Thomas Frank is the perfect man to resolve key Xavi Simons ‘problem’ at Tottenham
Xavi Simons and Tottenham could be a match made in heaven because of Thomas Frank.
Tottenham appointed Frank as head coach because he was a great league coach – but that’s only half of it.
The 51-year-old was also brought in because he is an excellent tactician. He showcased this during Spurs’ defeat to PSG in the UEFA Super Cup final. While the weight of defeat was heavy, he subdued the Parisian team for 85 minutes.
Tottenham announced Simons later in the summer window, to the complete and utter delight of fans. While few coaches have been able to get the best out of him, Frank could be the man to discover new heights.
Xavi Simons is difficult for clubs to profile
As reported by The Athletic on 29 August, Simons was meant to be one of the hottest properties during the window.
There was an expectation that a deal for him would be concluded before the summer even began. But this did not happen.
This has been narrowed down to two reasons. The first being RB Leipzig’s relatively poor season, where they finished seventh in the Bundesliga, which is their lowest since being promoted in 2016.
The second is that teams just do not know what to do with him. Simons is a unique profile which is an archetype between a winger and a 10. This problem is similar to one of a second striker – what do you do with a player too rigid to be an out-and-out winger but too dynamic to play as a pure striker?
Clubs were hesitant to drop a huge fee on a player they would have to build their system around rather than plop him in. But not Tottenham, and Frank may be the perfect manager to solve this issue.
Thomas Frank could revert to a diamond formation
There were doubts about whether Frank would succeed at Tottenham. But he has already demonstrated that he is open to tailoring his formation to his player profiles and opposition.
- Frank played a 5-3-2 formation against PSG in the Super Cup final
- Tottenham have fielded to a more traditional 4-3-3 in the Premier League
As mentioned, Simons is a cross between a winger and a number 10, but he thrives in the half spaces or between the lines.
The Tottenham manager could field a 4-4-2 diamond shape to accommodate this, which would sometimes revert to a 4-3-3 when in possession. Simons, Pape Matar Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha would form the midfield four, while Richarlison and Mohammed Kudus would make the attack.
In this formation, Simons would be positioned at the tip of the midfield diamond with freedom to operate in the centre and play in between the lines. But also attack branch out to the left wing and attack the half spaces, allowing Richarlison to cut inside.
The Dutchman will likely be given this freedom even if Frank sticks to a three-man midfield. There is no doubt that if Simons starts from the wing, he’d find himself cutting into the midfield to create for his striker.
As a result, the flexibility of Frank’s system will allow for a level of freedom which could see Simons reach new heights.
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