Tottenham Hotspur lost to PSG in the UEFA Super Cup – and Spurs legend Glenn Hoddle has it out for one player in particular.
Tottenham, all in all, will be disappointed with the result against the Parisians. Despite banking some money in Super Cup winnings, there is little to shout about result-wise.
Alas, the performance was still excellent for the majority. Thomas Frank was lauded by fans for his tactics, which just fell short as PSG fought back in the dying embers, then defeated Spurs on penalties.
Tottenham’s players did well, but the two goals were avoidable, and Glenn Hoddle in particular had it out for Cristian Romero for Lee Kang-In’s strike.
Glenn Hoddle slams Cristian Romero
New Tottenham captain Romero could have done a little better for PSG’s first goal, which got them back into the game. Speaking to TNT Sports post-match, Hoddle pointed out his “poor” header.
“Romero’s header there… poor,” Hoddle begins. “He’s knocked it right into the middle of the goal, straight back into the danger area.
“That ball needed to go back out towards where the cross came from. It’s a great finish in the end – the first touch from Lee was excellent – but as the ball’s whipped in, Romero has tried something difficult and it’s gone exactly where it shouldn’t. If he sends it back where the cross came from, the danger’s gone.”
Hoddle then went on to explain that a tactic Romero learned under Ange Postecoglou made a reappearance and caused Spurs to concede.
He continued: “Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great goal, but I’m not happy with him. Last season, it was drilled into them – whenever they were defending crosses, they’d all step up to the edge of the 18-yard box once the ball was cleared. You can see all the Spurs players doing it here.
“But Romero’s stepped up too soon, and that’s not what the manager wants now. He needs to stay in and block off the near post.
“Because of that bad habit from last year, he’s left space and can’t get across to block it. Fabulous finish, fabulous ball – but once it goes into that area, you have to protect the near post. This year, everyone else has adjusted… except Romero. It’s just an old habit that’s stuck with him, and it costs them.”
It’s still early days in this new Thomas Frank era for Spurs, and there’s a bit of reprogramming required.
Tottenham can be happy despite Super Cup loss
Tottenham can take so many positives from the loss. PSG are one of the most difficult sides to face in Europe, and Spurs dominated for the majority of the fixture.
Hoddle also noted this and urged Daniel Levy to bring in reinforcements before the Premier League campaign fully kicks off.
He continues: “So that’s why you’ve got to bolster your squad and make sure your squad’s good enough, not just your starting 11.
“I think Spurs have learned that lesson tonight. But my word, from their performance, they realise now, going over that plane, they’re saying, “We can go toe-to-toe with anyone this season,” because if we perform like that, that’s a template to play against the top, top teams.
“And if we do that right, we’ve just proved to ourselves – nobody else, just ourselves – that we can do that.”
Spurs face Burnley on Saturday, where they’ll look to get off to a good start in England’s top flight.