Cristian Romero was sent off again for Tottenham Hotspur in Monday’s crazy 4-1 defeat to Premier League rivals Chelsea with Simon Jordan criticising the Argentine’s penchant for self-destruction.
As talkSPORT pointed out at the end of a night of pure, unfiltered Barclays action, the World Cup winner is now averaging a red card fewer than every 20 games as a Tottenham Hotspur player.
Cristian Romero found himself drawing an early bath following a reckless lunge late in the first half, Spurs’ unbeaten start to the Ange Postecoglou era imploding at home to bitter rivals Chelsea. In fact, the former Atalanta ace was lucky to stay on the pitch as long as he did. VAR opting not to get involved after Romero channelled David Beckham in ‘98 with a petulant kick out at Thiago Silva earlier in the half.
Romero is one of the most talented, most natural centre-halves in Europe. But, like a sports car with a faulty engine, an unreliable, self-destructive streak continues to undermine all of his best attributes, Tottenham’s hari-kari colossus now set to miss three games following yet another suspension.
Cristian Romero sent off as Tottenham lose to Chelsea
“I think he is a really good player,” Jordan, the one-time Crystal Palace chairman, tells talkSPORT (7 November, 10am). “But his character lends himself to these situations. If you get sent off four times (in your Spurs career), you are a problem for the team.
“There was a couple of times last year (under Antonio Conte) where he was a disgrace, because he didn’t seem interested. But he’s a top, top defender.”
On a night in which everything which could have gone wrong usually did for Postecoglou and co, Micky van de ven followed Romero down the tunnel after the Dutchman’s hamstring went twang. The Premier League’s finest centre-half partnership collapsing like a Jenga tower in an earthquake.
Spurs’ unbeaten start over
Postecoglou can, however, take plenty of positives out the way Tottenham remained diligent and resilient even without both Romero and Van de Ven, and after going down to nine men following Destiny Udogie’s dismissal.
Eric Dier and Emerson Royal, who may suddenly find themselves thrust back into the first-team picture, were solid and strong after rising from the bench, Spurs nearly nicking the most unexpected of points before a late Chelsea flurry.
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