My Demands To Him – Thomas Frank Clear On Expectations Of Tottenham Star | OneFootball

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Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank has insisted that summer signing Xavi Simons is adapting every day, but stressed his demands are for more intensity in general.

Spurs spent £51.8m to sign Simons from Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig towards the end of the summer transfer window.

He is yet to play a full 90-minute match for the north Londoners, though Frank has backed him, saying that he is ‘constantly going in the right direction’.

Now the manager has added to his praise of Simons, insisting that the 22-year-old is adapting every day and showed a likeable personality in the first half of the 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa.

Frank stressed that Simons has only been at Spurs for a short period of time and he is continuing to adapt further on a daily basis.

The former Brentford boss is clear though what he is looking for from Simons is more intensity.

“We try to help every player in the squad. Xavi has been with us for seven, eight weeks, which is a very short time in football, but in a way also a long time”, Frank, asked about how they are trying to help Simons, said at a press conference.

“He is adapting every day.

“I liked his personality, the way he played in the first 60 minutes against Villa.

“I think he tired a little bit, as part of the learning, coming into a much more intense league. My demands to him are more intensity in general.

“But he is a player I believe in. I think he has got has the passing, the vision. He trained very well.

“Hopefully he will go step by step.”

Simons has notched up nine appearances in a Tottenham shirt, only four of which his team have won.

Having gone down to a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa last weekend, Frank will be keen to see his side bounce back away at Everton on Sunday.

It remains to be seen whether he will trust Simons with a start during the game at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.