Tim Sherwood is far from convinced despite Tottenham Hotspur’s promising start to the season
Former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood has cast doubt over Thomas Frank’s project, insisting he still isn’t convinced by the Dane despite Spurs’ positive start to the Premier League campaign.
While Tottenham have shown tactical structure, resilience, and clear signs of growth under Frank, Sherwood believes the North London side are still falling short of what he considers acceptable progress, going as far as to warn that anything less than Champions League qualification would mark Frank’s debut season as a failure.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Sherwood said:
“I haven’t been really impressed with Tottenham, even though their position in the league is fine at the moment.”
He pointed to the Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle as a major black mark and insisted that Spurs, having already “tasted” Europa League success, should demand more. According to Sherwood, finishing outside the top four and failing to lift a domestic trophy would leave supporters disappointed and render the campaign unsuccessful.
It’s a hard-line stance, especially given that Tottenham remain within touching distance of the top four and have navigated a difficult period marked by injuries, fixture congestion, and squad reshuffling. But for Sherwood, the jury is still out, and he’s not ready to give Frank the benefit of the doubt.
Surprising criticism of Kudus raises eyebrows
What surprised us even more than Sherwood’s swipe at Frank was his decision to single out Mohammed Kudus, a player many consider to be Tottenham’s brightest spark this season.
Kudus, signed for £55 million, arrived with questions about consistency from his West Ham days. But he has answered those doubts emphatically, producing six goal contributions in 10 Premier League games, becoming Spurs’ most dangerous attacker, and earning a place in WhoScored’s Team of the Season so far, the only Tottenham player to make the XI.
Despite that, Sherwood claimed:
“He’s been refreshing… but he’s not been outstanding, and I don’t think he’s ever going to be outstanding. He’s not consistent enough to be that man.”
This assessment jars with what Spurs fans have seen week in and week out. Kudus has not only stepped up; he has regularly been the difference-maker in tight matches, injecting energy, unpredictability, and end product into a Tottenham attack that has at times struggled for cutting-edge.
Sherwood argued that Kudus is part of a group of similar wide players, Simons, Odobert, Tel, but conceded the Ghanaian has “more personality” and a willingness to take games by the scruff of the neck.
Still, his criticism feels out of place given the Ghanaian’s impact, especially while the team continues to adapt to Frank’s style.
For many Spurs supporters, Kudus has been one of the season’s biggest positives.
Frank deserves time and Kudus deserves credit
Tim Sherwood’s standards for Tottenham are lofty, perhaps unrealistically so given the transition the club is undergoing.
Demanding instant trophies and top-four finishes ignores the reality of a squad learning a new system under a new manager, all while dealing with injuries and inconsistency in the final third.
Has Frank made mistakes? Yes. Is the team the finished product? Not yet. But to suggest that Spurs are not progressing under him feels overly harsh and disconnected from the strides the club has clearly taken.
As for Kudus, calling him out at a time when he has been carrying the attack feels unnecessary. Spurs have relied heavily on him, perhaps too heavily, which says more about the team’s current deficiencies than any perceived inconsistency on his part.
If anything, Frank and Kudus are two of the few reasons Spurs remain firmly competitive. Sherwood may not be convinced, but supporters can see the foundations being laid, and that the club finally feels like it’s moving in the right direction.
