Tim Sherwood has blasted Aston Villa's back-up players after they slumped to a 2-1 home defeat against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, insisting that Unai Emery's team selection sent a clear message to the club's owners about the need for reinforcements next season.
Villa boss Emery made seven changes to his starting lineup for the Premier League clash, with one eye on Thursday's Europa League semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest. The rotated side was completely overwhelmed by a Spurs team fighting for survival, falling 2-0 down inside 25 minutes. A late consolation goal from Emi Buendia came in front of a half-empty stadium.
Sherwood's Verdict
Speaking to Sky Sports News, the former Villa manager did not hold back. "I thought they were very, very poor," he said. "I'm going to give credit to Tottenham, I thought they suffocated them, they were very aggressive in the press – and they [Villa] were ponderous in the build-up."
Sherwood acknowledged the context of the heavy rotation but questioned the attitude of those given a chance. "It's always a problem when managers make so many changes. We know the big game is Nottingham Forest on Thursday, so he needed to rest some players. But it was almost as if the ones who went on the pitch had an opportunity to play in the Europa League final possibly, if there are injuries to his main 11. They never showed up."
Sulking on the Pitch?
Sherwood singled out Morgan Rogers as an example of players who appeared disgruntled at being selected. "The likes of Morgan Rogers, who's one of my favourite players in the Premier League, who played – I'm using him as an example – they looked like they were sulking that they were actually playing. Because the guys like McGinn and Konsa sat it out, they rested. It's almost like they're looking to the manager Unai Emery and saying 'Why are you not resting me? Why am I not that important to you?'"
He added: "You are important, but that performance yesterday was not good enough for any team to play in front of them. I've been there at Villa Park, they demand there and quite rightly so, it's a huge football club."
Emery's Masterplan
Despite the criticism, Sherwood remains a big admirer of Emery. "For me, Unai Emery is a masterful manager. I love him to death. He's won it four times, I think he'll win it five times, I think they'll win the Europa League. Whoever wins this tie between Nottingham Forest and Villa will win the Europa League in my opinion."
Sherwood also dismissed complaints from West Ham, who felt Villa fielded a weakened team against their relegation rivals. "They [West Ham] are going to be unhappy, but I think every club has got to look after themselves. A manager can't look at other teams' problems. It's up to West Ham, it's up to Tottenham to get themselves out of this relegation battle."
A Transfer Warning
Sherwood believes Emery deliberately used the match to highlight the lack of depth in his squad. "Maybe he's making a point to the hierarchy that our first XI are pretty good and they've shown all season. They've been competitive in the Europa League and in the Premier League, and I think they're pretty much nailed on to qualify for the Champions League next season. He's making a point: 'I'm giving this opportunity because I can, because there's a luxury of where we are in the league with a six-point cushion. I'm giving the opportunity to those in reserve, and those in reserve are not good enough.'"
He concluded: "He's making a point to the hierarchy: 'We're going to need some help next season, especially if we're in the big league, in the Champions League, and you want us to be competitive in the Premier League. This squad ain't good enough.' There's so many players who never turned up."
