Tottenham Hotspur supporters aren't exactly thrilled with Xavi Simons's output at the club since joining as one of the Premier League's most hyped transfers of the summer window, but even the most cynical of Spurs fans has to admit that Simons has been able to show glimpses of quality that give hope that he will come good for them.
Simons was a Bundesliga Player of the Year candidate type of player for RB Leipzig, and though he was overshadowed time after time, including as a transfer, by Florian Wirtz, Simons was an all-around maestro in midfield for sure.
Although Simons is showing the fight and the quality of touches, Tottenham fans have noticed that his threat has been curtailed, even in the No. 10 position. It's apparent that Simons isn't getting the ball enough near the goal and in those dangerous pockets that a 10 usually occupies, as the service from the more defensive Joao Palhinha and the highly underwhelming Rodrigo Bentancur just hasn't been adequate.
The key, then, is Thomas Frank getting it together and making the bold move he should have made weeks ago that Spurs fans have been practically begging for. Give Bentancur the axe and play Archie Gray more. No, no, not as a left back or a defender like Ange Postecoglou was doing but as a midfielder.
Tottenham need progression behind Xavi Simons
See, if Tottenham are going to make Simons their 10, then they need midfielders who can serve him up the ball. Palhinha is never going to be that guy, but his defending makes up for his lack of progressive passing. Bentancur, however, was supposed to be the deep-lying playmaker, but just as he did at Juventus, he is failing to meet the standards of play there at the highest level.
Gray, however, looks like a real gem, and every single time Frank has turned to him in midfield this season, he has looked like, by far, Tottenham's best progressive passer, and if you line up Simons's best games as a creator, they have come with Gray serving him woven and brave passes right behind him in the lineup.
Therefore, a sole individual, Gray, may be the key to helping unlock Simons, because he has a synergistic and compatible playing style with the Dutch international. Gray can be the one to break the lines with his dribbling and passing, enabling Simons to receive more passes in positions where he can actually affect the game for Spurs.