Naharnet

Sherwood Pulls No Punches over Spurs' Fate

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Tim Sherwood has insisted his team "will get what they deserve" in their quest to secure European football for next season.

A dramatic injury-time Christian Eriksen strike rescued a point for Sherwood's side as they fought back from three goals down to earn a 3-3 draw away to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

Although it appeared a welcome point from such a position, the draw did Spurs, sixth in the Premier League, few favors in their bid to be involved in a continental competition next term.

They now trail fourth-placed Everton, who occupy the final Champions League spot, by six points with just four matches remaining.

Tottenham's north London rivals Arsenal, victorious on penalties in the FA Cup semifinal against holders Wigan on Saturday, are now in the fifth spot which guarantees Europa League football, four points clear of Sherwood's men with a game in hand.

"After 38 games you finish where you deserve to be," said Sherwood, a Premier League winner as a player with Blackburn Rovers in 1995.

"People's expectations might be that we should be Champions League or whatever. But that table never lies."

"Whoever is in the bottom three deserves to go down and whoever wins the league deserves it," said Sherwood, widely tipped to be on his way out of White Hart Lane at the end of the season after taking over in December from the sacked Andre Villas-Boas.

"The luck evens itself out -- you can't point to individual games, it doesn't work like that."

A Europa League spot is beginning to look their best hope and the head coach admits Arsenal are in their sights after a result which left him with mixed emotions.

Sherwood added: "We would love to finish above Arsenal -- I'm not sure if we have ever done that in the Premier League. It would be an achievement to do that."

A first-half flurry of goals from Matej Vydra, Chris Brunt and Stephane Sessegnon within the opening 31 minutes had put the Baggies in full control.

Yet a Jonas Olsson own-goal before half-time gave hope to Sherwood's team, who had earlier seen Emmanuel Adebayor miss a penalty, before Harry Kane and Eriksen, in the third of six minutes of added time, completed the comeback.

It was, though, a more damaging result for West Brom, who now sit just three points above the relegation zone on a day which bottom-three duo Fulham and Cardiff both won.

Frustrated Baggies boss Pepe Mel said: "It is the third time that this has happened (after the 4-3 defeat by Aston Villa and 3-3 draw with Cardiff saw West Brom twice surrender two-goal leads).

"We are very cross and sad -- we really need the points," the Spaniard added.

"While we work very hard to score the goals, we also have to work equally hard so we don't concede goals.

"So we need to work on our defensive ideas to clear up these errors. Tottenham are a top six side and one of the best teams in this league. I think we deserve a lot of credit for a very good first half.

"I think the second half is simply one of those things that happens in football."

Source: Agence France Presse


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