The latest news from Leeds United ahead of Saturday's home clash with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
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Tottenham Hotspur will hope summer signing Xavi Simons can prove the doubters wrong when they visit Leeds United on Saturday lunchtime.
The former Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig star is yet to find the net in his first six appearances for Thomas Frank’s side after making a reported £51 million move to North London during the final week of the summer transfer window. Simons has also produced just one assist during that time as he provided the ball for Pape Matar Sarr to open the scoring in his side’s 3-0 win at West Ham United on his debut.
Much has been said about Simons’ role in the Spurs side, with many expecting him to feature in a ‘number ten’ position, rather than on the left-hand side of a front three. However, pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor has questioned the signing of the Netherlands international after watching him in action during Spurs’ Champions League draw against Bodo/Glimt in midweek.
Speaking on talkSPORT, the former Aston Villa forward said: “Simons, I’m not sure about. It’s early on, we don’t want to judge players after five, six games, but I’m really not sure about him. You know, sometimes you see a player and you’re like, ‘Oh okay, I like him, yeah, yeah, I like what he’s about.’ But I watch Simons and I’m like, ‘Oh, he’s on the floor.’ He doesn’t seem rapidly quick when I watch him as well.”
Former Whites boss shock at Leeds United offer
Daniel Farke will hope to guide Leeds United to a win when they host Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday lunchtime and take another step towards securing the Whites’ Premier League status.
After securing promotion by landing the Championship title, the former Norwich City boss has led his side to eight points from their first six games of the season and that represents the Whites’ best start in the top flight since Marcelo Bielsa was patrolling the touchline at Elland Road. There is a natural tendency to compare the current boss with his predecessors and one former Whites boss has referenced his time at Leeds when discussing what could come next in his career.
This month marks the ten-year anniversary of Steve Evans’ appointment as Leeds manager as the Scot penned a rolling contract at Elland Road. His reign would last until the end of the season after guiding the Whites to a thirteenth place finish in the Championship and into the quarter-final of the FA Cup. Evans had spells in charge of Mansfield Town, Peterborough United, Gillingham and Stevenage and has been out of work since leaving Rotherham United earlier this year.
The 62-year-old is now keen to get back into the dugout and he referenced his time at Leeds as he set out his plans for the future.
He told The Daily Mail: “I would like a project, maybe in League Two. That’s the reality. But I never thought I would work at Leeds United, and I did. So you never know. I have rarely failed in my career. I have either kept clubs up or got them promoted, or put structures in place that are benefiting them now. I am ready for more.”