Tottenham Hotspur spent a hefty 60 million euros on Xavi Simons this past summer transfer window, but he was so good for RB Leipzig - and even PSV before - that many Spurs fans rightfully saw the deal as a bargain, especially in comparison to the older and more expensive Eberechi Eze. Unfortunately, outside of a period of a few weeks, Simons has yet to show the same quality in the Premier League that he did in the Bundesliga.
There is no question that Simons is a talented footballer, but his form has fallen so low again that Spurs manager Igor Tudor did not even have him listed in the starting lineup for the must win matchup against Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
Althuogh Spurs did not, in fact, win against the Eagles this time, that had less to do with Tudor snubbing Simons and more to do with supposed spot captain Micky van de Ven somehow going even roguer with a game costing red card close to the half time break.
Xavi Simons did not start for Tottenham vs. Crystal Palace
The most biting thing about Tudor leaving Simons on the bench is that you will scarcely find a Spurs fan faulting the manager for his decision. Months ago, Spurs fans were up in arms about Thomas Frank leaving Simons out of the starting lineup in important games, but now, Spurs fans have worn thin of defending Simons.
Yes, at times he has flashes, and he is a great athlete. But his technical quality and creativity have been lacking in the tougher Premier League, and he thinks he has more time than he does. He looks a lot better in the Champions League than in the English top flight, and that has been telling.
Spurs are usually better off with a creative midfielder, but, in this case, Simons was not missed against Palace. He actually came off the bench and was decent in this one, showing more fight than he did vs. Fulham, but the quality of his passing and overall performance were still pretty lacking.
Tudor's decision to leave Simons out of the starting lineup of such an important game was a brutal one for the Dutch star, but perhaps more brutal than that is the fact that no Spurs fan can sit there and honestly say he was missed.
The reality is sinking in that the talented, promising, and high priced Simons is as much of a problem for Spurs as any other disappointing player.