Robbie Earle has praised Ange Posecoglou for the impact he has had on Crisitan Romero and admitted that the Argentine looks a much more mature player this season.
After an impressive debut season in the Premier League following his switch in the summer of 2021, Romero’s form fell off a cliff last season, with the defender particularly struggling in the second half of the campaign after returning from the World Cup.
However, the 25-year-old has demonstrated so far this season just why he is so highly thought of by many at Spurs as well as back in Argentina, emerging as a real leader of this new-look, young, Tottenham backline.
Romero delivered a battling display on Saturday to help the Lilywhites emerge with a 1-0 win over Kenilworth Road, showing plenty of aggression while not crossing the line like he was previously prone to.
WhoScored named the Tottenham man in their Team of the Week, giving him a rating of 8.56, which is one of the highest across the Premier League in Matchweek eight.
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 30: Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur reacts following the team’s victory during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 30, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Is Cristian Romero taking his game to a new level?
Earl said on The 2 Robbies podcast on the back of Spurs’ win over Luton: “What I’ve seen under Ange, Rob, is a more tempered, controlled Romero. There’s still been a bit of fire in there once or twice.
“I’ve seen a Romero who can pick a pass out from the right side with van de Ven, hit a nice, long diagonal, step into midfield if he has to and start an overload.
“I’ve seen a Romero who’s happy to go one-on-one and defend when they squeeze in and the full-backs go on. We’ve seen a Romero who scores the goal at Brentford, has a concussion, and wants to stay on.
“His manager drags him off disappointed and wants to play. I’ve seen a guy who looks to me, at 25 years of age, as though he’s enjoying the maturity and the responsibility of being in a young team, next to a young centre-back.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Ange has managed to get the best out of Romero while also getting him to control his aggression, which is something Antonio Conte quite evidently struggled to do. That is yet another case of the Australian demonstrating his outstanding man-management skills.
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