Is it time for Tottenham Hotspur to move on from Cristian Romero?

By Jay Harris

Manchester – When Cristian Romero trudged off the Old Trafford pitch in the 29th minute on Saturday, the armband felt heavier than ever. A wild swipe at Casemiro’s ankle had earned Tottenham’s captain a sixth red card since his arrival in north London in August 2021 – the most of any Premier League player in that span – and left head coach Thomas Frank to re-organise with ten men in a contest that ended a 2-0 defeat to Manchester United.

The dismissal was the third suspension already this campaign for the 27-year-old Argentine, who had earlier missed the Fulham loss through accumulation and was sent off in stoppage time against Liverpool for kicking Ibrahima Konate. Premier League data analysts add that he could easily have walked in both meetings with Brentford for fouls on Igor Thiago.

Romero’s latest indiscretion rules him out of four upcoming fixtures, including the north London derby against Arsenal on 22 February, at a moment when Spurs are winless in the league since December and sit only six points above the relegation zone.

Nobody disputes the defender’s talent. His sweeping passes launched countless attacks last season on the way to Europa League success, and he twice rescued points this term with stoppage-time goals against Newcastle and Burnley. Yet the margins between hero and villain have never been thinner. Attempting a back-heel turn under pressure from Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha on Saturday, Romero created the very danger he then tried to extinguish, a sequence Frank’s staff view as emblematic of their captain’s high-wire approach.

Privately, senior figures question whether the club should have entrusted the armband to a player whose emotional thermostat is so unreliable. Teammates admire his commitment but wince at the frequency with which he abandons positional shape to atone for mistakes, a habit that undermined Spurs’ promising start at Old Trafford where Pape Matar Sarr and Xavi Simons found pockets of space and Dominic Solanke dragged Harry Maguire out of position.

Supporters remain split. Chants of “Romero is right, the board is s***e” echoed around the away end, reflecting admiration for his outspoken stance towards club leadership. Yet the numbers are stark: six dismissals in three-and-a-half seasons, 15 competitive matches spent suspended, and a defensive unit now so depleted that Destiny Udogie pulled up with a hamstring issue on Saturday, leaving Micky van de Ven – himself only recently recovered from a groin complaint – as the solitary fit first-choice defender.

Frank, appointed last summer after Ange Postecoglou’s departure, inherited a leadership vacuum when club-record scorer Son Heung-min joined Los Angeles FC. With few obvious candidates, the Dane handed the armband to Romero and sanctioned a new long-term deal to fend off Atlético Madrid. The manager has since spent successive press conferences defending the centre-back’s conduct, culminating in Friday’s surprisingly candid admission that he “had no idea” whether Romero would still be at the club next season – a remark that contrasts with his previous determination to retain key players during six successful years at Brentford.

Insiders say the squad still respects Romero’s willingness to apologise in the dressing-room, but patience is wearing thin. Archie Gray, 19, offered a study in composure while marking Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, highlighting what Tottenham could gain from cooler heads. Frank refuses to strip the captaincy mid-season, yet the club’s recruitment staff have been asked to reassess defensive targets ahead of the summer window. A sale, possibly recouping a sizeable portion of the £42 million fee paid to Atalanta in 2022, would allow reinvestment in a more reliable organiser.

Until then, Tottenham must navigate a mounting injury list and a fixture calendar that offers little respite. Tuesday’s visit of Newcastle already looked daunting; without their suspended captain, and potentially without Udogie, the pressure intensifies on a side that has suffered ten league defeats and not tasted victory since a 2-1 success at Coventry in the FA Cup on 11 January.

Romero will sit out matches against Newcastle, Arsenal, an as-yet unspecified opponent, and the subsequent trip to Liverpool on 16 March. By then, Spurs hope Van de Ven will still be upright, Udogie will have returned, and the club will have a clearer picture of whether their combustible captain remains part of long-term plans.

For the moment, the uncomfortable truth lingers: the same fire that propels Cristian Romero to World Cup and Copa América glory is threatening to burn Tottenham’s season to the ground.