Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Vitor Pereira has spoken very highly of Tottenham Hotspur duo Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus.
Pereira’s Wolves side took on Simons and Kudus in the Premier League on Saturday and came very close to beating them.
However, Joao Palhinha saved Tottenham at the death after scoring an equaliser, which follows his overhead kick against Doncaster Rovers during the week.
Palhinha wants to stay in England, and that looks likely given his performances at Tottenham so far and the buy option included in his loan deal.
Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus ‘attract two or three players to them’
While Tottenham were able to sign Palhinha on loan, they spent big money to land Simons and Kudus. Combined, they paid more than £100m to bring in both players.
It is a lot of cash, but Pereira thinks their ability to lure defenders towards them makes the pair worth every single penny.
In his post-match press conference after Wolves’ 1-1 draw with Spurs, which has been shared by football.london, the Portuguese said: “When you face a team with wingers strong in one-vs-one, it’s difficult to control because we need someone to close the space inside and someone to control the space outside and someone to cover the space in case they beat the man.
“That’s why clubs spend big money on these players because they attract two or three players to them.”
While the former West Ham United man caught the eye at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Kudus also impressed at the Amex Stadium last weekend as he helped Spurs to earn a point there.
Being a big-money signing, there has been a lot of focus on Kudus following his arrival from West Ham, and the same can also be said about Simons.
Thomas Frank on Xavi Simons’ Wolves display
Frank was asked about Simons’ performance against Wolves in his post-match press conference and claimed that the attacking midfielder was not always sharp.
As Frank discussed Simons’ display, he said: “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.”
The above is understandable, though. As Frank mentioned, Simons is still adapting to a new division. With more time, the Dutchman is going to be able to make a real impact in the team. He certainly has the quality to and has shown glimpses of it already.
Simons is likely to get another opportunity to show what he can do on Tuesday when Tottenham take on Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League.
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