Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven singles out Xavi Simons for praise after victory over FC Copenhagen in the Champions League
Tottenham Hotspur have been taking the steps in the right direction under Thomas Frank. The 52-year-old has employed a pragmatic and cautious approach for much of the first half of the campaign, which has been criticised by some sections of the fans and the media.
The defeat to Chelsea last weekend saw the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful boo the players at full-time whistle, having expected a more exciting and aggressive display in the heated London derby. Thomas Frank needed a reaction from his boys against FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday evening, and he got one at home. Goals from Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, Micky van de Ven and Joao Palhinha helped Spurs cruise to a 4-0 victory over FC Copenhagen.
Xavi Simons had started the game in his preferred No.10 role. He is struggling to adapt to Premier League football in the early stages of the campaign after arriving from RB Leipzig in the summer. The 22-year-old was at fault in Joao Pedro’s winning goal for Chelsea, thanks to a poor pass back to Micky van de Ven and was substituted in the 73rd minute.
The creative midfielder has been compared to Manchester United’s big-money flop Antony, while ESPN FC pundit Frank Leboeuf singled him out after his timid showing in the defeat to Chelsea. The Dutch media has not spared Xavi Simons as well, citing the “lack of physicality” as a reason behind his struggles to adjust to the Premier League football.
Micky van de Ven backs Xavi Simons to succeed at Tottenham
On Tuesday, Xavi produced his brightest performance yet for Tottenham in their big victory over Copenhagen. It was his creative pass that led to Brennan Johnson scoring the opener for the home side. TalkSPORT pundit Jamie O’Hara, who has been critical of the summer signing, gave the midfielder his flowers after the game.
Now, Micky van de Ven has singled out Xavi for praise after his energetic display vs Copenhagen. The centre-back feels the playmaker needs time to get used to the Premier League after coming from a different league. He also admitted that his compatriot is now “making strides” and was fantastic in the win over the Danish giants in the Champions League.
“He [Xavi] really created some big opportunities in this game. He’s clearly come into a new country and a new league and everybody expects big things from him straight away, but he needs time,” Micky van de Ven said in an exclusive interview with Telecom Asia Sport.
“You can see that every game he’s making strides and he was fantastic tonight.”
Xavi raring to make a mark vs Manchester United
Xavi’s performance in midweek was a positive one, boosting his confidence levels ahead of the Premier League showdown against Manchester United. It is in such big games the fans will want to see their big-money summer signing make a difference and deliver the goods.
The Dutchman must be raring to go out on the pitch and help Spurs beat Man United on Saturday. It will be interesting to see what will be Frank’s team selection and whether Xavi features from the onset.