After Aston Villa's recent League Cup match with Birmingham City I read that the Blues boss Gary Rowett had claimed he had been informed of Villa's starting team.
I suppose this sort of thing has been going on for a long time and can be expected, but it still surprises me that there are people who would leak this information...I mean does it really give you an upper hand? and as a professional manager and team wouldn't it be realistic to expect to see a team's strongest offering?
I think that Sherwood dealt with this claim correctly when asked if it was worrying: "Of course it's not. Did he tell you who it was? It's interesting why he even mentioned it. It's strange."
I personally would like for Rowett to have said who leaked the team, whether they were wrong or right, why not?! they were willing to share the information so why aren't they willing to announce themselves?
It was a strange comment from Rowett and Sherwood acknowledged this fact. Announcing you knew the team was an unnecessary and childish move that wouldn't affect or alter their teams performance particularly.
Sherwood's team got booed at the half-time mark because they weren't playing exciting football, but tactics are tactics and sometimes they aren't pretty. How many fans can say they'd rather watch their team play exciting football but not get the win? It's the sort of style Newcastle try and play and look where they are in the table.
When Mourinho's Chelsea play ugly football he is heralded as a genius for being able to win ugly and when the likes of Sherwood do this they are slated.
Regardless of all the necessary booing and drama from Rowett, I think Sherwood and his team got the job done. It might not have bene pretty, but football isn't always, he has my respect for the result and the way he handled the situation.
