Romero and Fernandez were part of the Argentina side that created history in Qatar, with the proud South American footballing nation getting their hands on the World Cup after a 36-year wait.

The Tottenham man did not have the best of starts to the tournament but he stepped up to the plate during the knockout stages, playing a key role in Argentina’s win.

The 25-year-old was one of the best players on the pitch on the night of the final as he delivered a battling display, with the Albiceleste eventually winning on penalty shootouts after the game ended in a 3-3 draw.

(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Cristian Romero is Tottenham’s crazy soldier

Romero celebrated in Mbappe’s face when Lionel Messi gave Argentina the lead in extra-time, and Fernandez has now explained that the defender had done so because the PSG star was taunting his opponents.

The Chelsea midfielder told Star+ (as relayed by Sport Witness): “There were plays that we celebrated, like some divided ones, and he (Mbappe) made signs to us as if he was going to kill us. He told us that they were going to win the final.

“He got into it with me, I don’t know why. And well, I have a soldier who defends me. Cuti is crazy, ha ha ha. When we scored the goal, he started celebrating it in his face.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Romero is certainly a player you would want to have on your side, with the Argentine loving a battle. However,  he has to find a way to channel his aggression better without losing his competitive edge as he has crossed the line one too many times in a Tottenham shirt.

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Spurs fans are well aware of the kind of competitor Romero is, with the centre-back not shying away from making hard tackles even when he comes up against players he knows well, as evidenced by his tackle on his international teammate Enzo Fernadnez a couple of weeks ago, for which he got sent off.

So, it will come as no surprise to Tottenham supporters to learn that the 25-year-old does not spare any of his teammates in training either, with Udogie admitting to learning that the hard way.

(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Cristian Romero gave Udogie a painful hello

The left-back told The Athletic about Romero: “This guy, he has no mercy! I remember in one of my first training sessions I was playing inside as an inverted full-back, I controlled the ball and from my back ‘Boom!’ I said, ‘Wow’ and Ivan (Perisic) was like, ‘Yeah, welcome’.

“But Cristian’s a good guy because the way he trains is how he plays. He’s a great defender. One of the best for sure.” When asked if the defender apologised for the tackle, Udogie said with a smile: “Nah, he never said sorry. Impossible.”

The Tottenham man admitted that he was in awe of the facilities at Hotspur Way when he first set foot into the venue.

He said: “When I entered the training ground for the first time, I was like, ‘Wow’.”

The former Udinese man also named Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr, Eric Dier and Ivan Perisic, as the players who helped him settle into his new surroundings when he arrived in the summer.

He told The Athletic about the aforementioned players: “All of these players helped me a lot from the first day. They explained to me how the club works, how you have to behave and play, and areas around north London. So that made it easier for me.

“And I spoke with Sonny too. I’m a young guy, so he just said to stay focused every game, every day in training, train well. But with the whole group, the vibe is just good. I love this team.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Spurs players used to say the same thing about Erik Lamela, with many admitting that they were forced to train with chin pads due to the winger. It sounds like Lamela’s role in training has been taken over by a fellow Argentine in Romero over the past couple of years.

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The contests between Brazil and Argentina are perhaps the most intense in international football and Tuesday’s clash was no different, with the game being marred by fan violence.

The match had to be delayed for a period due to a brawl in the stands, with Brazilian police clashing with the Argentine supporters (Sky Sports).

On the pitch, the away side kept their cool and emerged with three vital points, with Nicolas Otamendi’s 63rd-minute striker proving the difference between the two sides.

(Photo by Alex Gottschalk/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

Cristian Romero was a beast in Argentina win

Romero kept Arsenal duo Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus quiet for the full 90 minutes and ensured that Lionel Scaloni’s men managed to keep a clean sheet.

TyC Sports handed the Tottenham man a score of 10 out of 10, referring to him as a ‘beast’, and praising him for his ‘personality’ and leadership on the pitch.

Emerson Royal also played all 90 minutes in what was a disappointing evening for the Selecao.

Spurs Web Opinion

The only thing that prevents Romero from being in the conversation for the best centre-backs in the world is his lack of temperament. If he learns to control his aggression better (which is a big ‘if’), he will definitely get a lot more accolades. Right now any praise of Romero seems to come with the asterisk that he can be a loose cannon, which is unfortunately true.

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Cristian Romero has enjoyed a terrific rise through the ranks for his country over the last couple of years. The 25-year-old has won the Copa America and the World Cup, and has now become a mainstay in the Argentina defensive line.

The combative centre-half has also established himself as a key figure in Ange Postecoglou‘s Tottenham side, and was even named as one of the Australian’s vice-captains for the 2023/24 campaign.

Giovani Lo Celso, meanwhile, has had a tougher time. He missed the World Cup due to a cruel injury, and despite returning to Spurs this summer, has failed to break into Postecoglou’s first team so far.

(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

A big win for Argentina, Romero and Lo Celso

The pair featured prominently in Argentina’s latest victory, a 1-0 win against Brazil in the World Cup qualifiers at the Maracana today, and Fotmob had the following stats on the Spurs teammates.

Romero played the full 90 minutes, keeping a clean sheet and bagging a rating of 7.9 out of 10. That score was bettered only by his teammates Emiliano Martinez and Nicolas Otamendi, the latter scoring the only goal of the game.

As part of that impressive display, Romero managed four clearances, more than any other player on the pitch. He also contributed two recoveries, one block, and was successful in the one tackle he had to make in the match.

Lo Celso had an impact at the other end of the pitch, providing the assist for Otamendi’s match-winning goal. The midfielder played 70 minutes, completing 66% of his passes, and successfully completing both of his long-range passes.

Emerson Royal also played the full 90 minutes for Brazil, but only managed a 6.6 out of 10 rating.

Spurs Web Opinion

Another strong performance from Romero at the back, which makes us even more gutted we can’t see him play for Spurs for another two games. Lo Celso meanwhile, continues to show what he is capable of, and must surely get a chance for Tottenham soon.

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Quansah, a product of the Liverpool academy spent last season out on loan at Bristol Rovers and is currently now a part of the first-team setup under Jurgen Klopp. He has appeared nine times for the senior team across all competitions this season. (Transfermarkt)

Cristian Romero has established himself as one of the best defenders in the Premier League since moving to Tottenham from Atalanta in 2021 initially on a loan deal. He then joined permanently last season for a reported fee of £42m and has proven to be worth every penny. (Sky Sports)

The Argentinian World Cup winner has garnered a reputation for being a reckless and aggressive player which often lands him in trouble with the referees. In 75 appearances for Tottenham across all competitions, Romero has accumulated 24 yellow cards and four red cards. (Transfermarkt)

Even when answering a series of questions for the Premier League recently, his Tottenham teammate Richarlison revealed that Romero was the toughest to face in training.

Such aggressiveness got him into trouble in the recent Premier League clash against Chelsea which Tottenham eventually lost 1-4 after the 25-year-old defender was sent off for a tackle on his international teammate Enzo Fernandez.

Manager Ange Postecoglou has praised Cristian Romero a lot this season, calling him an ‘outstanding defender’ with a ‘real winner’s mindset’. He even highlighted his star defender’s leadership qualities. (Football. London)

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 19: Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur looks on during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 19, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Chloe Knott – Danehouse/Getty Images)

Cristian Romero is an inspiration for Jarell Quansah

Quansah has been a real surprise package for Liverpool this season and is enjoying his breakthrough to the first team. He has been putting a lot of hard work behind the scenes though.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, the 20-year-old defender has revealed extensively watching videos of world-class defenders like Sergio Ramos, Leonardo Bonucci and Cristian Romero to improve his game

“I used to get high-cam footage instead of TV footage so you could see everything, how the back line moves and a little bit of everything. You just need to ask the right people.

“The way I learn is (by) watching players. These players have played 400-500 games at the top level. It would be stupid for me not to watch them. It’d be like having a resource and just throwing it away, I couldn’t live with myself if I did that.

“I love watching different countries and the way they defend. In Spain, I looked at Sergio Ramos, Bonucci in Italy and sometimes I’ll go on a mad one and watch any South American defenders. Especially Argentinian because I love the way they defend, Cristian Romero.”

Spurs Web Opinion

With regards to learning the art, Quansah does not need to look too far beyond his own teammate Virgil van Dijk. The Dutch centre-back is an encyclopaedia of defending and is the best person that the 20-year-old can learn from.

Quansah’s performance so far have defied his age and it is very clear that the extra effort he is putting behind the scenes is paying off big time for Liverpool.

The fact that Cristian Romero features in a list that has veterans like Bonucci and Ramos shows how special a player the Tottenham vice-captain is and we can be proud about having him in our ranks.

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Tottenham fans have been delighted to see Rodrigo Bentancur back in action, just eight months after suffering an ACL injury. In fact, the midfielder wasn’t even expected to be back yet, but he made a swift recovery.

He’s been back on the field for Spurs in the last few games, picking up minutes and gaining match sharpness, and now he’s on international duty with his country, Uruguay.

Bentancur had been desperate to join up with the Uruguay squad despite only just returning from injury, and Marcelo Bielsa has wasted no time in putting him into the team.

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 27: Rodgrigo Bentancur of Tottenham Hotspur applauds fans during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur at Selhurst Park on October 27, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Bentancur puts in vital challenge on Lionel Messi

In a 2-0 win over World Cup winners Argentina, the 26-year-old came off the bench after 62 minutes, to replace Maximiliano Araújo. And, in the 87th minute, Bentancur timed his tackle to perfection to prevent Lionel Messi from weaving through into the Uruguay box.

From there, his teammates built a swift attack, with a lovely through ball meeting Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez, who applied a cool finish past Emiliano Martinez to seal the win in the World Cup qualifier.

You can see the tackle, and the resulting counter-attack, here:

Rodrigo Bentancur with an important tackle on Messi last night

pic.twitter.com/ehGpzS53DK

— The Spurs Web (@thespursweb) November 17, 2023

Bentancur’s Spurs teammate, Cristian Romero, played the full 90 minutes in this game for Argentina, but leaves with nothing but a yellow card for his troubles.

Spurs Web Opinion

A great tackle from Bentancur, and not an easy one, either. We have all seen how difficult it is to stop Messi when he is on a run like that, so fair play to Lolo for that one. Even better that it leads to a goal for his side, too.

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Being the kind of competitor Romero is, he certainly does not shy away from being aggressive even when he comes up against someone he knows well.

Some Spurs fans will remember that he ploughed his elbow into Hugo Lloris’ midriff during last year’s World Cup final, which the Frenchman was not too happy about at the time. 

While the centre-back got away with that incident, he did not escape without punishment for his tackle on Fernandez after the Tottenham man caught the Chelsea midfielder on the follow-through after making a tackle in the box.

LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 06: Referee Michael Oliver shows a red card to Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on November 06, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

Romero has no bad blood with Enzo Fernandez

The referee sent Romero off after re-watching the incident on the touchline monitor, with the Blues equalising from the resultant penalty.

The away side eventually ended up winning 4-1 as Spurs were reduced to nine men in the second half after Destiny Udogie also got his marching orders.

On arriving in Argentina for the international break, the Tottenham defender told El Doce (as relayed by Football.London): “Always happy and happy to return to the national team, what I love the most and what I enjoy so much.”

When Romero was asked whether there was any bad blood between him and Fernandez, he responded: “Obviously everything is fine. They are things that happen in the game, they remain there, always.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Having played with Romero for a couple of years, I am sure Fernandez would know exactly the kind of player that the Tottenham man is. So, the 22-year-old would not have been too surprised by the nature of his challenge.

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Richarlison is currently on the sidelines after undergoing successful surgery to fix an existing injury, as the club officially confirmed. The Brazilian forward has scored just two goals and provided three assists in 11 appearances across all competitions this season for the club. (Transfermarkt)

Since joining Tottenham Hotspur in 2021 initially on loan and then on a permanent deal, Cristian Romero has garnered a reputation as somewhat of a reckless player. Recently, he was sent off in the game against Chelsea for a challenge on Enzo Fernandez. 

Journalist Alasdair Gold recently revealed his disappointment on Gold and Guest Talk Tottenham Podcast calling the Argentinian’s actions ‘immature’. He even gave the example of Romero launching into Eric Dier in training that week.

In 75 appearances for Tottenham across all competitions, Romero has accumulated 24 yellow cards and four red cards. In his overall career, he has 71 yellow cards and seven red cards in 201 appearances. (Transfermarkt)

Even Ange Postecoglou, who named Romero as one of the vice-captains ahead of this season, was full of praise for the World Cup winner in the way he had commanded the backline and shown maturity and leadership so far this season. (Football. London)

Tottenham Hotspur’s Argentinian defender #17 Cristian Romero (front) fights for the ball with Burnley’s Welsh defender #14 Connor Roberts (C) during the English Premier League football match between Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur at Turf Moor in Burnley, north-west England on September 2, 2023. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Richarlison names Romero as the ‘toughest player’

Richarlison who has been at the club since last season would have faced Cristian Romero many times in training and it is clear that he does not fancy facing the Argentinian defender.

Answering a series of questions for the Premier League, the Brazilian striker revealed that the former Atalanta ace was the toughest teammate he has ever faced in training. 

When asked: “Who is the toughest teammate to face in training?”

Richarlison replied: “Cuti Romero. Argentino”

Spurs Web Opinion

It comes as no surprise that Richarlison named Cristian Romero as the toughest teammate to face in training. He seems to embody the philosophy of ‘If you live by the sword, you die by it’.

It is Romero’s aggression and tenacity that makes him standout but it is also what gets him into trouble. The 25-year-old however solves more problems than he creates. Tottenham need to accept the fact that it might end up costing the team once in a while.

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Romero has received a lot of rave reviews for his performances this season, with the centre-back having been handed a leadership role under Ange Postecoglou.

It turns out that the Spurs star’s displays have attracted the attention of Los Blancos who are in need of reinforcements in central defence.

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 19: Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur looks on during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 19, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Chloe Knott – Danehouse/Getty Images)

Could Real Madrid move for Cristian Romero?

Fichajes explain that with Nacho and David Alaba set to leave the Santiago Bernabeu soon, the La Liga giants are looking for a ‘high calibre option’ to strengthen their backline and have set their sights on Romero.

The report says that the 25-year-old is seen as an ‘elite’ player by Madrid, owing to his ‘defensive solidity and ability to anticipate’, with the club feeling that he ‘fits perfectly into the desired profile’.

The publication adds that even though Carlo Ancelotti’s men want Romero by the start of next season, they could begin talks with Spurs over a deal during the ‘coming weeks’.

However, the outlet acknowledges that it will be a ‘difficult operation’ for Madrid as Daniel Levy is expected to demand a huge fee for the defender.

Spurs Web Opinion

A couple of things do not add up in this report, including the suggestion that Real Madrid would start negotiations over the next few weeks for a player they want to sign next summer.

With Romero contracted to Spurs until 2027, I do not think Levy will entertain any offers for the centre-back for the time being.

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It may have been over a week ago now, but the chaotic match between Spurs and Chelsea at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is still fresh in the memories of many fans.

With two red cards, five disallowed goals, multiple VAR calls, big injuries, and a 4-1 end result, the game goes down as one of the most eventful of recent years.

Unfortunately, Spurs are still reeling from the impact of that game, and sorely missed Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie at the weekend in the defeat to Wolves.

The pair were suspended for a straight red card and two yellow cards, respectively, with Romero’s being particularly contentious.

LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 06: Referee Michael Oliver shows a red card to Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on November 06, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

VAR process for Romero red card revealed

In a piece from the BBC, Premier League refereeing chief Howard Webb has shed some light on how and why VAR came to the decision to send Romero off in that game.

He said: “I know the check took some time but the VAR had to go through the process diligently and establish whether Jackson was in an offside position, and if he was, have a look at what happened just before that with Romero going in on Enzo, which is ultimately what the penalty and red card were awarded for.

“Playing the ball itself does not allow you to follow through in this way. We don’t normally see contacts like this after ball has been played for a reason, and that’s because players take care to avoid this sort of thing happening.

“This clearly endangers the safety of Enzo with excessive force. We see in full speed and slow motion that it is a red card so is a good intervention.”

Spurs Web Opinion

I do think the right decision was made regarding Romero’s red card. He may have got the ball, but he did so with very little control and endangered an opponent.

He really needs to sort this aspect of his game, because it lets him down sometimes and it’s a real shame because everything else he does is class.

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Thus it was so that I was sat on my sofa, teeth gritted and nerves jangling as Monday’s fixture kicked off.

However, to my pure elation, the form book was absolutely spot on in the first fifteen minutes.

Despite an element of fortune in the finish, the sweeping move for Dejan Kulusevski’s goal was scintillating. Moments later, Son thought he had steered the ball in to make it 2-0. Alas, correctly, the offside flag was raised and after the first of many lengthy VAR checks, play resumed.

This, in my most humble opinion, was where the damage was done.

At the time of that goal, Tottenham were in full flow and who could have begrudged them a two-nil lead? Yet the break helped settle Chelsea and calm their nerves.

If this were a boxing analogy Spurs had come flying out of the traps, scored a knockdown and then, while the opponent was stunned, landed a low blow – allowing them time to regroup.

The mentality at this point became scrambled. Instead of pausing, the boxer desperately tries to start the fight again with the momentum they had initially accrued in the opening stages.

However, the thing about momentum is that it needs to be built up. The opponent then benefited from the almost desperate attempt to regain the initiative and built a foothold. That foothold then panicked the team who had previously looked imperious and they pressed harder to reassert their dominance and in doing so started losing control.

This is exactly what happened on Monday. I think it was and is clear that Tottenham are by far the better footballing team. On Monday’s evidence – even with ten men – it wasn’t close.

The fans saw it and so did Ange Postecoglou.

(Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

The problem is that the players did not quite realise this. If they had they would have realised that they could outplay Chelsea and go on to record a relatively comfortable victory and had ninety minutes to do this.

Instead, they felt as though they needed to put Chelsea away early and go all out to land a knockout. When that blow seemed a bit elusive, it got frantic, desperate and out of control. This rashness was personified by Cristian Romero, who needlessly got himself sent off – giving away a penalty into the bargain.

Before I deep dive into this most significant of moments a little deeper, I must make several things clear about my position on this:

• Romero is an outstanding defender and has the capacity to be in the ‘World Class’ bracket.
• The decision to make him a vice-captain was a brilliant one and demonstrates excellent man-management on behalf of Ange Postecoglou.
• The challenge he made on Monday night (after his almost equally poor decision to kick out whilst prone on the floor) was infantile, hot-headed and quite frankly stupid.

What needs to be ‘cleared up’ first is that it was undoubtedly a red card. To my mind, it is not even a debate.

Online, a plethora of supporters seem to think that putting up a still of Romero’s foot low on the ball and writing ‘Please explain to me how this is a red card?’ means it’s an air-tight defence.

The truth of the matter is that he followed through hard with his studs up and endangered the safety of the opposition player. I don’t care how myopically biased and partisan you are – there is no defending this.

He was getting the ball and deliberately going in to ‘make a mark’. There is no place for that in today’s game – if ever there was.

If you still feel that he was hard done by, imagine that Thiago Silva had done that to James Maddison. You would be spitting feathers, fuming and baying for blood. Anyone still denying that – there’s no hope for you.

But let’s rewind a bit.

Arguably, Romero’s first mistake was moments before when Destiny Udogie lunged in two-footed and somehow escaped a red card, Romero should have been in his ear talking some sense to him and encouraging the team to take a breath and calm down.

I know that it’s probably not in Ange’s playbook, but he could have ‘suggested’ to someone to go down with a ‘slight tweak’ and just take a beat. He is part of the leadership team and that means to lead by example and identify when the collective need to be calmed.

Some may counter this and argue that ‘aggression is part of his game, and if you take that away from him then you lose so much of what makes him good’.

This is a fair point, indeed it’s absolutely true. Yet one can be icily calm and still aggressive. In fact, I want him to judge tackles and go in hard – but fair. I want him to challenge aggressively in the air for the ball – but without throwing an elbow.

Aggression and rage do not automatically have to go together.

The issue we have here, is that he acted like an Under-9s player – and I am not saying this to be hyperbolic. Minutes before, Thiago Silva goes into him – aggressively, but fairly. Romero thinks he deserves a free kick and doesn’t like this, then lashes out, not once but twice.

You see it with kids all the time. Something doesn’t go their way, and they are unable to control their emotions, because they believe getting retribution ‘levels the score’. However, children pretty quickly realise, in many cases because their coaches make it crystal clear, that behaving like this is actually fruitless and gains you nothing.

Indeed, if anything you end up being in a bigger mess than you started in in the first place.

The ‘joke’ here is that Romero is not a child. He is not a Year 4 kid in the playground or over the park. He is a grown man at one of the biggest clubs in the world and performing on one of the biggest stages in football, and as of a few days ago, he still has not learned this lesson.

He needs to and fast, because he cost Tottenham massively in that game.

Now I am not suggesting that the subsequent injuries, red card for Udogie and eventual defeat are all things that can be blamed solely on him. Yet his petulant actions shaped the way for the rest of the game.

So, what now? Despite my previous remarks about his immaturity, he will not learn unless he is treated like an adult and with respect. Ange knows this.

The days of being summoned to the office for a dressing down and a bollocking are in the past pretty much – and so they should be.

Ange will have a conversation and it will be frank and to the point. Romero is supposed to be a leader and he didn’t show it.

Now at this point, the conversation goes two ways. Hopefully, he throws up his hands, accepts the point, and believes it, then apologises to the coach and the players. Not in a staged social media post, but properly and from the heart.

If the conversation swings the other way, and he gets all defensive and argues the point – trying to plead innocence, then there is a longer-term issue.

Let’s get it straight – Romero until this point has been immense. A colossus at the back. Yes, he has a ‘colourful’ past at Tottenham before Ange, but I am happy to ignore this, because my opinion is that he was really poorly managed by the previous regime and not used to his strengths.

But this has to be a line-in-the-sand moment for the Argentine. For me and the majority of the fans, there is no animosity moving forward. But there cannot be a repeat.

Cuti Romero. Grow up. Front up. And go on to be the player you are destined to be.

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Heading into the big London derby on Monday, there was a lot of talk about how good Romero and Micky van de Ven had been as a partnership, with some pundits even labelling them as the best centre-back pairing across the Premier League (TEAMtalk).

In fact, Ange Postecoglou had spoken in glowing terms about the Argentine and how he had commandeered a young backline (Football. London).

However, the Tottenham vice captain served yet another reminder on Monday of his tendency to get carried away and be overly aggressive.

The 25-year-old got a straight red card for his tackle on Enzo Fernandez inside the box, with the moment completely changing the game as the Blues scored their equaliser from the resultant penalty.

LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 06: Referee Michael Oliver shows a red card to Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on November 06, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

Romero is a little over the top in training too

Gold was not pleased with Romero’s antics but the journalist was not overly surprised either.

He said on the Gold and Guest Talk Tottenham Podcast about the centre-back’s red card: “He’s just been nominated for Player of the Month, hasn’t he? It’s immaturity, that’s what it is. He’s supposed to be a leader back there.

“He does that to players in training, he does it to Spurs players all the time, they have to wear shinpads, did you see even in the training video this week he launched into one on Eric Dier.”

Spurs Web Opinion

It is a catch-22 situation with Romero as it is his aggression and borderline petulance that makes him the sort of competitor he is. However, that also means that he is occasionally going to cross the line and end up costing the team.

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Tottenham travel to Molineux tomorrow afternoon for the early kick-off in the Premier League, looking to bounce back from the 4-1 defeat against Chelsea on Monday night.

The bad news is, Spurs will go into this game without four of their key players: Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie are serving suspensions due to their red cards in the Chelsea game, while James Maddison and Micky van de Ven suffered injuries in that match.

Suffice it to say, that makes things pretty difficult for Spurs, who had been flying so far this season. All four of those players had been at the heart of that success, and will be mightily difficult to replace.

(Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Spurs players have a chance to impress

But, Ange Postecoglou insists this is now a chance for players we have not seen as much this season, to step up and show what they can do.

When asked if Giovani Lo Celso can benefit from Maddison’s absence, Postecoglou said (via Football.London): “Look, it is not just Gio, it is Bryan Gil, we’ve got to be careful with Bentancur a bit, it is for him, it’s for Skippy, for Eric Dier, for all these guys.

“That is why they have been training hard. They have been training with us, they haven’t been separate from the group.

“Everything we’ve done, we’ve done together. They’ve worked hard and for all of them, it is about being prepared for when the opportunity comes. Fair to say the opportunity comes now for a few of them.

“It’s up to them now to take that opportunity, but they’ve been preparing themselves for that since the first day.”

Spurs Web Opinion

These injuries to Maddison and van de Ven in particular are cruel and frustrating, but it’s a golden chance now to see just how strong our squad is and pinpoint the areas we definitely need to improve in January. We’ve had a great start to the season, which gives us a cushion, but these next couple of months will be tough, I suspect.

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Until Romero’s sending off on 33 minutes, Spurs had Chelsea on the ropes, with the away side struggling to cope with the Lilywhites’ intensity.

However, the centre-back gave the Blues a massive lifeline after his tackle on compatriot Enzo Fernandez was deemed worthy of a red card by Michael Oliver after the referee re-watched the incident on the touchline monitor.

Chelsea scored the equaliser from the resultant penalty and to make matters worse, Destiny Udogie got a second yellow ten minutes into the second half, thus meaning that Postecoglou’s men had to play a significant chunk of the game with nine men.

LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 6: Destiny Udogie of Tottenham Hotspur receives a red card for a second yellow during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on November 6, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images)

Cristian Romero needs a telling off at Tottenham

Neville opined that both Romero and Udogie need to own their mistakes and ensure it does not happen again rather than blaming the referee or VAR.

The pundit said on The Gary Neville Podcast: “Romero, it’s the fourth time he’s been sent off so I think Postecoglou needs to go into the dressing room and question the composure and thought process of his two players.

“I got sent off at times. And at times I thought ‘Gary you have let yourself down and your teammates down’. I would have owned that.

“I am hoping that Udogie and Romero and the rest of the Tottenham players and squad are not thinking we have been hard done to, we have been done by the referee and VAR.

“No, you’re not, you have been done tonight by your own stupidity. You were special in the first 15 minutes, your football was brilliant.”

Spurs Web Opinion

I see some Spurs fans on social media defending Romero and suggesting that the red card was harsh since he won the ball. I think that is a quite ridiculous take as it is obvious what the Argentine was trying to do there.

Fernandez was not even going for the ball and the Tottenham man could have quite easily tackled without following through in that manner. Romero evidently intended to leave one on the Chelsea midfielder with his follow-through.

Romero had kicked out at Levi Colwell just minutes prior to that and was lucky to escape unpunished. The centre-back was evidently unable to keep his emotions in check and got carried away by the occasion.

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Chelsea took all three points from their London rivals in a fiery affair which saw Tottenham reduced to nine men.

Both Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie saw red for reckless challenges, although the pair could have been sent off even sooner.

Udogie was the one who lit the fire under the match with a dangerous two-footed tackle early in the first half. Not long after, Romero lashed out while on the ground but was only deemed to have been petulant.

It didn’t take long for the Argentinian to get his marching orders though, penalised for an aggressive tackle on Enzo Fernandez in the box. Cole Palmer scored the resulting penalty, and the sides went in at halftime with the scores level.

Ten minutes into the second half, Udogie was shown his second yellow for a silky challenge on Raheem Sterling. Spurs held firm from there, and continued to push for a win, but Chelsea eventually managed to break the Lilywhites down and ended the game 4-1.

LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 06: Ange Postecoglou, Manager of Tottenham Hotspur, looks dejected following the team’s defeat during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on November 06, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Postecoglou accepts the referee’s decisions

Speaking to the BBC about the red cards, Ange Postecoglou said: “You have to accept the referee’s decision, that is how I grew up. This constant erosion of the referee’s authority is where the game is going to get – they are not going to have any authority.

“We are going to be under the control of someone with a TV screen a few miles away. The decision is the decision. In 26 years I have had plenty of bad decisions, and I have had plenty fall in my favour. It is what it is.”

Spurs Web Opinion

The players who remained on the pitch put in a valiant effort to stay in the game as long as they did. Romero and Udogie have absolutely cost us the game and should be really ashamed of themselves tonight. They can have no complaints about the decisions, either.

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Tottenham were dominating proceedings until Romero’s moment of madness just past the half-hour mark, with the centre-back catching Fernandez on his follow-through after making a tackle inside the box.

The 25-year-old had kicked out at Levi Colwill just minutes before and got away with it but he was not spared by Michael Oliver on this occasion, with the referee giving the Spurs star his marching orders after re-watching the tackle on the touchline monitor.

The Blues drew level from the resultant penalty and things got even bleaker for the home side ten minutes into the second half as Destiny Udogie was also sent off after a second yellow card offence.

LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 06: Referee Michael Oliver shows a red card to Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on November 06, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

Cristian Romero let Tottenham down last night

While Ange Postecoglou’s men gave a great account of themselves with nine men, Chelsea punished them on the counter-attack late on, eventually emerging with a 4-1 win.

Speaking about Romero’s tackle on Fernandez, Carlton Cole said on talkSPORT YouTube (8:30 pm, November 6, 2023): “That’s disgusting. No one wants to see football like that.”

Jamie O’Hara responded: “You stupid idiot! It’s a red. He’s an idiot, he’s an idiot. It sums him up. It sums him up. Now get off the pitch. Get off the pitch, idiot. You played like a child.”

Spurs Web Opinion

I strongly disagree with those who are suggesting that a red card for Romero was harsh since he got the ball. The Argentine was the clear favourite to win the ball and he could have easily made a tackle without needing to follow through in that manner.

The 25-year-old knew exactly what he was doing and wanted to leave one on Fernandez on the follow-through. In fact, Romero was quite lucky just minutes prior to that incident as he could have been sent off for kicking out at Colwill had VAR asked Oliver to re-watch that incident.

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Tottenham‘s unbeaten run came to an end tonight in the most abrupt fashion, with Chelsea securing all three points in a 4-1 win.

That scoreline suggests an easy game for the Blues, and when you consider Spurs ended up with nine men due to red cards for Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie, you’d be forgiven for thinking Chelsea had it all their way.

The truth is, Ange Postecoglou set his team up to play an incredibly high line, and the Spurs players kept pushing with such determination and desire that they managed to keep themselves in the game until the dying embers of the game.

Ultimately, that high line was exposed by Chelsea and Nicolas Jackson reaped the rewards with a fairly simple hattrick.

Despite losing the game, Spurs fans gave their players a standing ovation at the end of the match for the efforts they showed throughout. 

Tottenham Hotspur’s Greek-Australian Head Coach Ange Postecoglou applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on November 6, 2023. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

Spurs will not change the way they play

In his post-match interview with the BBC, Postecoglou was asked why his team played that way, and his answer was a very straightforward one.

He said: “It is just who we are mate, it is who we are and who we will be for as long as I am here. If we go down to five men we will have a go.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Every player who stayed on the pitch should be incredibly proud of their efforts, and it’s so impressive the way Postecoglou stuck to his guns and demanded such an approach from his team given the circumstances. I love that mentality, and it’s going to earn Ange even more plaudits.

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Tottenham’s backline, which was one of the leakiest across the Premier League last season, has been unrecognisably transformed by Ange Postecoglou.

Van de Ven has hit the ground running since his arrival from Wolfsburg and not since the days of Jan Vertonghan and Toby Aldereweireld have Spurs fans been so confident about their centre-back pairing as they are at the moment.

Romero has also really stepped up so far this season after a disappointing 2022-23 campaign, with Ange Postecoglou hailing the Argentine for the way he has commandeered the youngsters around him (Football.London).

Tottenham’s defensive record this season is even more impressive when one considers how high the backline plays and the aggression with which they look to win the ball.

(Photo by Will Palmer/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)

Ledley King is impressed by Romero and Van de Ven

King has admitted that he has been impressed with the ‘exceptional’ partnership that the Dutchman and the Argentine have forged.

The Tottenham legend told The Telegraph: “A lot of times you see defenders give up or jog back and almost think the ball is going to end up in the net. But if there is a chance, you’ve got to put yourself in a position to do something.

“As a defender, I was always told to run back as hard as possible. He’s (Romero) adapted his game this season and has a stable partner in (Micky) Van de Ven who has been exceptional. They are up there as a partnership.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Romero and Van de Ven have both hardly put a foot wrong so far this season but my one big worry is regarding how we will cope if there is an injury to either of these two. Given Romero’s fitness record, I feel quite nervous every single time I see him go down.

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Romero’s performances left a lot to be desired for much of last season, with the defender being part of an extremely leaky defensive unit.

The 25-year-old admitted during the summer that he was disappointed with the standard of his performances, and vowed to put that right this season (The Athletic).

The centre-back has certainly done that so far, having emerged as the leader of Tottenham’s new-look defensive unit, who have conceded just nine goals in their ten Premier League matches so far despite the side’s ultra-attacking approach.

People are now starting to take note of Romero’s performances, with the former Atalanta man being nominated for October’s Player of the Month award.

BURNLEY, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 02: Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after scoring the team’s second goal during the Premier League match between Burnley FC and Tottenham Hotspur at Turf Moor on September 02, 2023 in Burnley, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Cristian Romero is rising to the challenge at Spurs

Postecoglou praised the way the Tottenham vice-captain has stepped up and marshalled the young players he is playing alongside this season.

When asked about Romero’s improvement and his partnership with Micky van de Ven, the Spurs head coach told Football. London: “Cuti, I’m sure was disappointed with the way his club football went last year, but he also ended up winning the World Cup.

“Since I’ve been here I just think he’s an outstanding defender. He’s a real strong personality and he has a real winner’s mindset in everything he does.

“For us, I think there’s great growth in our front third but I think the way the defensive side of our game has come together, when you consider Vicario has just joined the club, Micky has just joined the club, Destiny has just come across in his first year and Pedro in his second year but probably first year playing in that position.

“I think the one constant and the rock in there has been Romero with the way he has taken on the responsibility of guiding the other guys around him so they look assured. I think they feel security having him beside them. I think he’s a big part of why we’ve done so well defensively.

“Again there is more to come from him. He wants to improve. He works so hard every day. You need it, he’s a winner and I can see that in him with the way he trains, the way it plays so it helps from a cultural perspective as well.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Romero is evidently a leader both on and off the pitch and it is visible from his body language that he now feels more ownership of this current Spurs side than he did last season. That is seemingly because he is now part of the leadership group and is playing for a manager he gets along with.

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Tottenham Hotspur are flying, with an unbeaten start under Ange Postecoglou helping the Lilywhites climb to the top of the Premier League table with a two-point lead over their closest rivals.

Much of that success has been down to Ange-ball and the attacking football Spurs have played, but their last three results have all been hard-fought victories over stubborn opposition. The foundation of these wins has been in a solid defence.

Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are at the heart of that, and the pair have formed an impressive partnership at the back for Spurs.

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 19: Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur looks on during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 19, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Chloe Knott – Danehouse/Getty Images)

Romero is one of the best in Europe

According to WhoScored, Romero has been the best centre-half in all of Europe’s top five leagues in October, pulling in an average score of 7.58 over the month.

He is partnered in the Team of the Month by Brentford’s Ethan Pinnock, who scored slightly less at 7.53 on average.

Team of the Month in Europe's top 5 leagues pic.twitter.com/4bzEaUA4ye

— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) November 1, 2023

Romero helped Spurs keep two clean sheets from three games in October, and could have made it a full house had Jordan Ayew’s controversial goal not been given in the win over Crystal Palace.

What is most impressive regarding Romero’s recent displays, helping him achieve such a high score, is his composure and coolness at the back, something he was lacking last season.

Spurs Web Opinion

Cristian Romero is going from strength to strength this season, and you can tell he is thriving on that responsibility of being vice-captain, and also from having someone like Micky van de Ven next to him who is clearly looking to him for guidance at times.

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