Former Premier League ace, Tim Sherwood, doesn’t mince his words when it comes to his punditry.
Captain of the Blackburn side that won the Premier League title back in 1995, Sherwood clearly has a bit of backbone and if his demeanour now mirrors that from when he was a player, one can understand why he is a man to be listened to.
He doesn’t always get things right of course, and he’s admitted as much with his initial assessment of Newcastle United signing, Anthony Gordon, being well wide of the mark.
Tim Sherwood admits error over Newcastle ace
“He’s done very well, when he first went there I thought he was overpriced, but he’s worked with the manager, he’s put him in at the right time and taken him out at the right time,” he told Premier League Productions (h/t The Boot Room).
“The crowd have taken to him and when the crowd take to you there you feel like a million dollars and he’s relishing the challenge of playing for such a big club.”
Gordon has certainly been one of the players of the season for the Magpies, and Eddie Howe as much as anyone should take the credit for that.
It was only a year ago that the player showed his disgust after being substituted against Brentford, and on that occasion Howe made it perfectly clear who was in charge, TV cameras capturing the moment for posterity and Howe having to defend his player the following week.
"I've got no issue with him at all"
Eddie Howe says he's 'had a conversation' with Anthony Gordon after the winger looked frustrated at being substituted against Brentford ? pic.twitter.com/2tcZtLZ71c
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 14, 2023
Since that incident, Gordon has continued to develop under Howe’s studious tutelage, and has been one of the players of the season for Newcastle.
His importance can be underlined by the fact that he’s an easy pick for Howe nowadays when it comes to naming a starting XI.
As with anyone else of course, he will need rest at various points in a season, particularly if Newcastle can go on and achieve another Premier League finish that will hand them European football next season.
It would seem that he now has the maturity to handle that side of the game, and to understand that decisions that are made by the manager and the backroom staff are as much for Gordon’s own benefit as they are for the team.