager!

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