Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero has been making headlines this week, but for all the wrong reasons.
The Argentina centre-back’s captaincy was called into question following Spurs’ defeat at Old Trafford at Manchester United on Saturday afternoon. Speaking after last weekend’s draw with Manchester City, he criticized the “disgraceful” board for allowing Thomas Frank’s side to be so depleted.
While this is not about Frank, it is the latest in a long line of disappointments, with many of the Spurs persuasion feeling the Danish manager’s position has become untenable.
Latest information on Thomas Frank’s Spurs future
ENIC Group and the Lewis family were forced to reconsider Frank’s position in Tottenham’s dugout during the January transfer window, months after sacking manager Ange Postecoglou and ushering in a new era.
In many ways, Frank will feel under-delivered, but his no-nonsense tactics and general lack of creativity and inspiration have soured the mood of the fanbase, and in fact, many feel he’s already on borrowed time.
It goes without saying that if Tottenham are forced to make a change, their course of action will need to be fruitful. Let’s be honest, fans are tired of the inconsistency and incompetence.
According to TEAMtalk, influential players have shown interest in USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino, who has already said yes to the idea of making a sensational comeback in N17.
If Tottenham are serious about reappointing Pochettino to rectify their woes, they are unlikely to sign him before the end of the upcoming World Cup.
In any case, the interest in Argentines is understandable. If Frank is sacked, John Heitinga is the frontrunner to manage Tottenham until the summer.
There are other options on the market, but Poch is probably worth waiting for.
Why Pocci was able to bring back Spurs and Romero
Ange Ball briefly captured the awe of Tottenham’s fan base, but it’s hard to argue that Pochettino has instilled the club’s most appealing style and identity over the years. The 53-year-old’s tenure will be fondly remembered, even if he didn’t secure silverware.
Not only did he lead the Lilywhites to the Champions League final and maintain a top-four finish in the Premier League for four seasons, finishing second in 2016-17 with 86 points, he did so with a beautifully consistent system, with Dele Alli once marveling at the manager’s “amazing” tactical knowledge.
With this in mind, Pock could be the guy to reignite this current Spurs team. Not only does he know the club well, he brings a balanced identity that will keep fans coming back.
He could be the man to bring back Romero, who is ostensibly looking to leave but wants to stay with Pochettino instead of Franck.
Despite his shortcomings, Romero remains one of the most talented centre-backs in the world. In fact, if you compare his stats to those of his partner Micky van de Ven, you can see just how much he’s delivering.
Van de Ven vs Romero – Premier League 25/26 | ||
|---|---|---|
Match statistics (* per 90) | van de ven | Romero |
Match (start) | 23(23) | 21(20) |
Goal + Assist | 4+1 | 4+1 |
clean sheet | 6 | 4 |
touch* | 64.1 | 62.6 |
Exact path* | 47.3 (89%) | 42.7 (87%) |
Opportunities created* | 0.2 | 0.5 |
collect* | 3.5 | 3.8 |
Tackle + Interception* | 2.1 | 3.8 |
clearance* | 4.0 | 4.1 |
Ground duel* | 2.0 (61%) | 3.4 (61%) |
Aerial duel* | 1.3 (42%) | 3.0 (71%) |
error that occurred | 2x | 3 times |
red card | 0 | 2 |
Data via Sofascore | ||
Pochettino knows a thing or two about building strong and dynamic backlines. After all, Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld are two of the greatest Spurs defenders of the modern era. They were the bedrock of the team as they reached the Champions League final and were essential as Spurs challenged for the bottom of the table. Perhaps the same thing could happen here? Van de Ven and Romero are both good enough players to recreate that partnership.
From a technical standpoint, Romero probably ranks at the top of all these names. For some reason, he has been linked with a move to Madrid, and the 2022 World Cup champion could finally be back to his best form under Pochettino.
Of course, there is a small hiccup in his future, with recent reports suggesting he is dissatisfied amid strong interest from Spanish suitors, ahead of the recent defeat against Manchester United.
However, the Argentine star is contracted to the north London side until 2029 and the Ruiz family have no intention of accepting the old offer and changing their game suddenly.
Deserves more than Romero: Frank has already won gold with Spurs’ ‘monster’
Tottenham have struggled under manager Thomas Frank, but there is no doubt that the man is a superstar.
