Sherwood Firmly Believes Tottenham Hotspur Will Win a Trophy

During a preview segment on Tottenham Hotspur versus Crystal Palace, former manager Tim Sherwood said he believes Spurs will win a Trophy this year.

Given the overall performance of Tottenham Hotspur during this season it is not really going out on a limb to say Tottenham will win a trophy. During a preview for Spurs matchup with Palace, former manager Tim Sherwood proclaimed Tottenham would win the Carabao Cup. While saying a  Tottenham team already in the quarterfinals of the competition would win it is not exactly a bold prediction, as Sherwood would say, winning the trophy would be a start.

Sherwood Predicts Carabao Cup for Spurs

Tim Sherwood had not set out to make a prediction, rather he was talking about how the Tottenham players had really bought in. Sherwood said that “José is convincing them this is the correct way” to play football; as a defensively sound, counter attacking side. Then he compared the direction he believes Spurs are going under Mourinho to the Pochettino era.

“What did they win under Pochettino” Sherwood rhetorically questioned, “What did they get, pats on the back, that’s all they got to show for it, there is nothing in the trophy cabinet”. Tim could have stopped here, but he would not be Tim Sherwood if that were the case and this is where the prediction came in.

“I think it will be a Carabao Cup”

– Former Manager Tim Sherwood on the Tottenham Hotspur trophy cabinet at the end of this season.

He continued, “Whereas at the end of this season, they’ll be something in there, I firmly believe that”. Sherwood then got specific, “I think it will be a Carabao Cup but it’s a start, they haven’t won it since 2008”. While a prediction to win a trophy is one thing, making that specific Cup prediction is another. However, I must really agree with one thing Tim Sherwood said, which is that the Carabao Cup would be a start and that is the key.

It Starts with One Trophy for Tottenham

For Tottenham to reach the goal of multiple trophies which the owner, the director, the coach, the players, and fans all have for the club, you must first win one. Within the timeline of a football season, different competitions end at different times. It just so happens that the first competition to end this season for Tottenham should be the Carabao Cup.

I say should be as the Europa League Round of 32 matches are set to be played on February 18 and 25th with the Carabao Cup Final scheduled for February 28 and anything can happen in Europe, Spurs should know. I also know Spurs might not reach the final, but in this article and world, Tottenham are winning the Cup.

Winning a trophy in late February would do a lot of things for this team and certainly increase the likelihood of winning multiple trophies this season. Often in life, not just sports, the first time you do something is the most difficult. Given Tottenham have not won a trophy in any regular season competition – sorry Audi Cup and International Champions Cup – since 2008, getting that monkey off the players back is no small accomplishment.

Even if Tottenham were to not win another competition the rest of the season, winning that first trophy in over a decade would be a success. At that point, in many ways, Tottenham could approach the last three months of the season playing with house money. The pressure on Tottenham to close one of the three remaining competitions would be significantly reduced. Just as importantly Tottenham would then possess the experience of having won a final before the last days of the season where the FA Cup, Premier League, and Europa League all close over 11 days in May.

There is no guarantee that Tottenham will be in either of the two finals, but it is possible given the growing consistency in the side. Regardless of how many competitions Tottenham would be competing for over the last two weeks of May, trophy in hand, they would have the confidence of champions.

Ultimately, the mindset José Mourinho has been working to instill in the team and frankly Mauricio Pochettino before him is the mindset of a winner. While you can walk over coals, learn lots of tactics, and perform consistently, the biggest way to grow a winning mindset is by winning. If Tottenham can do as Tim Sherwood says and win the Carabao Cup in late February, it should prepare the team for something even more special ahead.