Cristian Romero is currently serving a suspension.
Tottenham Hotspur saw Igor Tudor take over the reins on an interim basis until the end of the ongoing 2025/26 campaign following Thomas Frank’s dismissal at N17.
And the incoming Croat head coach has been urged to take up a bold decision to make an early statement for his new employers. The former Juventus manager has been asked to remove Argentine World Cup winner Cristian Romero from his status as club captain.
The former Atalanta centre-back has been serving a four-match suspension after his reckless foul on Casemiro in the Lilywhites’ defeat to Manchester United earlier this month. That was his second red card of the ongoing campaign, and that extended suspension will see him being ruled out of the weekend’s North London derby against Arsenal.
Tudor asked to strip Romero off captaincy
Speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, former Premier League manager Sam Allardyce did not hold back on his assessment of the Lilywhites skipper. He went on to raise fingers at Romero and his disciplinary record while claiming that the Argentine has failed to cover for his flaws that have been exposed time and again in his game in the English top tier.
The former West Ham manager went further by insisting that Tudor should strip Romero of that skipper armband altogether.
If we take a look at his disciplinary records, Romero has already taken eight yellow cards and two red cards in 21 league appearances this season. And that record in itself shall intensify scrutiny around his credentials as a skipper for Tottenham.
Allardyce insists that a captain must set the tone for discipline on the pitch and should be reliable along the campaign, especially when his team is battling inconsistency. He goes on to argue that repeated spells on the sidelines with suspension will damage not only the results (which we are seeing quite clearly at N17) but also the authority of the man in charge.
He said (via. No Tippy Tappy Football podcast):
“He’s a typical player that doesn’t learn. There’s so much talent but he has got so many flaws and he’s not eradicating the flaws.
“So, one, you should strip him of the captaincy. And two, you say, ‘I want you to stay on your feet, I don’t want you to go to the ground and tackle anymore so stop it. I’m telling you now so do it and if you don’t do it, I might as well take you out of the side because you’re harming the results.’
“He’s giving the manager a bad reputation for not being able to control him. So, Thomas Frank should have nailed him, which I thought he would but he didn’t.”
Big decision looming for Igor Tudor?
Tudor starts his season with a bit of a baptism of fire, with his first game being against Arsenal. But the Croat will not have it any easier off the pitch as well, as he now faces an early dilemma with regard to leadership.
With Tottenham just hovering around that relegation zone right now, it is important that the roster have a sense of accountability in this survival mission for Tudor.
But everything is ifs and buts while Romero continues to look at the proceedings on the pitch from the stands. And when he returns, it will no longer be about his place in the eleven but also about whether he leads this side out that tunnel every week for the remainder of the season.
