Tottenham’s nightmarish season has taken another dark turn after Sherwood suggested the club’s institutional failings could lead them into League One. As they sit two points adrift of safety with a daunting run-in, the prospect of life in the Championship is becoming a reality that many fear is only the beginning of a larger collapse.
Speaking about the crisis, Sherwood told Boyle Sports: “It's a worry, it depends on who's in charge of recruitment and running of the club. For me to give an educated answer on if they will go back up, for the people who are running the club at the moment, there'll be no guarantees.”
The former midfielder, who represented the club as both a player and a manager, is adamant that the rot comes from the very top. Sherwood argued that the current hierarchy lacks the football expertise needed to navigate the treacherous waters of the EFL should the worst happen this May.
“If a football person went in and ran the club, then yes, they should have the resources and deserve to be in charge to bounce straight back,” Sherwood added. “But if you don't bounce straight back straight away, it becomes very difficult. There's giant clubs who have been down there and stayed down there for many, many years.”
Spurs need only look at the recent struggles of other established top-flight sides to understand the danger. Sherwood highlighted the fall of former champions Leicester City as a cautionary tale of how quickly a well-resourced club can spiral when recruitment and strategy fail.
The warning is supported by historical precedent, as the likes of Sunderland, Wolves, and Swindon Town have all suffered the ignominy of double relegations. Sherwood noted: “Leicester just shows you what can happen if your club's poorly run. Even though the club's poorly run, I look around their squad at the moment, they should never be in a relegation battle in the Championship. It's a real crying shame.”
With games against Leeds, Everton, Chelsea and Aston Villa still to play, Tottenham’s fate remains in their own hands, but the psychological weight of their current position is beginning to show. If they cannot find the results needed in the final four matches, they risk becoming the most high-profile casualty of the Premier League era.
Sherwood concluded with a glimmer of hope, provided the club acts now. “Tottenham will be back. They're not down yet. If they go down, they will be back. And it needs to be on the first attempt, in my opinion. And I think it's the club capable of doing that. But you need to change the decision makers to be able to do that.”