EPL: Two men, one goal

MAN UNITED v TOTTENHAM

(Tomorrow, 1.30am, SingTel mio TV Ch 102 & StarHub TV Ch 227)

Finally, there is some light at the end of the tunnel.

Then again, Manchester United must be wondering what they are doing in a tunnel in the first place.

This was not supposed to happen.

New manager David Moyes was expected to face some teething problems at the Theatre of Dreams after he took over from Sir Alex Ferguson, but it almost turned into a crisis.

The Red Devils got off to their worst start to a season in 24 years, after six matches.

They suffered back-to-back home losses in the league for the first time since 2002.

At one point, they were 12th in the league table.

But six successive wins in all competitions, including four in the league, have calmed some fraying nerves.

Only three points away from fourth-placed Everton, United know that they have fought their way back into contention for a Champions League spot.

Defending their crown, though, seems a bridge too far.

It is not just a matter of making up for an eight-point gap between themselves and leaders Arsenal, who are on 42 points.

To get back to the top, they must also count on five teams above them - Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Everton and Liverpool - to slip up, and that is really asking a lot.

Moyes knows that nobody is ex- pecting him to deliver the championship at the first time of asking.

Missing out on a top-four position, however, is unlikely to be tolerated.

Key to meeting that target is making sure that they inflict direct damage on rivals who are eyeing the same slice of pie.

Moyes has fallen short so far.

Against teams in the top eight - all of whom have crossed the 30-point mark - the Scot has fared miserably.

Poor Record

He has only one win to show for in seven matches, tasting defeat against Liverpool, City, Everton and Newcastle.

Out of a maximum possible of 21 points, he collected a meagre five.

In this corresponding fixture against Spurs at White Hart Lane on the first day of December, they got off the hook thanks to two equalisers by Wayne Rooney, and eventually drew 2-2.

Moyes' poor record against big teams stretches all the way back to his Everton days, when during an 11- year stint, he won none of 45 away matches against the historic Big Four - Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and United.

Spurs, a rising force in Premiership football, will offer stiff resistance. But United are still favourites to take all three points at home tomorrow morning (Singapore time).

The outcome will be a yardstick of how far Moyes has come. He might have steadied the ship.

But he still has not convinced doubters that he can take United back where they belong - at the top.

When Andre Villas-Boas vacated the Tottenham Hotspur seat last month, there were some exciting replacement candidates linked to the club.

Fabio Capello, Michael Laudrup, Luciano Spalletti, Glenn Hoddle and Frank de Boer were mentioned.

But few thought it would be Tim Sherwood, who was then filling in as caretaker, to be installed as the Spurs boss.

The Lilywhites have established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in English football in recent years.

And high-profile openings such as the Spurs post seldom go to novices.

Sherwood had no prior managerial experience.

Five years ago, he joined the club's coaching staff under Harry Redknapp.

He was working as technical coordinator when he was asked to look after the team following Villas-Boas' departure.

Since taking over, the results have been mixed.

Wins over Southampton and Stoke were accompanied by a draw with West Brom and a loss to West Ham.

Considering that fourth place is the prize the club aim for, it is clear Sherwood, 44, has a fight on his hands.

This season has thrown up a few more genuine topfour contenders - Liverpool, Everton and Newcastle - to make his life more difficult.

But, if his playing career is anything to go by, Sherwood is relishing the challenge.

Combative

In his prime, he was one of the top midfielders in England, combative, clever and courageous.

He was one of Kenny Dalglish's first signings at Blackburn Rovers and, although he at first struggled to break into the first 11, he would later captain them to the 1994/95 Premiership title.

When Dalglish later attempted to sign Zinedine Zidane, owner Jack Walker reportedly said: "Why do you want to sign Zinedine Zidane when we already have Tim Sherwood?"

At Spurs, with whom Sherwood won a League Cup runners- up medal as a player, he already has a solid foundation on which he can build on.

Despite all the criticism levelled at the Portuguese, Villas-Boas has left his successor with a sound squad.

With the likes of Paulinho, Christian Eriksen and Mousa Dembele to work with, there is no need to make wholesale changes. Getting the team to play as one and coaxing goals out of the strikers are the tough parts.

With 22 goals in the league, Spurs, alongside Hull, have scored the least goals among the top 10 teams.

And while it was not an ideal first half to their season, it was not all that bad either.

Heavy defeats by Manchester City and Liverpool were what ultimately cost Villas- Boas his job and cast an exaggerated gloom over White Hart Lane.

But they are only three points away from fourth-placed Everton.

Seventh in the league standings, they are also level on 34 points with tomorrow morning's (Singapore time) opponents, Manchester United.

This is Sherwood's first major assignment as manager.

The Spurs board must have seen something in him to dare throw him into the deep end.

Let's see if he swims or sinks.

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