Tottenham: Teddy Sheringham hits nail on head with 'naughty' Cristian Romero remark
Tottenham Hotspur are fighting for their lives at the bottom of the Premier League standings, but you wouldn't know it judging by Cristian Romero's whereabouts.
Roberto De Zerbi's side have one more game to secure their spot in the division, with Everton making the trip to North London.
At the same time, West Ham host Leeds, with the Hammers sitting two points further back in 18th.
However, injured captain Romero will not be in attendance for what is the biggest league match in recent history for Spurs.
Though claims have been disputed by his agent, The defender is reportedly in Argentina to watch boyhood club Belgrano take on River Plate in the league finale. Former Tottenham striker Teddy Sheringham has provided his thoughts on the decision.
Teddy Sheringham chips in after Cristian Romero jets off
In De Zerbi's first match against Sunderland last month, Romero's absence for the season would be confirmed, with the Argentine taken off after a collision with goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.
Leaving the field in tears, Romero knew from that moment that his season would most likely be over, and has had to watch his teammates fight for survival since.
| Area of game | Stats |
| Games | 23 |
| Goals conceded while on pitch | 31 |
| Tackles | 58 |
| xG against while on pitch | 1.36 |
| Clean sheets per 90 | 0.19 |
Speaking on his decision to miss the final match, former striker Sheringham is quoted by Chris Cowling as saying: "The biggest game in the history of the club.
"This is going to be one nervy game and when your captain is not there that does not set a good example for everyone. That is naughty. That is loose from whoever is letting him do what he wants to do.
"How does he even go about that? Is it ok if I go back to Argentina because my boyhood club are playing in an important game... What? Don't even ask the question! No!
"I need you alongside your teammates in the dressing room to give them some support. I can't believe he's asked the question. I can't believe he's been allowed to go. That sets a precedent that does."
After taking the armband at the start of the season, Romero has remained in the headlines for a lot of the wrong reasons, with the most recent incident synonymous of his time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Romero's disciplinary record in full and why it's cost Spurs
Since he first made the move to Spurs in 2021, it feels as if Romero has been angling to leave Spurs almost every week.
On his day, he has hit some incredibly high levels, though he has let Spurs down on multiple occasions, especially with his disciplinary record.
Picking up nine yellow cards and two red cards over the course of the season, he has missed a total of six matches through suspension, which is quite frankly not good enough for an elite defender.
Alongside this, it is not even the case that his defensive performances on the pitch have made up for this, having conceded 15 times in nine league games this calendar year, while his most recent red card suspension saw him miss four matches, including the North London derby.
With eight successful dribbles, a 49 per cent long ball success rate, and 11 chances created from centre back, he is valuable in possession.
But this does not outweigh the possibility of him sending himself for an early shower.
Attitudes at Spurs have been questioned throughout the season, and this latest incident only fits in with that trend - something completely unacceptable just days before a huge game in which his teammates are the ones out there fighting for the club's future.