Lloris throws his backing behind stand-in boss Sherwood

January transfer window, though any player dealing would be largely controlled by Levy and technical director Franco Baldini.

Tottenham are only likely to add to their squad if they can sell players, after bringing in seven players in the summer to make up for the world record £86million sale of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid.

Tottenham’s problem will come if Sherwood struggles in the role and pressure grows for a quick appointment.

Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris says that he has the personality and the drive to take Spurs into the top four, despite going out of the Capital One Cup to West Ham in his first game in charge on Wednesday.

Lloris said: ‘We know Tim because he has worked here for a long time and he knows the philosophy of the club.

‘He is trying his best to put all the players in the best position.

‘He’s a personality and we respect him. After the club’s decision, every player is following him and we are going to try our best to come back and get into a better situation.’

Sherwood abandoned Villas-Boas’s cautious tactics and reverted to amore progressive formation with Emmanuel Adebayor restored in a twoman attack, which Lloris believes is what the fans want. ‘We played 4-4-2 and I think that is Tottenham’s style,’ added Lloris.

‘The fans like it. It’s more direct, but sometimes we need to play more calm, with more build-up.

‘That is something we have to improve on. We started well but we had trouble keeping up the intensity, and didn’t take our chances.

‘As players we don’t like this kind of situation. You have to continue to have a good spirit together and work as a team. Last week’s Liverpool game was my first experience of losing 50 at home.

‘I felt the team gave up because we could not find a solution on the pitch.’ Hull City boss Steve Bruce is pushing ahead to try to sign £2m Serbian striker Filip Djordjevic from French club Nantes.

Bruce would ideally like two new strikers in the January transfer window, with the chances of reviving a move for Ireland and West Brom’s Shane Long dependent on the identity of the next Albion manager.

But 26-year-old Djordjevic is available as he enters the last six months of his contract in France.

And Bruce has made personal checks on the player, aware that several Premier League clubs want to sign forwards next month – notably Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, West Ham Crystal Palace and Stoke City.