Xavi Simons’ substitution against Manchester United on Saturday brought controversy.
Tottenham were left heartbroken after drawing 2-2 to Manchester United in the Premier League, right after the Lilywhites thought they had stolen all three points with Richarlison’s late goal in north London.
Wilson Odobert changed the game for Tottenham off the bench, as there were finally plenty of positives for Thomas Frank to take from an attacking point of view on 8 November.
Simons has struggled so far at Spurs and has taken to social media to share a message with fans after being caught in a confusing moment.
Tottenham fans booed Thomas Frank for taking Xavi Simons off
Simons cost Tottenham a lot of money, and with that comes high expectations.
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So far, it seems like the Dutchman is taking a step forward in one game and another step back in the next, as he’s failed to string together any consistency.
After a promising performance in Tottenham’s 4-0 demolition of FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on Thursday, Simons went back to square one against Man United.
Frank decided to substitute Simons in the 79th minute for Mathys Tel, who scored five minutes later.
When Simons’ name was said over the tannoy, there were boos, as some thought the frustration was aimed at him.
However, it was actually Tottenham fans booing Frank’s decision to take him off, interestingly, as Simons shared a message on X.
Simons said: “Our time is coming.”
There’s no doubt that Simons has shown glimpses of his high potential, as his own time may be coming, but the midfielder needs to show his talent more regularly.
The international break comes at a perfect time for Spurs and Simons
There were moments against United where Simons picked up the ball in dangerous areas, but most of his positive contributions against the Red Devils came in the defensive aspect.
Tottenham’s next game in the Premier League is a North London derby against current league leaders Arsenal, the perfect time to finally explode into life.
The international break is probably coming at the best time for Spurs, as their form since the October break has not been great.
Tottenham’s form (all competitions) since returning from the October international break:
Simons could also do with a break away from Tottenham, as he is set to feature for the Netherlands in their upcoming final World Cup qualifier fixtures.
The Dutchman will hope to make an impact against Poland and Lithuania, as Tottenham will pray he comes back on top form.