Tottenham Hotspur’s Xavi Simons being handed a starting role by the Netherlands against Lithuania should be questioned.
That’s [according to Anco Jansen via FC Update](https://www.fcupdate.nl/voetbalnieuws/2025/11/basisplaats-simons-verrast-anco-jansen-vraag-me-af-waar-hij-dat-aan-verdiend-heeft). He believes the Tottenham man didn’t deserve to start the game.
Simons hadn’t started a game for the Netherlands since September. He played in the 1-1 draw with Poland, getting 80 minutes as a right winger. After that he spent 90 minutes on the bench against Lithuania, made a brief substitute appearance against Malta and then again against Finland.
In this international break, the Tottenham man was an unused substitute against Poland. He was then handed a starting role as the number ten for the clash with Lithuania. He proved worthy of that place, making it 4-0 with a superb strike.
Jansen, though, has questioned why the Tottenham midfielder was handed a starting role. As far as he’s concerned, Simons didn’t deserve it
_“I was already surprised that Simons played,”_ he said on ESPN’s Voetbalpraat.
_“I also wonder what he did to deserve that. In my opinion: he didn’t deserve it in the Dutch national team, and he didn’t deserve it at Tottenham either._
_“So, I found that quite striking, and then also ‘number ten’. We’ve often seen him in other positions in the Dutch national team. I thought he had a very weak first half; I thought he was quite a dissonant player, along with Memphis Depay._
_“But that goal he scored was magnificent. That’s where you saw the quality.”_
Tottenham player struggling work well with Gakpo
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The big issue for the Netherlands, like with Tottenham, is where Simons plays. Ronald Koeman is yet to find an undisputed role for him.
He’s played the Tottenham man all across the three positions behind the striker, much like Thomas Frank has done. That means there’s a clash, with Liverpool star Cody Gakpo a regular on the left-hand side for his country.
Karim El Ahmadi feels that’s a problem, as the Liverpool man simply gets in the way for Simons.
_“I think he’s even better when he has the freedom to move to the left,”_ he added.
_“Now Cody Gakpo is always there, so he can’t go there often. I think that’s the biggest problem when Gakpo plays and Simons is in that position. Because I think: Simons is good when he has a free role. Now he was in one position and couldn’t get through in tight spaces.”_