I thought it was illegal to make line breaking passes in a Thomas Frank side?
Xavi Simons made five passes breaking the opposition's defensive line v Manchester City; no player has made more in a Premier League match this season. (Opta)
Feb 1, 2026 23:40I have to go back and rewatch this, but I'd guess the through balls Xavi played were during transitional moments.
What I'm still not seeing are through balls when the opposition are in a settled low block. No runners, no off the shoulder runs. Instead we opt to go sideways and backwards.
That's something Frank needs to fix for sure. Perhaps he never will. In-possession 'ideas’ never been his forte. But I hope he does figure something out. If not, we move on presumably.
