Xavi Simons needs more time to bed in at Tottenham, Thomas Frank insists | OneFootball

The Dutchman struggled to influence the match as Spurs were beaten by Aston Villa

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Thomas Frank defended Xavi Simons, insisting Tottenham's £52million signing needed time to come good.

He started in the No10 role as Spurs were beaten 2-1 by Aston Villa, making it just three wins from their last 18 matches at home in the Premier League.

There was more than one occasion when Simons had the opportunity to shoot from outside the area but opted to play a safer pass instead.

However, Frank was reluctant to blame Simons for another ineffective attacking performance from Tottenham.

"I think we defend with 11 players," Frank said.

"We also attack with 11 players. I think it's the whole team. Of course it will always be, let's say, the front four - today Wilson, Mo, Xavi and Mathys - that is the main guys that will be judged on it, which is fair.

"I like Xavi's personality today, especially in the first half. I think he wanted to get on the ball, he wanted to create. I think he was very aggressive in the pressure. I think it was a fine game.

"I think I need to remember it myself when we judge players and they come into a new club, a new country. I know it's part of football, [but] we judge them with a very small sample of games.

"I'm not in doubt that Xavi will be good for us. Today was an average-plus game."

Frank insisted Spurs were "excellent" defensively against Villa, who scored from their only two shots on target in the match. Both came from outside the area via wonderful strikes from Morgan Rogers and Emi Buendia.

Xavi Simons’ defensive contributions outweighed his attacking input

John Walton/PA Wire

Spurs led after five minutes and Frank felt his side deserved something from the game, describing it as a "clear draw" on the balance of play.

It is the third game in a row that Spurs have dropped points at home, following a defeat to Bournemouth and draw with Wolves, and builds the pressure ahead of Chelsea and Manchester United's visits to north London in the weeks ahead.

"I don't think it's that simple," Frank responded when asked about Spurs' terrible run on home soil.

"I think it's about looking into the performances. I think we performed well against Burnley, I think we performed well again today. I think we had one very good first half against Wolves and then we had a bad game against Bournemouth.

"So that's probably the reason I think [today] is a game that is a draw, a clear draw. And we could easily have won it instead of Villa and then it would have been a different narrative.

"So I look at the performance on the pitch - we did well - and at the bits we need to improve."