Thomas Frank saw his Tottenham Hotspur side well beat by Arsenal.placeholder image
Thomas Frank saw his Tottenham Hotspur side well beat by Arsenal. | Getty Images
Thomas Frank will be without captain Cristian Romero when Spurs host Fulham next weekend.
Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank will be licking his wounds following a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of North London rivals Arsenal on Sunday evening, in what was a whimpering performance from his side.
The Gunners completely outclassed their opposition in a one-sided affair, led by a hat-trick from summer signing Eberechi Eze. During the second half, Frank had salt rubbed into the wounds of defeat by one Tottenham Hotspur player.
In a moment that may have gone unnoticed by many, centre-back Cristian Romero was shown a yellow card in the 70th minute. The 27-year-old hadn’t even committed a foul but was booked for dissent, which made the foolish moment even more frustrating.
Cristian Romero suspended for Fulham clash
That booking was Romero’s fifth yellow card of the Premier League season, meaning he will miss out on the match against Fulham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It’s not uncommon for defenders to rack up five yellow cards before the 19th outing of the campaign and Frank will likely have accepted that he would be without Romero - who loves a crunching tackle - for one match.
It’s the nature of the booking in such a big game which warrants wrath from Frank. Romero is the side’s captain and should be leading by example, not losing his head and picking up a suspension that could have been avoided altogether.
Ironically, prior to the season, Frank praised Romero’s ‘behaviour’ on the pitch when naming him captain. He said: “He was very honoured and very happy about it. It’s a big thing and should be to lead this wonderful club out on the pitch, not just for this Super Cup, but also throughout the season.
"I think he has all the right qualities. He leads from his behaviour on the pitch, driving the team forward in every way, and outside the pitch he’s always pushing the team.”
Thomas Frank must stamp authority at Tottenham Hotspur
Of course, one yellow card won’t change the reputation that Romero has spent seasons earning as a professional but it is an opportunity for Frank to show his authority. Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville reacted to the booking on commentary and provided an idea that Frank could perhaps use.
He said on Sky Sports: “Just think about that Romero suspension for dissent. We had many fines at Manchester United when I played, but if we got booked for dissent we got fined 10 per cent of our wages. He wouldn’t accept that.
“You might not think that of Sir Alex Ferguson, he was encouraging people to have a go at referees, but he actually didn’t like it.”
In other news, 'I Don't Understand': Tottenham legend Les Ferdinand slams referee decision for Arsenal goal.
Continue Reading