Tottenham Hotspur assistant manager Les Ferdinand has insisted that Tim Sherwood was right to criticise the club's players during the past week.

Sherwood was questioned for describing some of his team as "gutless" following their 4-0 Premier League thrashing to London rivals Chelsea last Saturday.

A 3-1 last-16 first-leg Europa League defeat increased the pressure on the 45-year-old further, but his number two Ferdinand believes that Sherwood's honesty just takes some getting used to, insisting that it should get a reaction from the players.

"The one thing I always wanted from managers was honesty," Ferdinand told The Express. "Players need to stand up. They need to understand. I've heard a lot of people saying Tim did the wrong thing criticising them. No he hasn't.

"He said it was a gutless performance. If you're sitting in that changing room, you are going to look at yourself and ask - was I gutless today?

"Some of the players won't think they were gutless. The ones that realise they were are going to take it on board. And learn from it. Sometimes, footballers have to ask themselves questions. Tim is direct, open and honest. Sometimes, people can't deal with that."

Spurs, who are fifth in the Premier League table, host Arsenal in the North London derby on Sunday.