Tim Sherwood - Midlands Messiah

Football is a funny game really. After being relieved of his duties at White Hart Lane at the end of last season, it seemed as if Tim Sherwood had blown his best chance in his early managerial career to make a statement: here was Tottenham, devoid of meaningful success for some time, there for the taking by a young matador who believed he had the skill to tame the beast where others couldn't. As it happened, 'Tactics Tim' was ridiculed and undermined by the press and his board, and ultimately served as a footnote in the long and fabled history of the North London club.

Fastforward nearly a year and the scene is similar: Sherwood is catapulted into the hot seat by a club with a rich history who are struggling for status. Aston Villa had sacked Paul Lambert and were in need of someone special to save them from the Premier League trapdoor that was creaking ominously beneath their feet. Enter Sherwood, and at the time of writing, Villa are 16th, still four points off the drop but in much better form than Sunderland and Hull beneath them, and even Newcastle a place above them. They have also, much more remarkably, booked their place in the final of the FA Cup against Arsenal on the 30th May. Win that, if Villa are still in the Premier League, and Sherwood will have gone above and beyond his remit for the season. Even by just reaching the final he has surpassed what anyone thought was possible when he took over this Villa team in February that was so pitiful under Lambert. The Birmingham club are 13/5 to lift the historic cup with Ladbrokes, but are big outsiders compared to Betfair's offer of 1/3 for Arsenal.

The interesting thing about Sherwood and his 'resurgence' is that he had rather a good record at Spurs during his half-season in charge. His win-ratio was the highest of any Tottenham manager of the Premier League era (it should be noted he didn't oversee as many games as some) and the club finished sixth overall. His insistence on bringing young players through was also an impressive policy, and Villa fans will no doubt be excited to see how this benefits the club next season. The fact that the former Blackburn, Spurs and Coventry player was not given the chance to carry on a project that he had begun should not count against him in the managerial stakes.

The key factor that has led to the jibes about Sherwood's capability as a manager is undoubtedly his confidence, or cocky nature as some would deem it. The aforementioned Tottenham win-ratio has become a favourite stat of his to wheel out in the face of criticism, and his bristling nature in some press conferences hasn't dispelled this notion either. Speaking after taking the Villa job in February, he stated: 'I know I¹m good enough to do the job, and I want that to sound confident, not arrogant. I just believe in my ability.' The long-suffering Brummies at Villa Park won't care if it's arrogance or confidence. Just so long as Sherwood keeps doing the business on match-days. And maybe, just maybe, at Wembley come the end of May.

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