Wayne Rooney backs Cristian Romero after Tottenham controversy vs Manchester United
Cristian Romero was sent off as Tottenham fell to defeat against Manchester United on Saturday.
Romero was in the headlines at Tottenham after criticising the hierarchy in North London for the lack of players available to Thomas Frank.
The media frenzy surrounding the Argentine only grew bigger when Romero was shown a red card against Man United for a follow-through challenge on Casemiro.
Romero will now miss four games for Tottenham, with few fans defending the captain after his sixth sending off in five years in N17.
Despite a general fury surrounding Romero, Wayne Rooney has sprung to the centre-back’s defence on his podcast.
Wayne Rooney defends Cristian Romero after red card
Stuart Pearce was unsure about Romero’s red card as the ex-England international appreciated the challenge at Old Trafford.
He wants to see defenders flying into these sorts of tackles, although there is a general feeling that the Spurs skipper went a step too far.
The Argentine’s studs certainly landed flush on Casemiro’s ankle, and as soon as referee Michael Oliver made his decision, it was never going to be overturned.
That has sparked a hugely negative reaction towards the defender on social media, although he may now feel hard done by.
That comes after Rooney spoke out on his podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show, to defend Romero and suggest the decision was somewhat soft.
He said: “I thought it was a bit harsh, the red card. I can see why it’s been given, but I think he’s gone with a side foot. I think it’s a little bit harsh, but I can see why it’s been given.
“I was like him as well, sometimes you lose your head and I think he’s done that throughout his time at Tottenham. He clearly speaks his mind, but you’ve got to back that up with performances, and I don’t think he’s done that.“
Romero to miss four games for Tottenham
Regardless of what Rooney thinks, the red card is never going to be rescinded and will see the defender be ruled out for four games.
Frank is already under massive pressure in North London and will now be forced to go without his captain once again.
It isn’t like fixtures are getting any easier for the Lilywhites, with some massively difficult fixtures coming up in the Premier League.
Tottenham’s next four fixtures:
- 10 February – Newcastle United (H)
- 22 February – Arsenal (H)
- 1 March – Fulham (A)
- 5 March – Crystal Palace (H)
There is no guarantee that Spurs even get one set of three points out of these games based on their current form, so not having Romero certainly won’t help matters.
That being said, the Argentine hardly covered himself in glory against Man United before his red card, with his performance being nothing to write home about.
As showcased by Sofascore, his 29 minutes on the pitch only resulted in a 50 per cent duel success rate, with his two fouls eventually resulting in a red card.
His only other defensive action was a single block, but his limited involvement won’t be a surprise after he featured for so little time.
Romero only got on the ball with 19 touches and his side arguably performed better once he left the pitch, so it will be interesting to see how Spurs get on without him.