Garth Crooks has lauded Tottenham ace Cristian Romero, picking the Spurs star in his BBC Sport Team of the Week column – after his display during Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Anfield. Spurs held on to a point against the Reds.
Tottenham produced a superb defensive display to secure a point and were unlucky not to win all three – Son Heung-min’s opener cancelled out by a deflected effort from Luis Diaz, agonisingly wrong-footing Hugo Lloris.
Romero formed part of a back three alongside Eric Dier and Ben Davies – the latter winning man of the match. The combination worked perfectly, albeit for Diaz’s goal – which Rodrigo Bentancur flicked into his own net.
The summer signing from Atalanta was his usual self, strong in the tackle, fearless in the air and throwing himself in the way of Liverpool attacks. Ex-Spurs man Crooks was full of praise – and left Jordan Henderson “reeling”.
The England midfielder was in possession on the byline and was on the receiving end of a Romero tackle – a full-blooded one that saw him get the ball and then man. No foul given, and Crooks was delighted with it.
“The tackle was almost as brutal as the look of contempt. Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson felt the weight of Cristian Romero’s boot as the Spurs defender left the Liverpool captain reeling on the touchline,” Crooks wrote.
“The referee ignored any overtures for a foul. Eightly so. The tackle was brilliant. It set the tone for a proper game of football. Not this namby-pamby interpretation of what modernists think the game should be.”
Crooks on Romero: Tottenham star the face of new Spurs era
Fabio Paratici’s transfers at Tottenham have been hit and miss. Romero, along with Dejan Kulusevski and Bentancur have improved Spurs. Bryan Gil, Pierluigi Gollini, Emerson Royal and more are yet to come good.
But at just 24, Romero – who celebrated his birthday last month – is showing he is the face of the new Spurs era. The club have ridded themselves of the stagnant Mauricio Pochettino era, and Romero is a shining light of that.
If Spurs can match his ambition, he will be the heart of that defence for years to come. Jamie O’Hara thinks Spurs are three or four years away from a title and they might have to achieve that, to keep Romero.
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