The pressure is beginning to really get to Tim Sherwood.
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Following their latest defeat, 2-1 to Swansea City on Saturday, Sherwood’s Aston Villa side currently sits 19th in the Premier League. Speaking in his post-game television interview (above video), it became quite clear that Sherwood, despite his best attempts otherwise, is beginning to crack underneath the surface.
How badly is Sherwood feeling it? The 46-year-old first-time permanent manager, widely regarded as a “player’s manager” and a “motivator of men,” offered little emotional support to a locker room full of players currently toiling in the doldrums.
Well done, Tim, surely that’ll boost spirits inside the dressing room and have everyone pulling in the same direction come training Monday morning. Sherwood knows he’s fighting for his job at this point, which would suggest the above comments were made out of desperation.
[ MORE: How much longer does Sherwood have at Villa? ]
Backing his players’ ability and mental strength week after week hasn’t improved the situation at Villa Park, so what else can Sherwood do? Oh, I know, I’ll throw the players under the bus a little bit and see how they respond to that. As the season begins to slip away and a fight against relegation becomes more and more likely (currently four points from 17th), the scrutiny on Sherwood will only continue to increase until, 1) he starts winning games, or 2) he no longer has a job.