Thomas Frank backs Tottenham Hotspur newboy Xavi Simons to adapt to the Premier League
Thomas Frank has managed to guide Tottenham Hotspur to strong openings in the Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup. Spurs booked their place in the Carabao Cup fourth round on Wednesday by comfortably beating Doncaster Rovers 3-0.
Spurs were impressive going forward and dominated the game for large parts against Doncaster Rovers. Xavi Simons was at the heart of most attacking moves for the home side, operating in a midfield three alongside Rodrigo Bentancur and Archie Gray. After being used mostly on the left flank in the opening couple of games, the Dutchman was handed a deeper role in midfield and he thrived in the 3-0 win over Doncaster.
Having arrived from RB Leipzig in the final week of the summer transfer window, Xavi Simons has already shown some positive signs but much more can be expected in the weeks ahead.
Thomas Frank thinks Xavi Simons will not take much time to adapt to the Premier League
Tottenham are back in Premier League action on Saturday as they welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. They will be raring to bounce back to winning ways in the Premier League after drawing 2-2 with Brighton and Hove Albion on the south coast last time out.
While addressing the media, Thomas Frank said he feels Xavi will adapt quickly to the demands of Premier League football and deliver the goods consistently for Tottenham.
“I think it will be relatively quick, but it’s always a little bit difficult to guess. I like what I’ve seen so far from him. I like the Brighton half an hour because he was arriving in some of the areas we wanted to, having two good chances. Could have set Richy up, if Lucas was not taking the pass away from him,” Frank was quoted by Football London.
“As I said, the West Ham game I think was promising. There were also good moments against Doncaster where he was driving the ball forward, setting up Wilson, setting up a few situations.
“I think more and more, you’re playing with new team-mates, that relationship is important. You need to understand when he’s coming, is he actually? I’m playing into feet but then he’s actually going away. So that bit is important.
“I think the biggest adjustment is probably the intensity in the Premier League. That’s difficult to work with in training. Of course, we try to train with intensity but because we play quite a few games, there’s not many where we can have that. But when we can, we try to get intensity in. I think for me it’s just for him to not adapt, but get used to more and more of that intensity.”
Xavi’s flexible role under Frank
Xavi has already played on the left wing, through the middle as a No.10 and in central midfield in his embryonic career at Tottenham. From what we have witnessed, the Netherlands international has looked at his best in the No.10 role– a position he played after coming off the bench in the 2-2 draw with Brighton. The playmaker looked sharp, energetic and immediately provided a creative spark that Tottenham were missing in the first half against Brighton.
Frank must do everything possible to get the best out of the 22-year-old, who has already given glimpses of his technical ability and smart movement in England. Xavi has been swiftly acclimatizing to the intense and physical nature of Premier League football, which are extremely positive signs from Tottenham’s point of view.
How Frank uses Xavi in the upcoming games will be interesting to watch.
