Thomas Frank admits Xavi Simons struggled to get going for Tottenham Hotspur vs Wolverhamtpon Wanderers
Tottenham Hotspur had a difficult day at work yesterday as Thomas Frank & Co. struggled against Wolves for most of the game. The Lilywhites have been playing some brilliant football since the Dane head coach took charge of the proceedings at N17, but they were left frustrated at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as it took a stoppage-time Joao Palhinha strike to rescue a 1-1 draw against bottom-of-the-table Wolves.
That being said, there were a lot of things for the hosts to think about beyond just the result. And one of them would be about the gloomy performance that Xavi Simons put in.
Frank admits Xavi Simons faulty performance against Wolves in that #10 role
We saw the marquee summer singing start on the left wing before the Dutchman was being moved more centrally into more of a #10 role after an hour or so. And while he did come more into the inside (which is also a more favoured position), there weren’t any free-flowing sequences flowing through him despite many expectations from the supporters. And Thomas Frank also admitted the same as he reflected on Simons’ performance as #10 in his post-match press conference.
The former Brentford manager also went on to speak about how Simons is still learning to play with his new teammates in a way that brings balance in that second phase. And given how the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur and Palhinha have been playing in recent weeks alongside the face that Lucas Bergvall continues to shine every time he takes the field. It is certainly not easy to be reshuffling those three in the midfield.
Speaking quite in an honest tone after the game, the Dane coach said (via Football.london):
“I think it’s trying to get the right balance into the team. Also for me to learn the players and get the best players on the pitch at the same time. He came on against Brighton as a 10 and did well.
I think when he got into it today as a 10 it didn’t really work but that wasn’t just him. The whole team was out of sync.”
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It is also easy to forget that Simons is still only 22. And he has been asked to adapt quickly to the pace and physical way of English football (it showed yesterday how he is still learning the traits of the English top tier). We know that he has that undeniable quality, given how easily he draws fouls and feints into spaces, which keeps defenders guessing, and that is only a glimpse of what’s to come from him.
And Frank is not hiding the fact that Xavi needs working on. But there is also a bit of patience required with it from the Lilywhites faithful.
How many goals do you think Xavi Simons will score for Tottenham this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
