Thomas Frank told to reconsider Cristian Romero’s Tottenham captaincy

Cristian Romero must urgently get his behaviour under control, or Thomas Frank may soon have little choice but to take a difficult decision about the defender’s role for the greater good of Tottenham Hotspur.

Whenever Romero’s name comes up in a critical context, familiar arguments are quickly rolled out in his defence. His status as a World Cup winner is often cited when questions are raised about his performances, as though past success on the international stage should automatically shield him from scrutiny at club level. When the discussion turns to his lack of discipline, others insist those issues are exaggerated, or even claim his reckless side belongs to the past and has been unfairly magnified by a hostile media narrative.

But there comes a point where sentiment and reputation must be set aside. Romero should be assessed in exactly the same way as any other Tottenham player — on current form, reliability, and conduct — not on medals won elsewhere or emotional attachment. On that basis, uncomfortable questions have to be asked.

Romero falling short of his usual standards

Tottenham need their captain to be among the most consistent and dependable performers on the pitch. This season, Romero has fallen well short of that expectation. The Argentine has produced a string of uneven displays and has been culpable for several costly mistakes over recent months.

Those issues came sharply into focus during last Sunday’s 2–1 defeat to Liverpool, where Romero was at fault on two key occasions. Some sections of the press went as far as labelling him a “liability” — a description that may be overly severe — but it underlines a growing concern. The real issue is not one bad afternoon, but how frequently Romero now seems to have an off day in matches where Tottenham need leadership and calm.

Discipline remains the bigger concern

Even more troubling than his form, however, is Romero’s continued lack of discipline. The 27-year-old appeared to have learned from earlier criticism during his first seasons in north London, briefly suggesting he had tempered his aggressive instincts. This campaign, though, he has looked anything but controlled.

His red card against Liverpool means he is already serving his second Premier League suspension of the season. Alarmingly, he is also edging closer to another ban, needing just three yellow cards in his next 15 appearances to be sidelined again. That raises a fundamental question: what value does a captain offer if he is frequently unavailable due to avoidable suspensions?

Many of Romero’s bookings feel entirely self-inflicted. He dives into unnecessary challenges, commits obvious fouls, and too often lets his emotions boil over. Several of his yellow cards have come not from defending, but from arguing with officials — the most pointless form of indiscipline, and one that sets a poor example to teammates.

Silence when accountability is needed

What further frustrates matters is Romero’s tendency to disappear when criticism is warranted. After Liverpool, there was no public acknowledgement or apology from the Tottenham captain. In contrast, Xavi Simons openly held his hands up for his own red card in the same match. Romero’s pattern is familiar: silence when things go wrong, followed by media appearances after a strong performance.

For a captain, accountability is not optional. Leadership is as much about facing difficult moments as it is about celebrating good ones.

A complicated captaincy dilemma for Frank

Thomas Frank must now seriously consider whether Romero is the right figure to act as a role model for a young and evolving Tottenham squad. If the defender cannot rein in his temper and show greater composure, changing the captain may become a necessary step to protect the team’s collective progress.

That said, replacing Romero would not be straightforward. The alternatives within the leadership group are far from ideal. James Maddison is currently sidelined through injury. Guglielmo Vicario, despite his talent, has yet to demonstrate strong leadership traits. Ben Davies rarely features in the starting XI, limiting his influence. Micky van de Ven is another option, but the 24-year-old has had moments of his own emotional instability when wearing the armband this season.

Romero still has the ability and presence to be a strong captain for Tottenham, but only if he takes responsibility and makes immediate changes to his behaviour. For now, Frank may be forced to weigh up whether loyalty to his current skipper is harming the team — even if finding a suitable replacement is an equally daunting task.