Tottenham Hotspur officially have a new captain. With Son Heung-min departing to Hollywood, Spurs needed somebody to step up and steer the ship in his stead, and there was only one option for Thomas Frank: Cristian Romero.
Have you ever seen as intimidating a smile as in the last frame of that announcement video?
Thomas Frank talked in recent days about the role, indicating he felt that the captain should be someone who set standards, trained hard, and brought the different groups in the squad together; all traits Sonny displayed in spades. They are also qualities Frank seemingly feels, perhaps unsurprisingly, Cuti embodies, with Frank embellishing on his choice of leader via the official website:
In all seriousness though, Cuti is the obvious choice. Part of Ange Postecoglou’s leadership group and arguably the most elite player in the squad (as well as a World Cup winner), Romero is a player who demands respect and leaves it all on the pitch. He’s also one of the best defenders in the league, someone who will never take a backward step, and probably key to Spurs’ attack as well with his passing ability, since Johan Lange apparently doesn’t believe in midfielders who can pass. It’s also a pretty impressive redemption arc after Romero flirted with a transfer away in the summer, something that will now be out of the question.
Thomas Frank also indicated he will be naming a wider leadership group after the closure of the transfer window to give him time to assess the options within the squad. Frank has mentioned the qualities of Ben Davies on a handful of occasions through preseason, and Guglielmo Vicario and Rodrigo Bentancur have also worn the armband on occasion. It’ll be interesting to see which direction Frank goes.
Congratulations, Cuti. You were the best man for the job; now for your chance to lead us to glory!