Tottenham Hotspur's 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace on Thursday left them 16th in the Premier League, just one point above the relegation zone, and extended their run to five consecutive losses and 11 matches without a win. New interim boss Igor Tudor has lost all three of his games in charge as the north London club's squad depth is stretched by a persistent injury crisis.
Former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood has criticised the club's hierarchy for not recalling three loanees earlier in the season to address the shortage of reliable first-team options. Speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, Sherwood specifically highlighted winger Mikey Moore, defender Luka Vuskovic and centre-back Ashley Phillips as players who could have helped.
Moore, 18, has impressed on loan at Rangers with five goals in 24 Scottish Premiership appearances. Vuskovic, 19, has featured regularly in the Bundesliga for Hamburg, scoring four goals and facing opponents including Harry Kane. Phillips, 20, has made 30 Championship appearances this term during his second loan spell at Stoke City.
Sherwood argued that the decision not to recall the trio was an executive one rather than a footballing one, and that a sporting director with a football background would have acted differently. He believes these players would have been an improvement on some of the current squad and could have eased the injury problems.
