Romero’s Suspension Impacts Spurs Amidst Recent Struggles

omidbasir- Cristian Romero received a red card in the first half of the match against Manchester United, leading to a significant downturn for the north London side. His reckless challenge on Casemiro warranted a straight red card, resulting in a suspension for the next four Premier League matches against Newcastle, Arsenal, Fulham, and Crystal Palace, following his earlier red card this season.

The dismissal was pivotal to the game’s outcome, and in an attempt to defend his captain post-match, Head Coach Frank was involved in an uncomfortable exchange with a journalist. He remarked, “If you consider the number of red cards he has received, it is not excessively high for his career. You play with passion and aggression, and there exists a fine line in that regard.”

However, it is noteworthy that Romero holds the record for the most red cards among any Tottenham player in the Premier League. When this was pointed out by a journalist, Frank admitted, “At the club? Yes, but not in the Premier League… Among Premier League players? I was unaware of that.”

Romero has also been in the spotlight recently, criticizing the Spurs board as a “disgrace” following the conclusion of the January transfer window. In light of his red card, journalists inquired whether Frank would still select Romero as captain. Frank responded, “No, there’s not. He did apologize to his teammates in the locker room. He is one of our most vital players, and when he performs at his best, he drives the team forward. I believe it is fair to say that he did not intend to receive a red card after just 28 minutes.”

When asked about potential changes to Romero’s captaincy, he confirmed, “No.”

Regarding the incident, Frank maintained a balanced perspective: “We started the first 30 minutes well, delivering a strong away performance against a confident Manchester United team. The red card undoubtedly altered the game’s momentum. I am overall proud of our players, especially regarding the last 60 plus minutes, including injury time, as they exhibited resilience, fought hard, and created several opportunities to score. After we made three positive substitutions with 15-20 minutes remaining, they scored immediately. The red card is what it is. I have reviewed it several times. Cuti clearly aimed for the ball, but it moved, leading to the red card.”

Currently, Spurs find themselves in 14th place in the Premier League, having not won any of their last five matches. They are six points clear of the 18th-placed West Ham and will face Newcastle on Tuesday, followed by a crucial north London derby against Arsenal that may significantly affect both ends of the table. Frank is in urgent need of securing three points soon.

In Romero’s absence, the team will likely rely on Radu Dragusin or Joao Palhinha for their upcoming matches. However, they have encountered additional setbacks, as Destiny Udogie has sustained what appears to be a hamstring injury. Frank commented on Udogie, stating, “We will assess him tomorrow. I will probably see you all in about two days, at which point we will have more information. We will evaluate him tomorrow.”