Well, that didn’t take long.
Two days, to be precise.
Just 48 hours after the end of the Premier League season, and months of endless speculation, the worst-kept secret in English football was confirmed on Tuesday when Daniel Levy did what he does best and sacked another manager. This time it was Tim Sherwood, the eighth coach in Levy's 13-year reign as chairman of Tottenham Hotspur.
Sherwood joins George Graham, Glenn Hoddle, Jacques Santini, Martin Jol, Juande Ramos, Harry Redknapp and Andre Villas-Boas as men given their marching orders before the end of their contracts. Sherwood fell three days short of celebrating five months in charge.
But there is no room for sentiment in Levy’s world. Remember, this is a man who, seven years ago, during a Uefa Cup match against Getafe, sat in the stands with the smuggest of grins as news filtered around White Hart Lane that Jol was about to lose his job immediately following the 2-1 defeat to the Spanish club.
Classy.
It also makes Sherwood the 11th permanent manager that Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger has seen off during his 18 years as manager four miles up the Seven Sisters Road. If Arsenal pride themselves on stability, Spurs have a monopoly on variability. Worse, come Saturday, Spurs fans may no longer be able to taunt their North London rivals about their nine-season trophy drought if Arsenal beat Hull City in the FA Cup final.
And what of the names touted as Sherwood’s replacement?
Mauricio Pochettino, the Southampton manager, seems the early frontrunner, despite the fact that Sherwood did the double this season over the Argentine, and Tottenham finished above Southampton in the league table.
Frank de Boer? The Ajax manager has championed his cause much more than anyone at the club has. Whoever it is, it will be hard to contain my laughter when the new man is presented at a news conference having signed a "long-term contract".
Good luck seeing that out.
Ok, full disclosure: Yes, I am a life-long (suffering) Tottenham fan. No, I am not president of the Tim Sherwood Fan Club.
I did not do cartwheels upon news of his appointment. I thought him average as a player and even less as a TV analyst. He was not my first choice to succeed Villas-Boas – he would not even have been my 10th choice.
However, Sherwood has been in the Spurs’ coaching system since 2008, mostly in charge of youth development. It is not unreasonable to think that, after six years, the club had designs on grooming him for the top job. That day arrived perhaps earlier than anyone expected on December 16 when Sherwood signed an 18-month deal, with a “break clause” at the end of the season, hardly a ringing endorsement of the club’s long-term commitment, an option Levy brutally exercised.
The 45-year-old former Tottenham and England midfielder won 13 of 22 league games in charge, a win ratio of 59 per cent that, statistically, makes him Tottenham’s most successful manager in the Premier League.
They finished in sixth place, thus guaranteeing Europa League football next season.
I am not angry because a young English manager has been given the boot less than six months into his first top-flight managerial job. I am angry because a young manager has been given the boot less than six months into his first top-flight managerial job. Having given him the job, why not stick with him? Yes, Sherwood made mistakes, his lack of tactical nous at times was horribly exposed and his post-match comments were often petulant and immature.
But Sherwood is not a Wenger or a Jose Mourinho, managers with decades of experience in top-level management. Sherwood should have been given time to earn his Spurs, pun totally intended.
sluckings@thenational.ae
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THE HOLDOVERS
Director: Alexander Payne
Starring: Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa
Rating: 4.5/5
Score
Third Test, Day 1
New Zealand 229-7 (90 ov)
Pakistan
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat
MATCH INFO
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Namibia beat Oman by 52 runs
UAE beat Namibia by eight wickets
UAE v Oman - abandoned
Oman v Namibia - abandoned
Director: Paul Weitz
Stars: Kevin Hart
3/5 stars
Get inspired
Here are a couple of Valentine’s Day food products that may or may not go the distance (but have got the internet talking anyway).
Sourdough sentiments: Marks & Spencer in the United Kingdom has introduced a slow-baked sourdough loaf dusted with flour to spell out I (heart) you, at £2 (Dh9.5). While it’s not available in the UAE, there’s nothing to stop you taking the idea and creating your own message of love, stencilled on breakfast-inbed toast.
Crisps playing cupid: Crisp company Tyrells has added a spicy addition to its range for Valentine’s Day. The brand describes the new honey and chilli flavour on Twitter as: “A tenderly bracing duo of the tantalising tingle of chilli with sweet and sticky honey. A helping hand to get your heart racing.” Again, not on sale here, but if you’re tempted you could certainly fashion your own flavour mix (spicy Cheetos and caramel popcorn, anyone?).
Past winners of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
2016 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2015 Nico Rosberg (Mercedes-GP)
2014 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2013 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2012 Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)
2011 Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2010 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2009 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
Disturbing facts and figures
51% of parents in the UAE feel like they are failing within the first year of parenthood
57% vs 43% is the number of mothers versus the number of fathers who feel they’re failing
28% of parents believe social media adds to the pressure they feel to be perfect
55% of parents cannot relate to parenting images on social media
67% of parents wish there were more honest representations of parenting on social media
53% of parents admit they put on a brave face rather than being honest due to fear of judgment
Source: YouGov
About Housecall
Date started: July 2020
Founders: Omar and Humaid Alzaabi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech
# of staff: 10
Funding to date: Self-funded
TWISTERS
Director:+Lee+Isaac+Chung
Starring:+Glen+Powell,+Daisy+Edgar-Jones,+Anthony+Ramos
Rating:+2.5/5
ABU DHABI'S KEY TOURISM GOALS: BY THE NUMBERS
By 2030, Abu Dhabi aims to achieve:
• 39.3 million visitors, nearly 64% up from 2023
• Dh90 billion contribution to GDP, about 84% more than Dh49 billion in 2023
• 178,000 new jobs, bringing the total to about 366,000
• 52,000 hotel rooms, up 53% from 34,000 in 2023
• 7.2 million international visitors, almost 90% higher compared to 2023's 3.8 million
• 3.9 international overnight hotel stays, 22% more from 3.2 nights in 2023
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
EMIRATES'S REVISED A350 DEPLOYMENT SCHEDULE
Edinburgh: November 4 (unchanged)
Bahrain: November 15 (from September 15); second daily service from January 1
Kuwait: November 15 (from September 16)
Mumbai: January 1 (from October 27)
Ahmedabad: January 1 (from October 27)
Colombo: January 2 (from January 1)
Muscat: March 1 (from December 1)
Lyon: March 1 (from December 1)
Bologna: March 1 (from December 1)
Source: Emirates
Bridgerton season three - part one
Directors: Various
Starring: Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton, Jonathan Bailey
Rating: 3/5