Xavi Simons had another tough evening for Tottenham Hotspur as the Dutch international struggled in Spurs’ draw with Wolves.
Joao Palhinha salvaged a 1-1 draw at home to Vitor Pereira’s side with a late strike at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, to finally break the visitors’ resilience.
The North London club looked set to hand Wolves their first win of the season on what was a poor performance from Thomas Frank’s team.
It was a tough evening with Tottenham Hotspur’s top creative players being well off the pace, particularly Xavi Simons.
Thomas Frank explains why Xavi Simons is struggling at Tottenham
Frank believes that Simons is still adapting to his new surroundings, having only just made the switch to the Premier League.
It’s been a mixed start to his time at Tottenham, with Simons impressing on his debut against West Ham, but in some matches, he has struggled.
Gary Lineker was encouraged by Simons’ cameo against Brighton, but at home to Wolves, it was certainly another off day for the 22-year-old.
Frank told the media: “I think that’s fair to say, I think he had some good actions, also carrying the ball forward and had to be fouled three or four times.
“But I think there were a lot of situations where he was not quite as sharp, I think that’s fair to say, and he would say that himself.
“But I think it’s natural, he’s coming into a new team, a new league and trying to find that rhythm is difficult.”
Simons’ stats highlight what a challenging evening it was for him, as he lost possession 23 times, completed just three of his 11 crosses, and won only five of his 13 duels.
Thomas Frank explains Xavi Simons’ positioning
Frank admitted he’s still getting to know Simons as a player and working out the balance of his Tottenham team.
The new Spurs boss wanted to fit Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall into his team, having been impressed by all three so far this season.
“I think it’s trying to get the right balance into the team. Also, for me to learn the players and get the best players on the pitch at the same time,” added Frank.
“He came on against Brighton as a 10 and did well. I think when he got into it today as a 10, it didn’t really work, but that wasn’t just him.
“The whole team was out of sync. I think Joao and Rodri have been great for us so far, and Lucas has been fantastic.”