Tim Sherwood
Sherwood wants a reaction from Tottenham after an insipid display.

Tottenham Hotapur manager Tim Sherwood says his side's character will be tested as they seek to react to defeat by Norwich City which saw them fall six points behind Liverpool in the race for a Champions League place.

Robert Snodgrass' early second half goal ensured The Canaries would ease their relegation fears and consign Spurs to just their second league defeat under Sherwood's guidance.

But with the Europa League second leg against FC Dnipro and league meetings with Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool on the horizon, the Tottenham boss believes his side's metal will be established during the coming weeks.

"I thought we were poor in the first half, we saw an improvement after half time but they got a goal that put the winds in their sails," he said.

"We created clear-cut chances after that, but if you don't score you don't win football matches.

"The second half was more like what we know we can do, but we are bitterly disappointed."

"We have to tighten up our entire performance," he added. "We've got two home games where we have to bounce back, we have to see if we have the character to do that."

"We didn't get started until the second half, which isn't good enough" he told Sky Sports.

"We started brilliantly at Newcastle and we got the rewards - today we took too long, we weren't brave enough on the ball, didn't take enough risk and weren't good enough in our one-v-one defending.

"There weren't a lot of positives in that first half but in the second half we had chances and threw caution to the wind.

"After half-time I had words and said 'we need to go out and be better in the second half' - after a minute they score. It gives them a leg up and gets the crowd with them and it was difficult. We had some clear cut chances to score and if you can't take them you don't win football matches."

"It's just bitterly disappointing for us that we're coming away with nothing and we possibly never deserved it."

"It's a dent, we're still in it [the race for the top four]. We're still looking up rather than behind. We've got two home games now and we need to bounce back - that's what good teams do," he said.

"That's what players with real spirit do and we've got to see what we have in there."

Spurs host Dnipro on Thursday hoping to overturn a one-goal deficit from the first leg in Ukraine but will have to improve after one of their poorest performances of the campaign saw them beaten by Norwich.

Sherwood will also be feeling the pressure on his own position as the Tottenham manager after only being handed an 18-month deal, particularly given Louis van Gaal's continued flirtation with the position at White Hart Lane.