Igor Tudor must properly utilise Xavi Simons if he is to have any chance of success at Tottenham.
Tudor is taking charge of a Spurs side that are void of any confidence and belief, having won just two of their last 17 Premier League games.
The Lilywhites dropped down to 16th in the table before Thomas Frank was sacked, and are only five points clear of the relegation zone.
It is a huge task for anyone to turn the situation in North London around, so Tudor has to get his best players back to form, and Simons is surely the first name on that list.
Xavi Simons can be creative spark for Tottenham
Simons has been underwhelming since his summer move from RB Leipzig, but he has still been one of Tottenham’s most creative players this season.
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It probably speaks more to the struggles Spurs have had going forward that the Dutchman is at the top of a number of their attacking statistics, but he does have the potential to flourish with the right guidance.
Tudor is known as an expert man-manager, and that was one of his strengths at Juventus, so the Croatian may be the one who can get the best out of Simons.
So far this season, via Sofascore, Simons has four Premier League assists, and only Mohammed Kudus has picked up more for Tottenham (5).
The Netherlands international has created the most big chances out of any Spurs player though (6), and is only behind Pedro Porro (1.5) in terms of key passes per game, making 1.4 on average.
Simons is once again second across the Tottenham squad for successful dribbles per game (1.1), with Kudus the only player ahead of him (2.7).
Where should Igor Tudor play Xavi Simons?
While Simons is already one of the most important players in the Tottenham attack, there is no doubt that he can improve further.
The 22-year-old has shown flashes of brilliance during his time in North London, not least during the 2-0 win over Brentford in early December.
Simons scored and grabbed an assist that day, running the show as Spurs managed a rare win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
It’s no coincidence that the Dutchman was playing in the number 10 position against the Bees, as he thrived in the free role behind the striker.
Too often this season, Simons has been forced out wide, and Tudor should look to deploy him more centrally to get the best out of the former Leipzig man.