De Zerbi Already Repeating Frank and Tudor Mistake at Tottenham With £50m Star

Alasdair Gold has admitted he is “bewildered” by Xavi Simons’ lack of game time at Tottenham Hotspur and has urged Roberto De Zerbi not to repeat the mistakes of his predecessors this season.

The Dutch midfielder, who joined Spurs from RB Leipzig last summer for £50 million, was left out of the starting lineup for a fourth consecutive Premier League match. So far this campaign, the 22-year-old has started 17 top-flight games and made nine additional appearances off the bench, contributing one goal and four assists.

Gold Urges De Zerbi to Start Simons
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Gold called on De Zerbi to include Simons in his first XI, describing the Dutchman as Spurs’ “only fit playmaker that can create chances” in a team struggling to score.

“I just feel like in that setup—a 4-2-3-1 that can shift into a 4-3-3—it’s crying out for a really creative player who can play clever little through balls. That’s Xavi Simons. Of course, it’s Xavi Simons.

“It seems so obvious, but for some reason—like Frank, like Tudor—De Zerbi must have watched training over the past week and thought, ‘No, not for me.’

“Even though on Friday he called him a big talent in his pre-match press conference, I just can’t get my head around it. Spurs need goals. Xavi is their only fit playmaker who can create chances. He’s created more chances than anyone else at the club this season.

“With Maddison and Kulusevski out, he’s your go-to man—not someone you bring on in the 85th minute. He has to be on the pitch.”

Simons last started for Spurs in their 3-2 Champions League win over Atlético Madrid last month, when he scored twice for his first brace at the club. Last season at Leipzig, he recorded 19 goal involvements in 33 appearances across all competitions, including 10 goals and seven assists in the Bundesliga.

Gold ‘Bewildered’ by Simons’ Absence
Gold also highlighted Simons and Mathys Tel as rare players whose confidence appears unaffected despite Tottenham’s slide toward a potential relegation battle.

“The Xavi situation just bewilders me. As I said, they need to be proactive rather than reactive. He’s one of the few players—along with Tel—who will take the game to the opposition.

“I don’t feel that confidence hits them as hard. They’ve got a lot of self-belief. Yes, they’ll make mistakes, but I don’t think they let it affect them.

“Of course, three head coaches in a row not seeming to trust him does reflect on Xavi too. But in a season where so little has worked, maybe breaking away from that norm is the way to go.”

Still winless in their last 14 Premier League games, Tottenham host De Zerbi’s former club Brighton on Saturday in another crucial match for their survival hopes.

The north London side sit two points adrift of safety after relegation rivals West Ham and Nottingham Forest both picked up points over the weekend.