Tottenham Manager Addresses Captain's Social Media Criticism
Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has confirmed that the club has dealt internally with captain Cristian Romero's latest social media outburst directed at the club's ownership. The Argentine defender publicly criticised the squad's depth following their recent Premier League draw with Manchester City.
Frank's Measured Response to Controversial Posts
Speaking to reporters, Frank refused to directly condemn his captain's behaviour, despite this being Romero's second such public criticism in as many months. "Cuti is a very passionate player and captain who wants to leave everything on the pitch," Frank explained. "He is very ambitious and wants to win every single time. Sometimes when you are like that, you can have an outburst like this time, but we have dealt with it internally."
The manager expressed his general ambivalence toward social media platforms, stating: "Something I do know is that we all give it too much attention. It's such a small number of people who are writing things out there, and everything they write we take as truth. I think that's a challenge overall."
Romero's Specific Complaints About Squad Depth
Romero's Instagram post followed Tottenham's 1-1 draw with Manchester City, where the defender revealed he had played despite feeling unwell. "I wanted to be available to help them even though I wasn't feeling well," Romero wrote, "especially as we had only 11 players available – unbelievable but true and disgraceful."
The post received support from several teammates through likes, including:
- Pedro Porro
- Djed Spence
- Kevin Danso
- Conor Gallagher
- Pape Sarr
- James Maddison
- Dominic Solanke
This incident marks the second time in recent months that Romero has publicly questioned the club's leadership. In January, following a defeat to Bournemouth, he posted: "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. They only show up when things are going well."
Transfer Window Context and Squad Concerns
Romero's criticism comes against the backdrop of Tottenham's recent transfer activity. During the window, the club made two signings:
- Conor Gallagher from Atlético Madrid for £34.6 million
- Souza, a 19-year-old left-back from Santos for £13 million
Meanwhile, they sold Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace for £35 million. These moves have apparently contributed to Romero's concerns about squad depth and quality.
When asked whether Romero should have found alternative ways to express his dissatisfaction, Frank responded: "I have said before that there are a lot of ways of doing things. Cuti has been very important for us this season and in past seasons, and we need to be aware of that. But I wouldn't have done it."
Looking Ahead to Manchester United Clash
Despite the off-field controversy, Frank provided positive news regarding team selection for Tottenham's upcoming match against Manchester United at Old Trafford. He confirmed that defender Micky van der Ven has returned to training and will be available for selection.
The manager concluded by emphasising the internal nature of the resolution: "We're dealing with it internally – that's my main message tonight." When questioned about whether his teammates' social media engagement indicated shared concerns about ownership, Frank remained non-committal: "We don't know what a 'like' means."
