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Jamie O’Hara believes that Tottenham Hotspur have made a big error in the summer transfer window, with the pundit not holding back in his criticism of one Spurs star.

The patience of the Tottenham fan base appears to be wearing thin, with Thomas Frank’s men once again barely managing to lay a glove on the opposition at home.

Spurs’ struggles to create chances have been a consistent theme right from the start of the season, and one player, in particular, is now bearing the brunt of the criticism.

Xavi Simons has come under a lot of scrutiny over recent weeks, and the Dutchman is now being written off already by some pundits.

Jamie O’Hara says ‘shocking’ Xavi Simons is not good enough for Tottenham

Some are already describing Xavi as a flop in the Premier League, and O’Hara has seen enough to agree with the judgment.

The former Tottenham midfielder suggested that Randal Kolo Muani was anonymous against Chelsea, but Xavi was the main target of his criticism, with the pundit suggesting that the 22-year-old looks like a youth player rather than a big-money signing.

O’Hara wrote on social media following Tottenham’s 1- loss to Chelsea: “Absolutely terrible today, should have been 4-0 to Chelsea, players look like they’ve forgotten how to score a goal.

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“Randal Kolo Muani did he even play? Xavi Simons is looking like the worst 60 million ever spent, like a youth team player who ain’t ever played first team football, shocking.”

Thomas Frank continues to defend Xavi from criticism

In the lead-up to the London derby, Thomas Frank suggested that some of the criticism levelled at Xavi was unfair, but even the Dane will struggle to defend the Dutchman if he continues performing like he is.

Reports indicate that Tottenham have no doubts about Xavi’s quality and expect him to thrive once he has adapted to the Premier League.

However, it is clear that the 22-year-old’s confidence is now completely shot, with the Dutchman misplacing even simple passes against Chelsea.

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has reacted to being snubbed by Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence after the final whistle against Chelsea.

The boos were deafening at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after the final whistle on Saturday, and one certainly cannot blame the supporters, who have watched one drab performance after another at home this season.

Spurs once again failed to create many opportunities of note, and could have lost much more heavily if not for Guglielmo Vicario’s heroics in goal.

After the final whistle, Van de Ven and Spence were seen snubbing Frank as they made their way straight into the tunnel.

Thomas Frank understands the frustration of the Tottenham players

The Spurs head coach did not appear too pleased with the incident, turning back to stare at the duo as they walked away from him.

However, Frank has now insisted that Van de Ven and Spence’s behaviour was down to frustration, explaining that he wanted to thank the fans despite the defeat.

When asked about Tottenham’s defensive duo ignoring him, the Dane said (via the club’s official website): “All the players are, of course, frustrated. They would like to do well, they would like to win, they would like to perform well, so I understand that.

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“I think it is about which is difficult to be consistent in good times and in bad times. That is why I went around to the fans as I did. It is more fun when we win, I can tell you that.”

When asked if the pair’s behaviour was acceptable, Frank responded: “I understand why you ask the question, but I think that is one of the small issues. We have Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence, who are doing everything they can.

“They perform very well so far this season, and everyone is frustrated. We do things in a different way, so I don’t think it is a big problem.”

Frank would demand an apology from Van de Ven and Spence

The Tottenham boss is in a difficult position here as he cannot publicly throw two of his better players under the bus and risk losing their buy-in.

However, he would have likely not been impressed with their antics, given the standards he demands on behaviour and discipline.

While the pair’s frustration is understandable, Frank would rightly expect both Van de Ven and Spence to apologise, and they might have already done so.

Tottenham Hotspur fans will not like seeing what Micky Van de Ven and Djed Spence did after the final whistle against Chelsea on Saturday.

Spurs fell to their third home defeat of the season in the Premier League, with Tottenham’s form at home continuing to be relegation-worthy.

The Lilywhites have not won at home in the league since the opening day of the season, and it was more of the same against the Blues, with Tottenham struggling to fashion too many opportunities of note.

The pressure is starting to pile on Thomas Frank, and we may have seen the first signs that he is starting to lose the dressing room.

Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence appear to ignore Tottenham boss Thomas Frank

After the final whistle against Chelsea, it appeared as if Van de Ven and Spence ignored the Tottenham boss.

A video doing the rounds on social media shows the two players walking towards the tunnel in disappointment, when Frank attempts to speak to them.

Rather than acknowledging the Spurs head coach, the two head straight to the dressing room, with the Dane turning around to stare at the pair, seemingly unimpressed by their behaviour.

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Frank is in danger of losing the Spurs fans

Perhaps it is unfair to read too much into this incident, as it was only normal for the players to be frustrated after another home loss.

However, the boos around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at the final whistle are clear evidence that Frank has a lot of work to do to win over the Spurs faithful.

Given the style of football the Dane is now producing, one feels it will not take long for the supporters to turn against him if results do not improve fast.

It’s only four points from five home games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season for Spurs, following their latest 0-1 defeat to Chelsea.

The pain of not having won a London derby against a fellow big six side continues for Tottenham fans, and this one might just go down as the worst performance under Thomas Frank so far.

While the scoreline might suggest otherwise, Spurs, once again, have got Guglielmo Vicario to thank for keeping the numbers respectable on a rather grim night.

Joao Pedro punished one of the few moments Vicario couldn’t bail out his teammates, which proved enough to send Chelsea back to winning ways after their 1-2 home defeat to Sunderland last weekend. For Spurs, it’s now back-to-back losses following their Carabao Cup exit to Newcastle midweek.

It was an injury-hit Spurs side that started the game, and with the club’s new habit of announcing lineups in squad-number order, nobody had a clue what formation Frank was trying to run. On the bright side, Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie, and Wilson Odobert all returned to the bench after short spells out.

First half: Tottenham 0-1 Chelsea

The match started scrappily with both sides fouling, hoofing long balls, and failing to find any rhythm. Things went from bad to worse for Spurs when Lucas Bergvall suffered a concussion within five minutes and had to be replaced by Xavi Simons.

After Reece James blasted over and Alejandro Garnacho fired straight at Vicario, the Italian had to pull off a brilliant stop, denying Joao Pedro after a poor clearance from Pedro Porro left the ball sitting up dangerously.

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Tottenham’s insistence on playing out from the back finally caught up with them when Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven were far too casual in possession, allowing Moises Caicedo to intercept twice and nick the ball to Joao Pedro, who made no mistake in smashing his effort into the top corner past Vicario to put Chelsea ahead.

The Brazilian forward could’ve had a second before the break when he met Malo Gusto’s cross on the volley, only for Vicario’s quick reflexes to tip it over.

Tottenham’s only real chance came when Randal Kolo Muani linked up with Kudus, who forced a diving save from Robert Sanchez, and there was nobody around to pounce on the rebound. Before that, Rodrigo Bentancur was lucky to stay on the pitch after a reckless lunge on Reece James.

Second half: Tottenham 0-0 Chelsea

Xavi Simons struggled to get near Chelsea’s box, constantly brushed aside by blue shirts, while Kolo Muani kept dropping deep in frustration.

Spurs did have one golden chance to equalise. Kevin Danso’s long throw somehow found Bentancur free in the box, but the Uruguayan did everything but swing a foot at the right time.

Frank brought on Cristian Romero just past the hour mark for Danso, and the Argentine’s return seemed to bring a little more control in Spurs’ build-up, although the midfield and attack kept losing possession.

James Bynoe-Gittens got into good positions late on, first teeing up Pedro Neto whose strike was parried away by Vicario, before missing a sitter himself, blazing over from close range with just the keeper to beat.

Vicario had to intervene again soon after, racing off his line to deny Neto one-on-one after Fernandez slid him through a 2-man Spurs’ backline. Against almost any other keeper, it’s 0-2 there.

That proved to be the last bit of action as Chelsea sealed their fifth straight win over Spurs.

FT: TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 0-1 CHELSEA

Spurs Web man of the match: Guglielmo Vicario

What’s next for Spurs?

Since data started being recorded in football, Tottenham’s xG this game (0.05) was their lowest ever in a Premier League match. And to produce that in front of a home crowd against a big rival is simply unacceptable.

There’s clearly something missing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Spurs haven’t won a single home league game since that 3-0 win over Burnley on the opening day, and supporters can’t really be blamed for their frustration.

They’re being made to watch clueless football, and that’s been a problem for Frank’s side since the start of the season, made even worse by the long-term absences of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.

It often feels like every attack Spurs build has to end in a corner before they even look like scoring. Even then, all of their corners in this game were nothing more than catching practice for Robert Sánchez.

With a crucial Champions League home tie against FC Kobenhavn coming up, Thomas Frank will need to find a solution to their growing creativity problem.

Tottenham Hotspur have set their sights on two top-class attackers and are ready to break the bank to bring them through the door in January.

While Spurs boast one of the best defensive records in the Premier League this season, they have had issues when it comes to creating and converting chances.

Part of that comes down to the fact that the likes of James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke are out injured, but the Lilywhites are ready to dip into the transfer market to solve that problem.

Tottenham’s majority owners injected £100m equity into the club earlier this month, and it has now emerged that the money is going to be used to land an English and Spanish attacker.

Spurs eye Premier League winger and Spanish striker in January

This update comes from Fichajes, who say that Spurs’ priority is to strengthen their forward line in the mid-season transfer window, with the club eyeing a top-class winger and a number nine.

It is alleged that Tottenham have set their sights on West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen and Porto’s Samu Aghehowa ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

The two players combined are expected to cost around €130m (£114m), but this has not put off Thomas Frank’s side, who are willing to break the bank to improve their forward line.

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Why Tottenham want Jarrod Bowen and Samu Aghehowa

Fichajes say that Tottenham have identified Bowen as someone who can bring fluidity to their attack, with West Ham’s versatility and consistency valued very highly by Spurs.

Frank’s men plan to incorporate the England international as a starter or a high-impact substitute, and are willing to use him as a winger, a central attacker and even a pure striker.

Aghehowa is viewed by the North Londoners as one for the future, with the Tottenham decision makers believing that he has the attributes to thrive in English football.

They see him as a medium to long-term asset, but they also believe the 21-year-old can immediately offer competition to the strikers currently at the club.

According to a former Tottenham official, a senior Spurs man may consider calling time on his time in North London after an approach by another Premier League club.

There were major hopes regarding a revival for one experienced Spurs star after he made an excellent start to the season, but his form has tailed off completely over the last month and a half.

The player we are referring to is Richarlison, who has now gone eight games in all competitions without finding the back of the net.

Some reports have claimed that Tottenham are willing to accept a cut-price fee for Richarlison in January, with the 28-year-old thought to be attracting plenty of interest.

Richarlison would be in favour of swapping Tottenham for Everton

Last week, it emerged that Everton are considering a January move for Richarlison, with the Toffees keen to add firepower to their forward line.

Former Tottenham scout Mick Brown has now revealed that the Spurs man is rated very highly by the Merseyside club and suggested that a return to Everton could indeed be something that the 28-year-old is in favour of.

Brown told Football Insider: “I’m told Richarlison is still very highly thought of at Everton. Personally, he never seems to command a place in the starting XI with any sort of certainty; he’s not consistent enough to be a regular number nine.

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“But that’s a decision for the powers that be to decide, and if they look at him and think he would be an improvement on what they’ve got at the moment, they could make a move. Not being quite good enough to start every week for Tottenham doesn’t necessarily come into it, it’s about whether he’s an improvement for Everton.

“They want to sign a new striker, because the current two have not been good enough. Richarlison isn’t the only one they’re looking at, they will have a few options on their radar. In terms of his future at Tottenham, if he’s going to be in and out of the side and not getting consistent starts, he might have a few questions about his place in the team.

“Interest from teams like Everton, who could offer him more regular starts, could tempt him to make a move. If that is the case, he’ll speak to Frank and Tottenham about what his role is in their plans, and if he’s not going to be a regular starter, maybe he could move on. Then, it will just be about the price tag and whether Spurs will let him go.”

Richarlison is also attracting interest from abroad

Everton are not the only club eyeing the Tottenham man, with some outlets claiming that Richarlison is also attracting interest from Crystal Palace.

Additionally, Flamengo are thought to be keen on taking the Spurs star back to Brazil, while it has also been claimed that MLS side Orlando City are now eyeing a move for Richarlison.

Tottenham Hotspur suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday night as Thomas Frank comes under increasing pressure in N17.

Let’s take a look at the five things we learned:

Tottenham’s home form is sickening

Any successful season is always built on the bedrock of consistent home form. Tottenham are showing anything but. The Lilywhites are only out of the relegation zone on goal difference when it comes to home results, playing five, losing three, and drawing one.

Only Nottingham Forest, Wolves, and West Ham have a worse record in their own backyard. If Spurs have any ambitions of playing European football next season, let alone Champions League, that needs to change.

Boos around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Thomas Frank enjoyed his honeymoon period at Tottenham, but that is well and truly over. Spurs are out of the Carabao Cup, struggling to create chances, and dropping points at home for fun. Tottenham have always been proud of their history of free-flowing, attacking football, which is why the experiments under Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte ended so miserably.

Frank is going to have to find a way to open things up and consistently create chances, or he risks losing the faith of sections of the fanbase. After all, it’s not as if Tottenham look solid at the back either. It may have only been 1-0 this evening but it could and should have been four or five.

Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha

Thomas Frank insists it works. Tottenham fans scream that it does not. The defeat to Chelsea certainly served as evidence to the latter camp. Joao Palhinha seems like the perfect option to have as a solo midfield pivot who drops between the centre-backs, much like Eric Dier used to do alongside Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen. That kind of player simply does not need another deep-lying midfield alongside them.

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In fact, Bentancur often drops even deeper than his Portuguese teammate, leaving little to no options in the centre of the pitch to actually progress the ball. Dropping the Uruguayan for a more progressive player may come with initial teething problems, but Thomas Frank needs to be brave and find a way to control matches. At the moment, Tottenham are being bullied out of the game almost every week.

Guglielmo Vicario deserves a lot of credit

Another match, another shocking Tottenham performance coupled with a Vicario masterclass. The Italian recorded another eight saves against Chelsea, with at least three or four of those coming as point-blank stops to deny what should have been a certain goal. On another day, the Blues would have scored at least a few more tonight, but Vicario was on top form. Unfortunately, if your keeper is your best player for three games in a row, it indicates there is something deeply wrong with your system.

Returning Tottenham players

One silver lining to take from the defeat to Chelsea is undoubtedly the return of three absentees for Tottenham Hotspur. Cristian Romero, Wilson Odobert, and Destiny Udogie all came off the bench in the second half, and Thomas Frank will surely look to integrate all three back into his starting XI before long.

Of course, Spurs are still missing the likes of James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Radu Dragusin, Yves Bissouma, Ben Davies, Kota Takai, Dominic Solanke, and Archie Gray, but Romero and Udogie in particular should add a completely different dimension to Tottenham’s ability to play out from the back.

The full-time whistle has blown at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Spurs take on Chelsea in the London derby, and the player ratings are in.

Let’s take a look at how the Tottenham players got on.

Tottenham player ratings vs Chelsea

Guglielmo Vicario – Once again, Tottenham’s best player. Saved three of four point-blank shots that Chelsea would have backed themselves to bury. It’s always a worry when your goalkeeper is the MOTM every week. It could have been a cricket score if not for Vicario this evening. 8.

Pedro Porro – Disappointing performance from the mid-week captain. Sloppy on the ball in his own third and nowhere near his creative best at the opposite end of the pitch. A hesitant clearance in the first half almost gifted Chelsea a goal. 5.

Kevin Danso – Rock solid against Everton, Danso was anything but today. On the ball, he struggled to pass between the lines and looked like a deer in headlights against the Chelsea press. Even off the ball, he was strangely bullied at times by the opposition forwards. Not his usual solid self today. 4.

Micky Van de Ven – Made a huge blunder to hand Chelsea the opening goal after he had his pocket picked by Caicedo. His play on the ball has improved drastically this season, but it remains a weakness in his game. Nowhere near those Romero levels of passing. 4.

Djed Spence – Looked bright in the first half as he galloped infield on multiple occasions, but that disappeared in the second 45. To be fair, Tottenham had far fewer problems on his side defensively. 5.5.

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Joao Palhinha – Looks made to be a solo pivot dropping in between the two centre-backs. The partnership with Bentancur continues to stall Tottenham’s progress from defence to attack. That being said, Palhinha had a decent individual performance in a rigid, rigid system. 6.

Rodrigo Bentancur – For a player who is so talented on the ball, Bentancur does not progress the play enough. Too many sideways and backwards passes. Had Tottenham’s best chance when the ball fell to him in the box, but he tried to control it instead of just swinging a foot. Was taken off at the hour mark. 4.

Mohammed Kudus – Tottenham’s only consistent bright spark going forward. Had the only shot on target in the first half. At times, he does need to learn to shoot with his right foot to avoid becoming predictable though. 6.5.

Pape Sarr – Tottenham were in desperate need of Sarr’s trademark high press today. Instead, it was Chelsea who deployed that particular game plan, and the game really passed Pape by. 5.

Lucas Bergvall – Forced off with a concussion after just a matter of minutes. N/A.

Randal Kolo Muani – You have to feel for him a little. He worked his socks off for 70 minutes, often pressing on his own up front. Tottenham were unable to create him a sniff in the final third, let alone a good chance. 5.5.

Substitutes:

Xavi Simons – Came on to replace Bergvall. Once again struggled with the physicality of the Premier League. Even when he showed a spark of creativity, it was quickly extinguished by weak physicality. Was taken off again after 70 minutes. 4.5.

Richarlison – Came on as a striker after 60 minutes but suffered the same problems as Muani. 5.

Cristian Romero – Nice to see the Spurs captain back. Even in his 30-minute cameo, he showed so much more quality on the ball than his fellow defenders. 6.

Destiny Udogie – Returned from injury to replace Pedro Porro for the final 20 minutes. 5.

Wilson Odobert – Missed the match in mid-week with a knock but returned to offer Spurs a more natural left-wing option. 5.

The half-time whistle has blown at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Spurs take on Chelsea in the London derby, and the player ratings are in.

Let’s take a look at how the Tottenham players got on in the first 45.

Tottenham first-half player ratings vs Chelsea

Guglielmo Vicario – Went down with an injury after missing the game against Newcastle with a knock, but managed to play on. Made two very good saves to keep Tottenham in the game. 7.5.

Pedro Porro – Lucky not to cost Tottenham a goal when his clearance was closed down to hand Joao Pedro a chance on goal. Some nice deliveries from set-pieces, but he lacked his normal quality in the build-up. 4.

Kevin Danso – Better off the ball than on it. Danso will head balls away from the box all day long, but he lacks Cristian Romero’s talents in the build-up. Struggled with the Chelsea press in the first half. 5.

Micky Van de Ven – Gave the ball away on the edge of his own box to hand Chelsea an easy lead after 34 minutes. A moment of madness from Van de Ven, who was the hero against Everton. Really struggled to pass his way out from the back in the first half too. 4.

Djed Spence – The one defender who tried, and succeeded at times, to beat the press and drag Tottenham up the pitch. Unfortunately, his inverted style does not suit an inverted left-midfielder like Bergvall or Simons. 6.

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Joao Palhinha – Got through his fair share of defensive work. Once again seems strange to see him push up between the signs while Bentancur drops between the centre-backs to dictate play. Makes it very hard for Spurs to create a path from defence to attack. 6.

Rodrigo Bentancur – Once again, the double pivot looks problematic for Tottenham. On the one hand, Bentancur and Palhinha don’t look solid as a duo, while also not giving anything extra in attack. Bentancur picked up a late booking and almost lost his cool going forehead-to-forehead with multiple Chelsea players. 4.

Mohammed Kudus – Tottenham’s bright spark as usual, but his teammates really struggled to find him in the final third. Chelsea worked out early that doubling up on Kudus largely nullified Spurs’ attacks. That being said, he did have Spurs’ only shot on target with a late curling effort. 6.

Pape Sarr – Looked far from the high-pressing, all-action player we saw at the start of the season. The first half almost completely passed Sarr by as Chelsea dominated in midfield. 4.

Lucas Bergvall – Forced off with a concussion after just a matter of minutes. N/A.

Randal Kolo Muani – Full of beans up front, but he was often Tottenham’s lone presser. Barely had any of the ball and certainly wasn’t given any chances to put away. 5.

Substitutes:

Thomas Frank has selected his Tottenham Hotspur team for the Premier League match against Chelsea.

Tottenham’s record against Chelsea has been awful for many years, with the Lilywhites having only managed one win in their last thirteen league meetings when facing their bitter rivals.

The Spurs first-team squad has been decimated by injuries, a problem which also plagued former boss Ange Postecoglou last season.

Fans will be hoping for a response after Tottenham’s 2-0 defeat to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening.

Tottenham’s team vs Chelsea has been announced

Thomas Frank revealed at Friday’s press conference that captain Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie and Wilson Odobert were fit to return to be considered for selection against Chelsea.

This is the Tottenham team which faces Chelsea under the lights of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in N17:

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November is a make or break month for Spurs

November sees a series of tough tests for Tottenham, who will also face Manchester United, Arsenal and PSG later this month.

Chelsea have won nine and drawn one of the last 11 meetings between the two teams, with Tottenham’s home form this season falling way below expectations.

Spurs have won just once at home in the league all season, on the opening weekend against Burnley – while drawing to Wolves and losing to both Bournemouth and Aston Villa.