Tottenham Hotspur coach Tim Sherwood has found this week’s speculation around Frank de Boer a “strange situation” and warned anyone looking to replace him at White Hart Lane that they have a “tough act to follow”.
Life at White Hart Lane has rarely been easy for Sherwood and this week was no different, with comments from the Ajax manager fuelling more speculation.
De Boer said he was open to speaking with Tottenham about taking over as manager, and Spurs felt the need to release a statement denying they had contacted the Dutch club about De Boer.
Sherwood joked on Wednesday that “somewhere along the line someone is telling porkies” and admitted he was no closer to getting to the bottom of it.
“It was a strange situation, wasn’t it?” he said ahead of Saturday’s trip to West Ham. “When a club’s coming out and saying they’ve been spoken to, and the manager and then the club that I’m associated with is denying it. That’s where we are with it.”
Sherwood has had to deal with constant scrutiny and speculation about his job since succeeding Andre Villas-Boas.
De Boer’s brother Ronald has said the Ajax coach could “build something” at Tottenham, which amused Sherwood.
“It is quite similar to what I would do, too, if I had the job,” he said. “I don’t think he is too interested in looking at what I am doing already because if he did, then he would see he has got a hard act to follow.”
Spurs will be without Andros Townsend, who had ankle surgery on Thursday, while doubts remain over Kyle Walker’s fitness after his pelvic injury.
West Ham, meanwhile, are 14th, five points clear of the relegation zone with two matches to play.
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