After Cristian Romero again ran the risk of picking up a red card with a reckless challenge in the game against Newcastle at the weekend, both Dejan Kulusevski and Ben Davies have given the Spurs defender their backing.
Since joining Spurs back in 2021, Cristian Romero has been a key figure in the heart of the Lilywhites defence, and has established himself as one of the best centre-halves in world football.
The Argentinian’s aggressive approach to defending is a big part of his game, but has also been his downfall – and Tottenham’s – too many times, with disciplinary issues coming to the fore. As it stands, Romero has four red cards during his time with Spurs (Transfermarkt).
Nevertheless, Romero was named one of Ange Postecoglou‘s vice-captains this summer, and the extra responsibility did seem to have had a calming effect on the 25-year-old.
That is, until he was sent off for a dangerous challenge in the game against Chelsea last month, which ultimately led to Tottenham losing the game. Romero was then suspended for the next three games, with Spurs failing to win in that period.
Tottenham players trust Cristian Romero
Now, having been back for just two games, Romero could well have seen red again on Sunday afternoon after a controversial challenge on Newcastle’s Callum Wilson. He was given a yellow card for the tackle, but a red would see him miss another four games through suspension.
However, Dejan Kulusevski has told the Evening Standard that he trusts Romero to know his limits. He said: “He gives us so much, he’s an unbelievable player and he always plays on that [line]. The only one that knows how long he can go is him.
“We’ve got to trust him, I trust him. He’s my brother so whatever he does we support him. He’s a very important player for the team. He’s a World Cup winner, he’s a champion. A big player, a great defender but very calm with the ball, always looking for the right pass.”
Kulusevski is under no illusion how important it is for Romero to stay on the pitch, though, adding: “We already dealt with that [Romero’s suspension] and we also have Micky [van de Ven] out, so it’s very important that we stay disciplined.”
Spurs man Ben Davies also commented on his defensive partner, saying, “He’s an aggressive defender and he’s going to go for the ball. He can’t have got it that wrong, it wasn’t a red card and VAR will check it. It might not have been the best tackle but that’s football.
“He’s always on the front foot. That’s a big part of his game, and when we’re on the ball we feel like we’re always going to break the line and pass out. I think we complimented each other well.”
Spurs Web Opinion
I love Cristian Romero, and what he gives to the team far outweighs those negatives. But, if he gets sent off again this season, I think a lot of fans will start to lose their patience with him. He knows how important he is, and he has to be more careful.