Tottenham are in a state of utter disarray at the moment. Meandering towards a season of disappointment with the Premier League top four challenge flagging and Europa League hopes now almost non-existent. The blame though is shifting; the animosity towards Sherwood is being replaced by more vitriol targeted at the club more generally.

Clearly there are concerns about boardroom level management; the new stadium, StubHub as well as the mismanagement of the playing squad and general poor treatment of fans are all emotive topics for Spurs fans. This is far from a happy club.

Last night capped off a preiod of discontent at Spurs with a 3-1 reverse at the hands of an impressive Benfica side. Sherwood was quick to praise the opposition who clearly arrived with a well-constructed plan and carried it through with ruthless efficiency, but Spurs themselves were disappointingly spineless. Man for man Spurs have the better side, but as a collective the North Londoners fall woefully short of what is required.

In years gone by Spurs have had their standout players, the like of Carrick, Berbatov, Modric and Bale were all rightly treated as the luxury assets they were; for me though in the current squad every player is readily dispensable.

So what next?

There are so many players in the Spurs squad that have underwhelmed, and more worryingly just don’t look like they care. Paulinho and Vertonghen have been playing with one eye on their flight to Rio; and many Spurs fans probably now hope that ticket is one way. Clearly there needs to be some drastic changes at the club, but is there anything that can be salvaged from the mess at White Hart Lane?

Spurs need a focal point, someone to build the side around; at the moment it is nothing more than a chaotic mess of individuals with no orchestrator. Spurs have missed Luka Modric for a number of years, in my opinion their biggest loss in the modern era, but in a certain diminutive Dane I believe they have the answer.

It would be difficult to suggest anyone had a good game last night; but Christian Eriksen offered more last night in brief spells than the rest of the Spurs side combined. At the moment he is just one ill-fitting cog in a crumbling machine, he needs to be made the main man.

The only man to drive forward, to actually try to create something meaningful rather than to sit back deliberatively, Eriksen was my standout man last night and he has been for the whole season. At just 22 people already expect a lot from the prodigious Dane, but if Spurs put their faith in him I think they will be rewarded.

The greatest Spurs sides down the years have been built around a playmaker, from the late great John White to Luka Modric, the idea of a tempo setter has been central to the clubs successes. In Christian Eriksen Spurs have the new breed, someone with the vision and passing range to unlock a defence in a split second and turn a game.

It seems bizarre that Sherwood is intent on playing the Dane out of position, last night he was forced out wide to make way for Harry Kane playing in what the manager described as a ‘Rooney role’. When you spend big money on the best players, at least play them in their natural positions.

Everyone else at Spurs is expendable as far I am concerned; the likes of Vertonghen and Paulinho are welcome to walk if their valuation is met.

Spurs’ summer experiment just saw them buying top-level players that weren’t gauged towards any particular system. This summer it is time to rewind and build back from the foundations, with Eriksen at the heart, Spurs need to incorporate players that complement him and will flourish in a team built around him.

Expect this summer coming to be as turbulent as the last. Spurs need a makeover, and only a select few should be safe from the White Hart Lane axe.

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