Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte reveals the reason for shouting at central defender Cristian Romero
Speaking in a press conference ahead of the Premier League game against West Ham United today, as quoted by football.london, Antonio Conte has urged Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero to avoid making silly mistakes in the game.
Since joining Tottenham in August 2021, Cristian Romero has largely impressed and has eventually earned the trust of new manager Antonio Conte. Even though he was out for a significant period of time due to injury, the 23-year-old slotted into the XI right after his return.
Despite the impressive showings in recent times, Conte believes the Argentinian defender still needs to improve, adding that the 23-year-old’s silly mistakes can get him agitated at times.
“I think he has a bit to improve in this situation, to be focused in every moment of the game. Sometimes he takes a yellow card that he can avoid.”
“I think that he has to improve in his aspect, to be focused from the start until the end. Sometimes you can’t explain this to him in a good manner. Sometimes you have to shout! (Laughs).”
After Conte arrived at the club, he has favoured a three-man backline consisting of Cristian Romero, Eric Dier and Ben Davies. The Italian has also used Davinson Sánchez and Japhet Tanganga at times, but they have failed to showcase consistency over a long period of time.
But while there is arguably a lack of quality centre-backs at N17, Romero is one that seems almost irreplaceable. Scouted from the Serie A, a league well known to Conte and director Fabio Paratici, it is clear that the ex-Atalanta man is settling in well to the Italian’s new system at Spurs.
And with a lack of world-class quality around him in defence, Conte would expect more from regular starters like Romero. The Argentinian is a bit aggressive and has the tendency to lose focus as the game goes on, something Conte mentioned above himself.
But at the end of the day, Romero is still just 23. He has a long way to go before he hits his prime but from what fans have seen at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, he looks like a player who can be a regular for us in the near future.
Conte’s comments can look harsh to some fans, but this type of constructive criticism would certainly help the players assess their performances and come back stronger. The ex-Chelsea manager isn’t one to sugarcoat his words and perhaps, that may be a good thing for some players.
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Having lost Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen in the past two summers, fans would hope that Romero can be a long-term replacement to at least one of them in the heart of our defence for years to come.
