Xavi Simons

[Bishop]

Lets hope so, his ability is very good needs a bit more confidence in himself. Hopefully that will come.

I honestly don't think he lacks confidence, but he's a combinational player and under Frank we just didn't really have that for him to excell. He's someone that wants to bounce passes off nearby teammates and then move into space for the return ball.

With the additions we are seemingly trying to make and just the nature of the football De Zerbi likes to play i think we'll see a better fitting Xavi Simons regardless.

 

[parklane1]

I honestly don't think he lacks confidence, but he's a combinational player and under Frank we just didn't really have that for him to excell. He's someone that wants to bounce passes off nearby teammates and then move into space for the return ball.

With the additions we are seemingly trying to make and just the nature of the football De Zerbi likes to play i think we'll see a better fitting Xavi Simons regardless.

Do not diasgree with either point really it just seems to me that he rushes some things which could be down to expectation as our main outlet. I am sure we will see more from him once he settles into the new system under Zerbi.

 

[mudshark]

He's talented, for sure, but came into this league at an obvious disadvantage in terms of physicality, and still needs to develop ways of coping with and/or counteracting that. He had kind of started to show that was happening before the injury; let's hope he can pick up where he left off.

 

[Finney Is Back]

He's talented, for sure, but came into this league at an obvious disadvantage in terms of physicality, and still needs to develop ways of coping with and/or counteracting that. He had kind of started to show that was happening before the injury; let's hope he can pick up where he left off.

I think he looked absolutely fine in terms of coping with the physicality of the premier league. At first he struggled a bit with the pace, sometimes taking too long and at other times over compensating and rushing but appeared to be getting that right as well in the couple of games before his ACL injury.

I was actually surprised at how brave he is in the tackle and how he seems to relish the physical confrontations.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I think he looked absolutely fine in terms of coping with the physicality of the premier league. At first he struggled a bit with the pace, sometimes taking too long and at other times over compensating and rushing but appeared to be getting that right as well in the couple of games before his ACL injury.

I was actually surprised at how brave he is in the tackle and how he seems to relish the physical confrontations.

Also will be very different okaying for a football coach rather than the plebs he had leading the majority of his time herr
We may actually work on attacking play and ball retention

 

[harr1984]

Also will be very different okaying for a football coach rather than the plebs he had leading the majority of his time herr
We may actually work on attacking play and ball retention

He will come on really well under RDZ IMO (hopefuly Madders/Kulu too), after the Brighton game RDZ said:

"He's lucky to work with me - not because I'm good, because I was number 10. What he thinks now, I thought 20 years ago. So, we have a special connection. I have a special connection with all number 10s I work with. I love a number 10. A number 10 has to understand that he has to score and he has to make assists, not just play to be nice to the people - goals and assists. He played very well [against Brighton], a great game. I think he can play better and better, because a player like this, he needs to feel confidence from the manager, and I stay here to transfer all the confidence he needs, because I was a player, I was number 10, and I think I know what he thinks, because I thought the same when I was a player. I think I'm lucky to have this player on my team, but also he's lucky because with number 10, I can understand better than other coaches."

 

[metalgear]

from the little i've seen of xavi in a spurs shirt, he was growing from strength to strength and was willing to run through brick walls for the team. the setback is real but his mentality i believe will help him come back and continue growing. i am glad for the young ones that a progressive and OCD/borderline psychotic coach is here now (i wished for nagelsmann or tuchel when they were available) and his demanding and tactical part of the game will help all the young ones a lot as there is less "freeplay" across the team, making learning easier.

HOWEVER, aside from getting back to full fitness, I think xavi has shown not to be ready to be an EPL starter. maybe in a year or so but we really need effective, progressive ball players especially now.

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

I think he looked absolutely fine in terms of coping with the physicality of the premier league. At first he struggled a bit with the pace, sometimes taking too long and at other times over compensating and rushing but appeared to be getting that right as well in the couple of games before his ACL injury.

I was actually surprised at how brave he is in the tackle and how he seems to relish the physical confrontations.

I agree.

The one thing he lacks though is that, although he has the twists and turns and can deceive a player, he doesn't have that acceleration/injection of speed to then utilise that separation he has gained from his actions. It allows players to catch back up with him.

His injuries aren't going to help with this (think he had quite a bad ankle problem before he joined us)

 

[billyiddo]

I agree.

The one thing he lacks though is that, although he has the twists and turns and can deceive a player, he doesn't have that acceleration/injection of speed to then utilise that separation he has gained from his actions. It allows players to catch back up with him.

His injuries aren't going to help with this (think he had quite a bad ankle problem before he joined us)

He takes too long on the ball and looked surprised every time there was an opponent on him as soon as he recieved possession. That’s quite a big hurdle to overcome if you're used to having the time and space you don’t get in this league. You need game time to overcome that and I'd have thought another season at least to get to grips and adapt his game - the injury puts that back a further year