Thomas Frank's utilisation of Xavi Simons has come under scrutiny, with the Dane fatefully opting to start Spurs' most creative available player on the bench against Fulham.
Xavi has endured a slow start to life in north London, with the Dutchman failing to notch a single Premier League goal contribution after he teed up Pape Matar Sarr on his debut against West Ham United.
His best performance arrived in the emphatic Champions League win over Copenhagen, and Frank gave Xavi the chance to build on that showing against Manchester United a few days later.
Since the November international break, though, the former RB Leipzig star has been reduced to cameo roles off the bench. Frank's plans for the North London Derby and daunting trip to Paris Saint-Germain were predicated on principles that rendered the crafty playmaker surplus to requirements.
However, the vast majority expected Xavi to come back into the XI for Fulham's visit on Saturday night. Instead, Frank opted for a similar approach from their midweek defeat in Paris, which provided positives, no doubt, but the Dane's team selection once again came back to bite him, and former Tottenham defender Michael Dawson has called the manager out.
Michael Dawson believes Thomas Frank is mishandling Xavi Simons
We're only a few months into his Tottenham career, and perhaps we shouldn't expect Xavi to be purring right away. Frank has discussed the player's need to adapt and adjust to a different environment, and his recent selection calls suggest he's trying to put Xavi out of the limelight.
I can somewhat understand his exclusions for the Arsenal and PSG games, but his omission at the weekend was just flat out silly. Once again, Spurs were found wanting on home soil. Frank's cross-heavy approach simply didn't come off, and we were subject to another wretched watching experience.
He hasn't hit the ground running, but there have been glimpses from Xavi that suggest he could really help out a side so devoid of invention and craft, despite the manager's primitive approach that is failing to maximise his skillset.
While Frank has spoken almost exclusively positively about Xavi's development since joining the club, he currently isn't giving the 23-year-old much of a chance to find his flow. And Dawson pointed that out after his 31-minute cameo.
âFor a player to get confidence and belief, you have to play consistently," Daws said.
Frank seemed to have worked it out, starting Xavi in five of the six games before the November break, and we saw genuine improvement from the Dutchman in the Copenhagen win. It seemed like he may have been hitting his stride despite the tactical issues around him, and he scored for the Netherlands against Lithuania, too.
He must've returned to N17 in high spirits, confident that he'd make the difference in two significant upcoming games, but Frank instead picked supposed duel-winners and midfield engines in favour of guile and craft.
The Dane's working with a talent so bright he could emerge as his jewel in the crown, but too much tinkering has prevented Xavi from developing a groove, and Spurs are suffering as a result.