Xavi Simons at heart of Thomas Frank’s new attacking blueprint at Tottenham | OneFootball

Dutchman can unlock Spurs creativity after first big ‘moment’

Tottenham, so often this season reactive to their opposition’s game plan, were dominant from start to finish and were richly deserving of three points.

“Sometimes you work hard on things, and sometimes (it) just suddenly clicks and said before the team has been a little bit out of sync,” Frank said after the game.

“In some stages, today, a lot more players were on the same page at the same time throughout the game.

Spurs eased the pressure on Thomas Frank with a much-improved display in their win against Brentford

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“I think we looked such a threat going forward. Great chances, played with pace, tempo, penetration, unpredictable. So, I like that was everything we'd like to be, but also being aggressive in the pressure.”

At the centre of what felt like a blueprint-defining victory for Frank was Xavi Simons.

His performance was the full of pace, tempo, penetration and unpredictability.

On just his third Premier League start of the season, the Dutchman was a lightning rod for Tottenham's attack, popping up in the right channel to assist Richarlison’s opening goal before driving through the middle to double the Spurs advantage right before half-time.

Simons’ first Tottenham goal was the sort of spark of ingenuity Frank said he knew the midfielder was capable of when Spurs bought him in from RB Leipzig in the summer.

For Simons and Spurs, consistency is now key if they are to build on Saturday.

“That's what I believe from the beginning, that Xavi can produce that out of nothing. And I will say, everything just needs a little bit of adaptation sometimes with everything. Him, the team, everything. And this was a very good step. Now it's the next thing to do it again and again and again.”

Xavi Simons scored a stunning individual goal against Brentford

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It has been a tricky start to life at Tottenham for Simons, who has struggled to get to grips with the pace and physicality of the Premier League. But he more than held his own against Brentford.

In and out of possession, Simons chipped away at Brentford’s resolve. Niggling tackles, quick feet and an awareness of where the space was. Simons had a vision of the game, and his team-mates helped him execute it to a tee.

In the continued absence of Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison, Spurs have relied heavily on Mohammed Kudus to conjure up inspiration from the right flank.

However, with Simons floating across the pitch, stitching the play together, Kudus has a focus, and Tottenham have direction and unpredictability.

Frank was honest in his assessment of his squad last week when saying he did not know his best team. Simons, though, now surely has played his way into contention for regular starts.

There was a buzz around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.

Spurs had come to entertain and their supporters, who repaid the players’ efforts with a rousing ripple of applause on the half-time and full-time whistle.

Frank will want to keep hold of that feeling. He did not quite produce a Christmas miracle in beating a Brentford side as derisory away as Tottenham have been at home this season. But what he did do was lay the foundations from which his side simply has to build upon.

Spurs have often in recent years been bound by a strict identity, from Mauricio Pochettino to Ange Postecoglou, and the adaptable Frank may just have set out the philosophy he hopes will come to define his time in charge.