Stephen Kelly has accused Cristian Romero of ‘giving up’ during Tottenham Hotspur’s humiliating 6-1 defeat to Newcastle United on Sunday at St James Park.
That Antonio Conte post-match press conference is still ringing in the ears of supporters, so their collapse at Newcastle isn’t going to be forgotten about any time soon, that’s for sure.
Cristian Romero was part of the Tottenham team that went 5-0 down after 20 minutes and former Spurs man Kelly felt that the World Cup winner played a part in the team ‘losing its shape’.
Cristian Stellini, who has since been sacked by the club, decided to play a 4-3-3 system, which is a change-up from the back five that has been deployed during the past 18 months.
The performance was there for all to see, with many players coming under fire, no more so than Tottenham’s £165k-a-week defender (Spotrac), which was touched upon by Stephen Kelly, as he told Sky Sports News (24/04/23).
“You see Romero, and I am such a fan of Romero,” said Kelly. “I think he lives on the edge. He goes in for a tackle sometimes and I am turning my eyes away.
“But against Newcastle, he was disillusioned over the whole thing. He kind of gave up. Making crazy runs out of defence and doing things that lost the shape of the back four.”
WHAT NEXT FOR SPURS?
Well, when you put in a performance like that, the first thing you want to do is get back on the pitch.
That’s what Tottenham will do, in front of their own supporters, when they welcome fourth-placed Manchester United to north London.
Fans are expecting a reaction, don’t be surprised if it’s a thunderous start, and a few bookings, Romero likes the referee’s notebook, because it’s what is needed to try and get the fans back on side.
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