Tottenham boss Thomas Frank compares struggling Xavi Simons to Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz, saying both players need time to settle in new teams.
Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank has drawn comparisons between the struggles of Xavi Simons and Florian Wirtz, saying both players need time to settle in their new teams.
Simons, who joined Spurs from RB Leipzig for £52million, has made a sluggish start, with just one assist in eight appearances.
Frank believes Simons will need time to adjust to his new surroundings, just like Wirtz, who joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for a record £116m. Wirtz has also struggled to make an impact, failing to record a single goal contribution in 10 games for the Reds.
“It’s a very good comparison with Wirtz,” Frank said. “Also a very good player, just like Xavi, a very good player. Coming into a new country, a new club, new city. [They] just need to settle in.”
Both Simons and Wirtz are playmakers who have been fielded in a No.10 position without much success so far. Liverpool play Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday night, following a run of four straight defeats.
Wirtz came off the bench in Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat by Manchester United and played in central midfield, but once again couldn’t make an impact. He started the Reds’ last Champions League game, against Galatasaray, but has only been used off the bench since then.
Arne Slot has hinted that Wirtz could be handed a start in Frankfurt, saying it’s “special” for the German midfielder to return to Germany and play there. Liverpool are looking to bounce back from their recent defeats, and Wirtz’s performance will be crucial to their chances.
Simons, on the other hand, will look to turn his season around against Monaco on Wednesday. Frank is optimistic about Simons’ future, saying there were “good glimpses” of his performance and that he’s “constantly going a bit in the right direction”.
