Maybe Cristian Romero has finally grown up. Or maybe Thomas Frank is banking on Romero’s appointment as Tottenham captain to complete the process.
Either way, the signs are promising and maybe this will prove the masterstroke that stops the Argentina centre half yearning for a move to Spanish football and convince him to commit his future to North London.
We will see about that but in Udine, during an agonising defeat on penalties in the UEFA Super Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain, he led in typical style. He scored one and had a big hand in the other and from his pivotal position in the centre of the back three came very close to leading the team to silverware in Frank’s first competitive fixture.
Romero’s quality as a player has seldom been in doubt since he arrived from Atalanta, initially on loan in 2021. He is a brilliant competitor with all the attributes required to play central defence in the modern Premier League.
Strong, brave and aggressive. He likes the ‘conflict of the game’, to borrow a phrase once used by Jose Mourinho to describe Eric Dier. He is quick enough to play with space around him and sees opportunities to step out of the back line into midfield, which was a quality which suited Ange Postecoglou’s front-footed style.
He has not, however, always stood out as obvious captaincy material.
Cristian Romero led from the front despite Tottenham’s defeat by PSG in the UEFA Super Cup
Romero scored one and had a big hand in Spurs’ other goal, while he was a rock at the back
Under Antonio Conte, a younger Romero was reckless in the extreme. Almost to the point of becoming a liability. There were 24 yellow cards and three reds during his first two seasons in Spurs colours.
He never seemed far from suspension and did not make the best impression at the club when he went against their wishes to play for Argentina soon after the Covid lockdowns, making him unavailable again as he and others had to serve a quarantine period in Croatia on their return.
Romero’s discipline improved considerably under Postecoglou, who promoted him to the leadership group in the dressing room and made him a vice-captain to Heung-min Son.
He has collected 12 yellows in the last two seasons and one red, which came back in November 2023 in a 4-1 defeat at home against Chelsea, when the brilliant start to the Ange Ball era ground to a shuddering halt.
The captaincy places a responsibility upon him to behave. He clearly recognises that. As the head coach, you need your captain to stay on the pitch, but you do not want Romero to lose the fire that makes him such a fierce competitor.
Under Postecoglou he learned to control the temper. Even at times when his passion drove him to the edge, he was usually able to read the warning signs and retreat.
There were a couple of flashpoints against PSG when he managed to compose himself before heading off in search of retribution.
Discipline has improved but injuries disrupted his last season, and he could not resist a thinly veiled post on social media, thanking Argentina’s medical team for helping him back to full fitness, while saying nothing about Tottenham’s medics.
Romero has not always stood out as captaincy material so Thomas Frank’s shout is intriguing
The Argentine has sometimes been reckless and he has also clashed with the club at times
This friction between club and country has been another constant thread in his Spurs career.
After a home defeat against Arsenal after the international break in September, Romero retweeted a post on X by an Argentine journalist claiming Spurs were the only club not to fly their players back by private jet.
It created the feeling he had little regard for the way the club ran, which was fuelled his desire to leave. There was genuine interest from Atletico Madrid and the idea of playing for Diego Simeone appealed to him.
But they have not come close to Tottenham’s valuation and the decision on the captaincy has confirmed Romero as Frank’s leader on the pitch, inheriting the role from Heung-min Son, a difficult act to follow.
Son has been an impeccable ambassador and face-of-the-club, ever willing to step up to perform commercial or media duties.
Romero has done very little media for Spurs in four years, and his first speaking in English came ahead of the Super Cup, a brief chat on camera with the club website to say how honoured he was to have the role.
He is not especially vocal. In contrast to his aggressive character on the pitch he is quiet and good natured off it. As a captain, he will be one of those who prefer to lead by their actions not their words.
Yet, in Udine, he called his team into a huddle near the Tottenham fans before kick-off, a tradition started by Son. And he was the forefront, cajoling players during the penalty shootout, stepping out of the line to console Micky van de Ven and Mathys Tel when they failed to score.
Romero continues to be linked with a move away and Tottenham must prove that they are becoming a serious team as well as compete financially if they are to get him to sign a new deal
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There are signs he is consciously trying to develop leadership qualities and Frank, with his inclusive style and much-admired communication skills, can be good for Romero in this next stage of development. Just as Postecoglou proved to be.
Tottenham will be keen to open talks on a new contract.
Romero, 27, has two years remaining on his current deal, which serves up the prospect he will be sold next summer if he is not prepared sign an extension. To lose him next summer would be to see three captains leave in three years, after Hugo Lloris and Son.
To tempt him into staying, Spurs must prove they are becoming a serious team as well as compete financially.