Tim Sherwood saying Tottenham Hotspur finishing outside the Champions League places and without a trophy would be a “failure” probably isn’t the hot take he thinks it is.

Finishing sixth, per se, would be a significant improvement on last season’s 17th-place finish in the Premier League. But returning to the Europa League and winning nothing after ending their trophy drought would obviouslybe a failure.

Tottenham in 2025/26 Premier League: Key stats

• Best away team (4 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses)
• 17th in home table (1 win, 2 draws, 3 losses)
• Eight goals conceded in first 10 games; only Arsenal have fewer

Trophyless and out of the top five a ‘failed’ season for Spurs

Speaking on Gillette Soccer Saturday, former Tottenhammanager Sherwood said Thomas Frank’s side lost the biggest game of their season so far against Newcastle United, and understands why supporters were upset after last weekend’s pathetic 1-0 home defeat to London rivals Chelsea.

“It’s a big game for him today (against Manchester United),” Sherwood said. “Really huge game of football, because if they lose this game, there’s doom and gloom. And we’re talking about a team sixth in the league.

“They’re in the Champions League, now they’re not going to win that, they lost the biggest game of the season, which was Newcastle in the Carabao Cup, bar none. That is a huge game of football. Well, that’s the easiest trophy to win.

“Newcastle beat them, and convincingly at that. You lose to Chelsea, a London Derby in front of 60,000 fans. They’re not happy with what they saw, and no one would be, and nor Thomas Frank and the players would be happy with that.

“They get booed off, there’s a little reaction with Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence with the manager, a little bit of dispute there.”

Sherwood then stated what constitutes a failed season for Spurs, by stating exactly what constitutes a failed season for Spurs.

“There’s a negative vibe, and there shouldn’t be with the position they are,” he continued. “But if they don’t finish in the Champions League spots, and they don’t win anything this season, it’s a failure. It’s a failure.

“You can’t just think, well, we improved on the 17th place. We know why they finished 17th, because Ange threw the towel in on the Premier League to win the Europa League.

“They managed to do that. They’ve tasted that success now. They’ve had the open-top bus. If they don’t win anything this season, or don’t finish in the Champions League spots, it’s a failure.”

Using a dramatic word such as “failure” is sure to get people talking, but it’s absolutely spot on from Sherwood. It’s almost so true that it’s not worth saying in an age of pundits desperate for soundbites.

Nonetheless, we appreciate the honest punditry.

Just win, Thomas, and everything will be fine

All Frank needs to do is win football matches. It really is that simple.

“The home form…it’s down to one thing: there’s a demand to play a certain way when you’re in front of the Tottenham fans,” Sherwood said.

“When you play away from home, it doesn’t matter how you play.

“They’re very well supported at home; there’s 60,000 demanding to be entertained, not only that, and to win.

“Under [Antonio] Conte, under Jose Mourinho, the style of play wasn’t great, but they were winning games, especially early in their tenure.

“It didn’t matter. It didn’t matter if you won. If you stop winning games and you’re not picking up maximum points, then it matters. Then you start getting scrutinised.

“They’ve absolutely got every right to want to be entertained. They’re paying a lot of money to go and watch their team play, but the team is not brave enough at the moment. There’s not enough flavour in there for them.

“They’re missing [Dejan] Kulusevski. They’re missing [James] Maddison. They’re players who can slow the game down, and they can get a little bit of control.

“At the moment, they’re all about set-pieces. The ball’s out of play, corners, it’s not great to watch.”

READ MORE:?Real Madrid interest makes keeping Van de Ven ‘impossible’ for Tottenham – on one condition