Thomas Frank has spoken about Xavi Simons’ lack of confidence and explained why the Tottenham star was taken off midway through the second half despite coming on as a substitute in the first period.

Some pundits are already writing off Xavi as a flop in the Premier League, and what happened on Saturday is only likely to add fuel to the fire.

The Dutchman came on for Lucas Bergvall in the seventh minute after the Swede failed a concussion test, and he was ineffective once again.

The 22-year-old was withdrawn on 72 minutes for Wilson Odobert as Tottenham went in search of an equaliser, and his body language suggested that he is struggling for confidence at the moment.

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Frank acknowledged that Tottenham’s summer signing is short of confidence at the moment in light of his recent struggles, but claimed that was not the reason for taking him off.

The Spurs head coach pointed out that the Netherlands international had played all 90 minutes against Newcastle in midweek and was fatigued as a result.

When asked if he was worried about Xavi’s confidence, Frank said (via Tottenham’s official website): “No, I think it’s part of it. There’s a reason why we didn’t start him,...