Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-0 defeat away at Manchester United has now made it seven Premier League matches without a win for under-pressure manager Thomas Frank.
The Dane has failed to taste victory in England’s top-flight since the 28th of December, with the Lilywhites sliding perilously close to the relegation places.
Goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes were enough to secure all three points for the Red Devils, with Frank’s men now just six points clear of the drop zone.
Such a result will no doubt bring more criticism in the direction of Frank, who simply hasn’t hit the heights many expected after his summer arrival from Brentford.
However, the actions of one player has no doubt made his job in North London harder, with one first team member ultimately struggling to lead by example.
Cristian Romero’s afternoon to forget at Old Trafford
After Frank’s appointment in the summer, the new boss decided to make centre-back Cristian Romero his captain, with Heung-min Son departing North London after a decade-long stint.
The Argentine has since been a regular starter for the Lilywhites this campaign – well, that’s when he’s not been serving a suspension for his reckless acts on the field.
He was sent off in the 2-1 defeat against Liverpool back in December, subsequently receiving a second yellow after kicking out following a challenge made by Ibrahima Konate.
However, during the defeat at Old Trafford, the 27-year-old was handed his second red card of the season, after a late challenge on United midfielder, Casemiro.
As a result, Frank’s men had to play over an hour with ten men, which no doubt contributed to the club’s latest defeat in the Premier League this campaign.
Romero will now miss the next four league matches for the Lilywhites, with Frank now having to shuffle his pack for outings against Newcastle, Fulham, Arsenal and Crystal Palace.
The Spurs star who’s become more unreliable than Romero
Romero has now accumulated six red cards since his move to join Spurs back in the summer of 2021, a tally that is by far and away the highest in the senior ranks.
His hot-headed nature often tends to be his greatest downfall, with his rash challenges in crucial matches now coming back to bite Frank and his teammates.
The Lilywhites have a lengthy injury list as it is, with the centre-back’s suspension only increasing the strain placed on the first team squad in North London.
His dismissal now means six senior defensive options remain unavailable, but that could increase further, depending on the seriousness of Destiny Udogie’s latest injury.
The Italian full-back was handed a starting role at Old Trafford this afternoon, but was replaced after 55 minutes after appearing to pick up yet another hamstring injury.
Such a game was only the 23-year-old’s fifth game back from his previous injury setback, but it appears as though he could be set for another stint on the sidelines.
He’s only managed to start eight Premier League games in 2025/26 to date, amassing just 797 minutes played, subsequently highlighting his injury record.
Udogie only joined Spurs back in the summer of 2023, but has already suffered eight separate injuries in such a period, subsequently missing a total of 38 matches.
|
Destiny Udogie’s injury record at Spurs |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Injury |
Days out |
Games missed |
|
Muscle |
13 |
1 |
|
Knee |
16 |
1 |
|
Hamstring |
108 |
12 |
|
Hamstring |
2 |
0 |
|
Hamstring |
44 |
11 |
|
Knee |
42 |
3 |
|
Knee |
14 |
4 |
|
Hamstring |
31 |
6 |
His latest issue could see such a number soar in the week ahead, with he and Romero ultimately being too unreliable for any side looking to achieve domestic and European success.
Before his withdrawal through injury at Old Trafford, the Italian only managed to win one tackle, whilst also committing a foul, subsequently struggling to meet the demands of Frank’s side.
As a result of his brief showing in Manchester, the full-back was handed a measly 6/10 match rating by Football London journalist Alasdair Gold, who also referenced his injury issues.
The setback could give new addition Souza the chance to stake his claim for a regular starting role and take advantage of Udogie’s constant injury issues.
However, the bigger picture is looking increasingly bleak for the youngster, with his fitness constantly plaguing his progress after a promising start to life in North London.
Romero may be a hot-headed and rash player, but the Italian’s injuries make him just as unreliable, with both players ultimately potentially costing Frank his job with their various issues.
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