“POST DELETED”- Cristian Romero slams Tottenham in deleted post after losing Nld derby to Arsenal
Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero has expressed his frustration following the club’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in the North London Derby, attributing his tiredness to poor logistical arrangements by the club’s leadership after his international break.
The narrow loss, decided by a second-half header from Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhaes, came as a blow to Spurs, particularly given the fact that they had more than twice the number of shots as their rivals. Despite Tottenham’s attacking efforts, Arsenal’s defense held firm, allowing the Gunners to secure all three points at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Romero, along with the rest of the Spurs’ defense, was unable to prevent Gabriel’s decisive goal. The Argentine defender took partial responsibility for Arsenal’s breakthrough but hinted that Tottenham’s management may have contributed to his lackluster performance. Before later deleting the post, Romero shared a message from Argentine journalist Gaston Edul, who criticized Spurs for failing to provide adequate logistical support for their international players.
Edul’s post on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) suggested that Tottenham’s leadership mishandled the return of their players from international duty. He wrote, “Tottenham lost to Arsenal again. They couldn’t compete until the end because they missed important details. They were the only Premier League club that made their international players return independently, without proper logistics, as decided by the club’s leadership. They gave away the advantage because their players arrived with less rest. Cuti Romero played while tired.”
Romero and his teammate, goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, faced criticism for their roles in Gabriel’s winning header, which occurred in the 64th minute. During Sky Sports’ coverage of the match, former Manchester United defender Gary Neville was quick to point out the defensive flaws that led to the goal. “The goalkeeper is rooted,” Neville remarked. “Gabriel heads it in from three yards out, completely unmarked, and Romero, the center-back, is supposed to be marking him. It’s really poor from the Argentinian, but I’d expect my goalkeeper to come for it as well. He’s blocked, and then he’s stuck in place.”
This wasn’t the first instance where Vicario struggled with set pieces since his arrival at Spurs. Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp also weighed in on the goalkeeper’s weaknesses, particularly when defending set plays. Speaking on Sky Sports, Redknapp added, “Teams are targeting Vicario’s vulnerability on set pieces. Opposition players know this and crowd around him during corners. Tottenham are going man-to-man in these situations, but they become overly focused on their individual markers, and it’s a bit selfish. Sure, Romero is aggressive and good at challenging opponents, but in these moments, he needs to be better.”
Both the goalkeeper and Romero have faced scrutiny, and the match against Arsenal has highlighted ongoing concerns about Tottenham’s defensive frailties. As the team seeks to bounce back, questions remain about how the club manages the physical and mental readiness of its international players, especially after crucial international breaks leading into high-stakes matches like the North London Derby.
