Thomas Frank on Xavi Simons’ performance, Udogie injury, and ‘fantastic’ Spurs fans after beating Brentford | OneFootball

Thomas Frank hopes Xavi Simons’ performance against Brentford can be a sign of things to come from the forward.

Simons scored his first goal for the club in the 2-0 win over the Bees, after earlier setting up Richarlison for the opening goal.

And Frank says it can give the £52m summer signing a huge confidence boost having found himself in and out of the team since his arrival.

“I think every player needs that extra good performance,” Frank said.

“I’m so happy for him. He’s been working very hard. He’s a top pro. He’s so determined. He wants it so badly in every aspect of his game, and it’s just a little bit of adaptation, also the team is a little bit out of sync. Everything is coming more and more together and now we need to build on it.

“I think every player needs that extra bit of confidence and that comes from his performance, the team’s performance and I think that assist and the goal gave him that extra bit of lightness in his steps, in his touches and everything. So for him it was also an all-round very good performance.

“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. But yeah, very happy for him.”

Destiny Udogie missed the win through injury but Frank says he hopes it will not keep him out for long.

“He got a soft tissue issue, unfortunately against Newcastle,” he said.

When asked if it would keep the defender out for long, Frank responded: “Not too long.”

Frank also praised the fans for the support they gave the team, following a difficult atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium of late given Spurs’ poor home form.

The Tottenham boss also pointed to the backing they gave goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, following Frank’s criticism of some fans who booed the Italian during the defeat to Fulham.

“The Spurs fans are great fans,” Frank said. “Sometimes there’s ups, sometimes there’s downs in football and life, but I like how the team responded. I like how the whole stadium and the fans responded.

“I noticed, maybe it was me, but I noticed when Vicario’s name was showed up, I think an extra high roar. I love that. That makes me warm inside because that’s where you support your player. Because they should… No-one, like no-one, how can you say, (should be) talking bad about our players.

“The fans should feel like that. They should protect them. I think today there was fantastic energy between both the team and the fans.”