Uninspired team need an angry man to wake them up

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Tottenham and their lacklustre players are not set up for a relegation dogfight, and will have to work extremely hard to keep their place in the top flight. Assistant coach Tim Sherwood is of the same opinion, and has shown concern for his players’ attitudes:

“[Harry Redknapp] cares. He’s passionate about the game and, if he’s not getting the results, then he’s got the hump, like all of us have.

“Unfortunately, what I’m finding more and more is that managers and coaches actually care a lot more than the players, which is a real shame. But it’s a fact.

“The transfer window’s gone now and we’re going to see which players want a long-term future at Spurs from now until the end of the season.

Sherwood believes the return of Robbie Keane will have a positive impact on the team, not just for his goalscoring ability, but because the Irishman “cares” enough to get angry about a loss. In a post-match dressing room where defeated players silently pick their noses and nonchalantly organise nightclub visits via text message, the anger factor could play a huge part in rousing team spirit. This, according to Sherwood, is why Spurs were so keen to bring Craig Bellamy and his pitching wedge to White Hart Lane:

“That’s why we tried so hard to get Craig Bellamy because we’ve got a lot of nice guys at the club and, no disrespect, but Craig Bellamy is not very nice.

“The guy is a winner and he’ll let people know if they’re not pulling their weight.”

Spoiler bonus: Find out if Tottenham can beat the drop with the help of our Interactive Relegation Predictor