Xavi Simons clicking Spurs attack into gear to become Frank’s biggest undroppable | OneFootball

Spurs are starting to look like a team cohesive and confident in attack, and Xavi Simons’ improved form is the main reason for that.

Spurs have so many players with high ceilings that we haven’t seen them get anywhere near since the start of 2024. Players like Randal Kolo Muani and Mathys Tel are yet to find their feet, but everyone knows how good they can be. And then there’s Archie Gray, who hasn’t exactly been misused but has been played here, there and everywhere. That benefits some aspects of his development, but the lack of continuity can be harmful.

Thomas Frank hasn’t had to navigate an injury crisis like Ange Postecoglou did last season (mainly because he doesn’t run his players into the ground), meaning Gray has actually been used in his natural position of central midfield in the Premier League, less so in Europe.

His potential is sky-high and he can hopefully realise it as a defensive midfielder next to Joao Palhinha. They complement each other perfectly. Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur are two good players, but they cannot play together. It’s far too robust and lacks any sort of creativity. Gray can be the tidy, deep-lying playmaker while his partner runs around like a very effective destroyer.

Lucas Bergvall and Pape Matar Sarr are similar to Gray in that respect, but two starts in a row for the latter show who Frank prefers right now. And right now, Spurs look as comfortable and inventive as they have under the Brentford legend. It’s hardly a surprise when you stop playing two ball-winning midfielders together.

We’re not saying the handbrake is off, but the team looks freer and more expressive, which plays directly to Simons’ strengths.

Simons is extraordinary on the ball, but he loves the other side of the game too. He isn’t shy in 50/50s, as his disgustingly filthy kit told us, and that sort of thing will endear you to the fans more than a nutmeg or a won penalty.

He did the latter on Tuesday night at home to Slavia Prague in the Champions League, as Spurs backed up one solid performance and result against Brentford with another of similar ilk.

Under Postecoglou, it was pure chaos: no defensive structure and a heavy emphasis on attacking without actually looking very good in attack. Under Frank, maybe they initially went too far the other way, but the Dane looks like he’s striking a balance. They will have tougher tests than Slavia and Brentford at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but Spurs’ home record has been so poor this season that these wins hold more significance than they probably should.

Playing to the strengths of players like Simons and Mohammed Kudus is crucial to finding that balance, because you need to get the best out of your best players, and if your best players are performing, you’ve always got a chance.

Frank has been tweaking and testing all season, but there’s no doubt Spurs look so much better with Kudus and Simons on the pitch. If they’re both fit, they have to start. Have to.

Simons hasn’t found it easy to settle in at Spurs, and there are caveats and coincidences at play, but the raw data is clear: Spurs have won eight games in all competitions since Simons signed, and he’s started all eight of them.

Simons won a penalty that he converted, and Kudus scored one of his own to help Spurs win 3-0 on Tuesday, with Slavia defender David Zima scoring Spurs’ 100th Champions League goal to make it 1-0.

They will both be crucial to any success Spurs and Frank enjoy this season. And, believe it or not, so might Richarlison.

He has 17 goals in his last 24 Premier League starts, which may span two years, but still. He’s been very good in a fairly dysfunctional team still finding its feet under a new head coach. It’s a resurgence not many saw coming, but one very welcome for Spurs with Dominic Solanke crocked.

Richarlison has pretty notable flaws, but so do most Spurs players. Simons isn’t perfect either, but he is clearly a difference-maker and is beginning to show why he cost over £55million. Frank’s side look so much better going forward when he’s on the pitch, and completely clueless when he’s not. His influence is impossible to ignore now.

He’s becoming undroppable and just as crucial as players like Cristian Romero. So much goes through him, and that’s the way it should be.

The confidence is growing at the same time as Spurs’ performances are improving. Bigger tests await, but the rhythm is there and, in the fickle football world, we’re now wondering what this team is capable of as their summer signings settle – rather than whether Frank will still be in a job at Christmas. And maybe Simons > Eze after all.