{"id":1404882,"date":"2025-10-20T10:34:45","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T09:34:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?post_type=features&#038;p=1404882"},"modified":"2025-10-20T10:34:45","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T09:34:45","slug":"tactical-analysis-cristian-romero-tottenham","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-cristian-romero-tottenham\/","title":{"rendered":"Tottenham analysis: Romero absence exposes Spurs\u2019 fragility in latest home setback"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/outright-markets\/tottenham-outright-odds-25-26\/\">Tottenham\u2019s<\/a> dire home form continued on Sunday afternoon.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite taking an early lead, Spurs threw away another victory in front of their fans. They\u2019ve now won just three of their last 18 league games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. One of those came against an awful Southampton side. Another against promoted Burnley. It\u2019s a far cry from their unbeaten final season at White Hart Lane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><h2>In this article, we&#8217;ll cover:<\/h2><ul><li><a href=\"#h-romero-s-importance-in-build-up\" data-level=\"3\">Romero&#8217;s importance in build up<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-reading-of-the-game-key\" data-level=\"3\">Reading of the game key<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>A 2-1 loss to Aston Villa saw Spurs miss a golden chance to go second. The defeat further served to highlight two key aspects of this current Spurs side. Firstly, the absolute disaster that is the Joao Palhinha-Rodrigo Bentancur midfield partnership. The duo are too defensive minded to start home games. Xavi Simons struggled with the pair at the base of the 4-2-3-1 setup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Palhinha didn\u2019t make a pass to the Dutchman on Sunday. Bentancur made just two. For context, the former made eight passes to Bentancur and Kevin Danso. The latter passed to the Austrian 18 times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Secondly, the loss magnified the importance of Cristian Romero to Thomas Frank\u2019s side. Frank was unfortunate to lose his captain during the warm up ahead of the Villa welcome. \u201cHe had a minor issue with his adductor. I expect it to be a minor thing,\u201d the Dane said after the defeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-romero-s-importance-in-build-up\">Romero&#8217;s importance in build up<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Not only is the Argentine a world class defender, but he\u2019s vital to Spurs in their build up play. Frank\u2019s side are a team that rely on line-breaking passes through the middle to help transition quickly. The issue is that none of the midfielders are able to play these passes. It\u2019s where Romero comes to the fore. He\u2019s essentially acting as a quarter-back for Spurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Excluding goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, only Pedro Porro (27) has completed more long balls than Romero (18) of all Spurs players in the Premier League this season. The Spaniard (167) is the only one to have attempted more forward passes (133).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/10\/20102619\/TottenhamForwardPasses20102025-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1404892\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/10\/20102619\/TottenhamForwardPasses20102025-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/10\/20102619\/TottenhamForwardPasses20102025-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/10\/20102619\/TottenhamForwardPasses20102025-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/10\/20102619\/TottenhamForwardPasses20102025-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/10\/20102619\/TottenhamForwardPasses20102025-214x267.jpg 214w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/10\/20102619\/TottenhamForwardPasses20102025-160x200.jpg 160w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/10\/20102619\/TottenhamForwardPasses20102025-48x60.jpg 48w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/10\/20102619\/TottenhamForwardPasses20102025-120x150.jpg 120w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/10\/20102619\/TottenhamForwardPasses20102025-32x40.jpg 32w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/10\/20102619\/TottenhamForwardPasses20102025.jpg 1620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Frank&#8217;s Spurs rank seventh for possession (55.3%) in the Premier League this season. They don\u2019t dominate in the way Liverpool or Manchester City, meaning they need to get the ball upfield at the earliest possible opportunity. However, Spurs lacked the incisiveness without Romero against Villa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nominally he would have bypassed the duo of Bentancur and Palhinha as he sought to turn defence into attack. Romero\u2019s absence, though, significantly hurt Spurs in the final third. Simons, making his first home start in the number 10 role, cast an isolated figure in attack. It\u2019s little wonder he struggled to make a positive impact up until his 79th minute withdrawal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Romero\u2019s deputy Danso doesn\u2019t boast the same ability to get the ball forward, and this was evident. None of his passes went to Simons, while 21 went to Porro as the former Lens man looked to the right-back to set the team on the frontfoot. It was so easy to read for Villa, who were able to rapidly regroup when Spurs won the ball at the back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-reading-of-the-game-key\">Reading of the game key<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Furthermore, Spurs missed Romero\u2019s forward thinking defensive approach. The Argentina international excels at stepping forward from the back. The centre-back ranks top for interceptions (11) of Spurs players. This means Romero is able to step out from defence to cut out attacks and quickly transition. By comparison, Danso has made two interceptions, though both came on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is not a dig at Danso by any stretch. Yet, it\u2019s evident that Spurs are a weaker team without Romero in the side. This has been clear for years now, but more so under a more pragmatic manager. Spurs just do not have a player to play the line breaking passes when their captain is absent. Indeed, it was a similar story in the 2-2 draw with Bodoe\/Glimt last month, a game Romero also missed.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"article-page__title\">Dabble sign-up offer: <b data-stringify-type=\"bold\">Bet \u00a310+ &amp; Receive \u00a310 In Free Bets<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<p><strong>Not signed up to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/dabble-sign-up-offer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dabble<\/a> yet? Here's how to claim the <b data-stringify-type=\"bold\">Bet \u00a310+ &amp; Receive \u00a310 In Free Bets<\/b> welcome offer:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n<li>Sign up to Dabble through this <a href=\"\/en\/go\/dabble?q=gb-all-con-wof-s-spo\">link<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li>Register your account with accurate personal details<\/li>\r\n<li>Place your first bet of \u00a310 or more<\/li>\r\n<li>Receive your \u00a310 in free bets when your qualifying bet has setted<\/li>\r\n<li>Use your Free Bet on any eligible sportsbook market within 7 days<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p><a href=\"\/en\/go\/dabble?q=gb-all-con-wof-s-spo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1423518 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-300x250.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-300x250.png 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-320x267.png 320w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-240x200.png 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-72x60.png 72w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-150x125.png 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-40x33.png 40w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822.png 712w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<p>#AD 18+ 7-day free bet expiry. Stake not returned. Promotional Terms Apply.\u00a0<a class=\"c-link\" href=\"http:\/\/gambleaware.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"http:\/\/GambleAware.org\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">GambleAware.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And with question marks over his availability for the Champions League meeting with Monaco in midweek, Spurs will hope the issue that saw him sit out the Villa loss is nothing serious. Frank has a huge few weeks ahead of him following Wednesday\u2019s tie with the French side. They play Everton at the weekend, Newcastle next week and welcome Chelsea and Manchester United before the November international break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Spurs fans were already aware of Romero\u2019s talent, and his decision to sign a new deal was huge. There is an argument to be made he\u2019s the best centre-back in the Premier League. His importance to this Spurs side was further highlighted by his absence in yet another home defeat. They\u2019ll need him back as soon as possible to quickly bounce back from Sunday\u2019s blip.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3><strong>Read more:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/\"><strong>Latest football news<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Football betting tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Best betting sites<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/best-free-bet-offers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Best free bet offers<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/accumulator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Football accumulator tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tottenham\u2019s dire home form continued on Sunday afternoon. Despite taking an early lead, Spurs threw away another victory in front of their fans. They\u2019ve now won just three of their last 18 league games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. One of those came against an awful Southampton side. Another against promoted Burnley. It\u2019s a far&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3564,"featured_media":1404887,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Tottenham's home struggles continued with a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa, highlighting their reliance on Cristian Romero and exposing key midfield issues.","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"features-category":[],"squawka-category":[],"class_list":["post-1404882","features","type-features","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Tottenham analysis: Romero absence exposes Spurs\u2019 fragility in latest home setback | Squawka | EN<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Tottenham&#039;s home struggles continued with a 2-1 loss to 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Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur during the Tottenham Hotspur vs Wolverhampton Wanderers Premier League match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London. 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Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur during the Tottenham Hotspur vs Wolverhampton Wanderers Premier League match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London. 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