Xavi Simons played on the left wing during Tottenham’s draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers this weekend. Afterwards, Thomas Frank delivered an honest verdict on the playmaker’s individual display.
Spurs left it late to salvage a point against Wolves in Saturday’s Premier League fixture at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Santiago Bueno put the visitors in front early in the second half. However, Joao Palhinha popped up in stoppage time with a tidy finish to equalise and set up emotional celebrations.
It was a mixed bag in the Spurs player ratings against Wolves because the team looked decent in the opening 45 minutes before a very timid second half. Thankfully, midfield powerhouse Palhinha was on hand to bail them out of trouble with his third goal of the season across all competitions.
- READ MORE: Fans tell Thomas Frank he cannot play ‘redundant’ Tottenham duo together after Wolves draw
Thomas Frank reaction to Xavi Simons performance vs Wolves
In his post-match press conference, Spurs boss Thomas Frank gave an interesting response when asked about the league performance of Xavi Simons against Wolves.
One interviewer asked via Beanyman Sports: “I just wondered what you thought of Xavi tonight. It felt like he struggled to get into his rhythm.”
Frank responded: “I think that is fair to say. I think Xavi had some good actions. Carrying the ball forward, and they had to foul him three or four times. There were a lot of situations where he was not as sharp. I think that is fair to say. I think he would say the same himself. But I also think it’s natural, you’re coming into a new team and a new league. Finding that rhythm quickly is difficult.”
It is refreshing to hear Frank’s honest response when assessing the contribution of his player.
Simons, who joined Spurs from RB Leipzig this summer, has been thrown into the deep end with plenty of minutes, partly down to the injuries in the squad. It has been a mixed bag from him so far.
The 22-year-old Dutchman wasn’t too effective against Brighton in his role from the left wing, but we’ve seen recently he can pull the strings a lot more effectively when he’s more central in a number 10 role.
Palhinha has tipped Simons for big things in his Spurs career, so supporters may just need to be patient with him as he transitions to a new league and new country.
Xavi Simons statistics vs Wolves
The underlying numbers from Simons’ performance against Wolves were pretty average.
| Minutes played | Accurate passes | Total shots | Chances created | Touches | Successful dribbles | Accurate crosses | Match rating |
| 78 | 23/28 (82%) | 0 | 1 | 58 | 1/4 (25%) | 3/11 (27% | 6.7 |
Unfortunately, the eye test told a pretty similar story because he struggled to create anything in the final third when in possession. We certainly prefer him to pick up possession of the football in more central pockets than when he’s high and left up the pitch.
It is encouraging that Frank explained Simons would get minutes as a number 10. He is capable of performing much better in wide areas, though.
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