Tudor Tottenham Job Has No Upside, Says Sherwood Ahead Of Spurs Relegation Fight

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Igor Tudor steps into the Tottenham job with a short contract, a tense fanbase and relegation fears. Tottenham sit 16th in the Premier League, five points above the drop zone, and Tim Sherwood warns the risk to Tudor’s reputation is huge, while the potential rewards appear limited if survival is the only outcome.

Tudor takes charge as interim head coach until the end of the season, after Thomas Frank’s dismissal earlier in the week. The Opta supercomputer currently gives Tottenham a 3.7% chance of relegation, but Sherwood suggests that probability could rise sharply if early results go badly and pressure inside the stadium grows.

The former Juventus coach, dismissed in October after an eight-match winless run, faces a difficult opening schedule. Tottenham’s first three Premier League games under Tudor are London derbies. There is a trip to Arsenal on 22 February, followed by meetings with Fulham and Crystal Palace, before a demanding visit to Liverpool soon after that sequence.

Sherwood, who worked as interim Tottenham boss during the 2013-14 season, is surprised Tudor accepted such a hazardous assignment. He told Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday: "If he beats Arsenal in the first game, everything's happy. He might even get the job. There'd be a statue of him! It's going to be difficult. He has no knowledge of the Premier League and people will say, 'Does that matter?' It doesn't matter if you're taking a job at the top of the league. But what is the upside for him? If he finishes 12th, he's getting no credit. The downside is so catastrophic, would you want your fingerprints all over Tottenham getting relegated from the Premier League?"

Sherwood argues that Tudor will struggle to receive praise even if results stabilise. He believes expectations inside and outside the club make the Tottenham job especially unforgiving at this moment. Finishing mid-table may calm relegation talk, yet Sherwood feels those outcomes would not change how many supporters view the season.

Discussing the decision to remove Thomas Frank, Sherwood highlighted the role of supporter unrest in shaping the Tottenham job. "Thomas Frank would still be there if it wasn't for the toxic nature of the fans and I can totally understand the disgruntlement, because they're not getting the results. I heard people say they're sleepwalking into the Championship. I think they'll have enough, even with the injuries, to get out of it, but he will get no credit for that. And the downside is so great, it can only fail. He's getting no credit for keeping Tottenham in the league."

Sherwood also believes the club’s longer-term thinking shapes how the Tottenham job is viewed. Tudor’s interim status, and the timing of his appointment, arrive with speculation about the next permanent manager already intense among supporters, adding another layer of uncertainty around every result.

According to Sherwood, Tottenham’s hierarchy and fanbase are likely to look back to a familiar figure once Tudor’s short spell ends. "We know who's coming in the summerit will be Pochettino, 100%," Sherwood said, referring to Mauricio Pochettino’s expected availability after the World Cup campaign with the United States.

Sherwood then suggested another candidate would face huge scrutiny in the Tottenham job if appointed ahead of Pochettino. "I don't think the club will be brave enough to turn to anyone else. There are other options out there but the pressure on another man getting that job and losing two games and then the crowd saying, 'You had a chance to bring Poch back'... It's impossible for them to look elsewhere."

The combination of Tudor’s limited contract, the team’s position and strong links to Pochettino means the Tottenham job looks temporary and volatile. Tudor must lift performances quickly to calm relegation talk, yet Sherwood believes survival alone will not change the mood, leaving this spell as a difficult balancing act between risk, expectation and short-term stability.