Tim Sherwood says Jose Mourinho made a massive mistake in Spurs loss to Liverpool

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Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho made a “bad, bad decision” in naming such an inexperienced back line against Liverpool, according to Tim Sherwood.

The former Spurs manager was especially baffled by Serge Aurier’s inclusion in the line-up, describing his deployment against Reds ace Sadio Mane as a “mismatch”.

Mourinho started with a 3-4-3 formation, with Matt Doherty in an unfamiliar left-wing-back role, a back three of Ben Davies, Joe Rodon and Eric Dier, and Aurier as right wing-back.

However, the defence was picked apart by the Liverpool front three, with Aurier given a torrid time by Mane, to the point Mourinho replaced him at half time.

That said, a switch to four at the back didn’t work either, with Rodon, Dier and Doherty also flattering to deceive.

In the end, the Reds mustered 14 efforts, seven on which were on target, en route to their 3-1 win in North London.

“They couldn’t handle them,” Sherwood told Optus Sport after the game.

“Certainly in the first half, Sadio Mane he caused Serge Aurier all sorts of problems coming from out to inside, drifting in, he couldn’t handle his power, his pace, the intelligence of his runs, he was just a mistake waiting to happen.

“I said it from the start; when I saw the teams line up, I though it was a risk playing so many inexperienced players and non-reliable players, Aurier, in that backline against a team like Liverpool. I thought it was a bad bad decision from Jose Mourinho.

“(Mane v Aurier) was a mismatch from the start. It turned out that way.”

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Mourinho did a good job in shoring up the Spurs defence earlier this season, but the back line’s failings came to the fore once again as they were put to the sword by a rampant Liverpool outfit.

His initial formation didn’t work, but switching to four at the back didn’t help either – and Toby Alderweireld, probably the club’s best defender, remained on the bench.

With regards to Aurier, Mourinho doesn’t exactly have much of a choice at right-back, given Doherty hasn’t exactly impressed either.

In the words of Graham Roberts, “think we need a whole new defence”.