Xavi Simons has everything to prove vs Man United amid ‘dreadful’ Copenhagen verdict
Xavi Simons will have to deliver a similar performance against Manchester United as he did against Copenhagen.
Tottenham triumphed in a 4-0 victory over Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Despite being substituted off around 30 minutes before full-time after Brennan Johnson received a red card, his performance convinced fans that Thomas Frank had finally unlocked Simons.
However, the Dutch international’s real test will come on Saturday against Man United.
Xavi Simons will need to prove himself further vs Man United
Tottenham take on Man United in the Premier League on 8 November, and will look to get back on track in the Premier League.
Indeed, Spurs’ 1-0 defeat to Chelsea last matchday saw Simons substituted in the second half after replacing Lucas Bergvall in the first half, after he sustained a head injury.
As a result, speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, Tottenham expert and Lilywhite Rose owner John Wenham believes all eyes will be on Simons to perform now that he will be coming up against tougher opposition.
“Simons got a lot of confidence, obviously, and that continued in his game. We saw flicks, tricks – he could have finished with four assists in the first half. So his confidence was very high,” Wenham said.
“But against Man United, Bryan Mbeumo, Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes, it’s a totally different task than what we saw against Copenhagen.
“Hopefully, he’s in form and confident and is now ready to go into the Man United game and deliver a similar performance.
“But I just think the level of opposition was staggeringly poor. I mean, Copenhagen were terrible. They were dreadful. I mean, like a Championship-level team.”
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Xavi Simons’ performance will depend on Thomas Frank
Simons was so impactful against Copenhagen because he received the ball in areas where he’s most dangerous.
Indeed, rather than a double pivot of Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha, Frank opted to play Bentancur as the lone defensive midfielder.
The introduction of Pape Matar Sarr rather than Palhinha gave Spurs a more offensive edge and, in turn, saw Simons become the focal point of the attack.
As a result, Simons could struggle against United in Frank reintroduces his defensive double pivot, and as such, his performance will likely come down to the Dane’s tactical decisions.
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