Tim Sherwood makes desperate Souza claim ahead of Tottenham vs Crystal Palace
Souza is still waiting to make an impact at Tottenham.
Spurs confirmed the signing of Souza from Santos in the winter transfer window, with the unknown left-back joining in a deal worth £13m.
The 19-year-old made 24 appearances in the league for the Brazilian side last year, playing alongside the likes of Neymar.
However, he is yet to make a start for Spurs, which has left former manager Tim Sherwood completely baffled.
And he believes that the young full-back should be given a chance in their clash with Crystal Palace at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday.
Souza has to start vs Crystal Palace
Having made 38 senior appearances in his career, the Brazilian registered 42 touches in the opposition box in the 2025 season, and he was viewed as a signing for the future.
However, injuries to Destiny Udogie and Djed Spence have left Spurs without another natural left-back, meaning Souza was expected to feature.
Despite this, Igor Tudor used Archie Gray at left-back in Tottenham‘s 2-1 loss to Fulham, which was an incredibly confusing move.
Speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast on 4 March, Sherwood outlined why the Brazilian should start against the Eagles.
“I’d go with Souza at left-back. They paid £13million for the 19-year-old, so give him the opportunity.
“Why are you signing him if you won’t play him? When I watched his cameos, he runs forward very quickly, he’s got good balance, and he delivers very well.”
Having a natural left-footed player on that side makes a huge difference, and if Tudor were to ignore that, then he could come under serious pressure.
Igor Tudor needs to stop playing his players out of position
Using Gray at left-back was just one of many mistakes the Croatian head coach has already made.
Tudor has already used Palhinha as a centre-back, Xavi Simons as a left winger and Conor Gallagher as a right midfielder.
It’s not a shock that Tottenham are performing terribly, especially with the sudden changes to the team and the formation.
Tudor deployed five defenders against Arsenal before reverting to a 4-4-2 at Craven Cottage, which highlights the mixed messaging he has given his players.
He needs to establish one tactic that can be worked on, and using Souza in defence might be a risk, but the young talent understands the left-back role better than anyone who is currently fit.
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