Thomas Frank is standing by his captain, but here’s what he should really be doing about Cristian Romero, writes Oliver Holt

Thomas Frank spent much of his post-match press conference at Old Trafford dedicating himself to the thankless and pointless task of trying to defend skipper Cristian Romero after he was sent off for the second time in ten matches.

Frank refused to entertain the idea of stripping Romero of the Spurs captaincy after he was dismissed by referee Michael Oliver in the 28th minute of Spurs’ 2-0 defeat to Manchester United for a reckless, studs-up challenge on Casemiro that was an obvious straight red.

It meant that much of the aftermath of the loss, which leaves Spurs lingering uncomfortably on the edge of the relegation battle, was taken up with mathematical calculations about just how much of a liability the Argentine defender has become to his team.

The dismissal means that Romero will now miss Spurs’ next four games, including the North London derby, and it is far from inconceivable that, by the time he returns in mid-March, his team will have been sucked much deeper into trouble. West Ham’s win at Burnley means Spurs are only six points clear of the bottom three.

Romero’s sending off means he will have missed nearly a quarter of Spurs’ league games this season by the time he returns. It also means that since 2021, no Premier League player has earned more red cards than his six.

The statistics set up an awkward exchange at the end of Frank’s press conference when the length of Romero’s impending absence was mentioned. ‘That doesn’t help much, does it,’ Frank was asked. Frank fixed his questioner with a rictus grin. ‘No,’ he said, and got up to leave.

Thomas Frank defended his decision to appoint and keep Romero as captain after the game

He is banned for four games at a critical stage where Tottenham risk being dragged further towards the bottom three 

The red card made Romero look ridiculous. It could barely have made him look like less of a leader. Frank said Romero had apologised to his teammates after the game, but the damage had already been done by then. Frank’s job is now under severe pressure.

‘There is not any regret in making him captain,’ Frank insisted, ‘and also he is sorry for the incident. He apologised to his teammates in the dressing room. He is one of the most important players. We haven’t spoken specifically about this – he apologised to the players in there, that is enough for me for now.

‘If you look at how many red cards he had, it is not like that he had that many, when you play with passion and aggression.’

It is getting to the point where many Spurs supporters who have lionised Romero for his tough-tackling, unyielding, chest-thumping stance are now beginning to wonder whether he is more trouble than he is worth and that the club should offload him at the end of the season.

What makes the so-called skipper look even more absurd is that he has set himself up as a leader of the resistance in recent weeks, a terrace hero not afraid to stand up to the board and point out its shortcomings, particularly in recruitment.

It was only last week that Romero took to social media to label the board and its recruitment policy ‘disgraceful’ because injuries had left the squad threadbare. He made a self-glorifying point of saying he had played through illness to try to help the team.

That looks like a desperately hollow boast now. Spurs may indeed have a threadbare squad and it just got one defender lighter for the next month. The directors may indeed deserve some criticism but they are entitled to look at Romero’s behaviour and shake their heads.

Spurs have still not won a league game in 2026 and they are now saddled with a non-playing captain, who seems more intent on slagging them off in public than actually turning out for his team. His actions against United let his team down and let his manager down.

Romero was also sent off against Liverpool in December, and no Premier League player has more red cards than his six since he arrived at Spurs in 2021

The problems may not be over yet. Romero has amassed so many bookings that he only needs another two on his eventual return to earn another two-match ban. Given Romero’s recent track record, you wouldn’t bet against it.

Romero can now repent at his leisure. He may also care to reflect that Spurs are heading south while other teams near the bottom of the table are showing signs of recovery. In those circumstances, the last thing Frank needs is a skipper who prefers grandstanding to playing as his chosen leader.