Image source: football365.com
Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has defended captain Cristian Romero after the defender criticized the club’s board in a social media post following Spurs’ 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth, with Frank describing the Argentine as a “young leader” who sometimes makes mistakes but remains committed to the team’s cause.
Frank Backs Romero Despite Captain’s Social Media Criticism of Tottenham Board
Romero took to Instagram after Thursday’s defeat to attack Tottenham’s senior figures, suggesting they only speak “when things are going well, to tell a few lies” in a post that was later edited. The Argentine defender wrote that “at times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don’t – as has been happening for several years now” before adding his criticism about the board’s public statements.
Frank addressed the controversy during Friday’s press conference ahead of Tottenham’s FA Cup match against Aston Villa on Saturday, attempting to downplay the drama between his captain and the club. The manager praised Romero’s overall leadership since becoming captain while acknowledging the need to keep such matters internal, revealing that he and sporting director Johan Lange held discussions with the player on Friday morning.
“I think after Cuti became the captain he’s done a lot of good things right,” Frank said. “I’m actually very happy with his performance last night, I think he was a true captain in many ways throughout the game. But also when you’re a young leader sometimes you make a mistake, of course it’s good to keep it internally.”
The incident comes as pressure mounts on Frank with Tottenham stuck in 15th position and enduring the fourth worst form of any Premier League team. Despite suggestions another poor result could cost him his job, Frank insisted his focus remains on performances rather than results, claiming his team deserved more points from their recent fixtures and should have taken eight, nine or 10 points from their last five matches instead of five.
Frank emphasized his willingness to accept responsibility for the team’s struggles while maintaining that recent performances against Liverpool, Crystal Palace, Brentford, Sunderland and Bournemouth have been “good competitive, consistent” despite the disappointing results. The manager used a storm metaphor to describe the current situation, stating that “some are building fences and hiding behind it, others are building windmills and getting stronger and getting more energy and learning from it.”
