Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi has to pick a new captain for the final six games following Cristian Romero’s season-ending injury.
Tottenham Hotspur lost 1-0 against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light last weekend in the dugout debut of Roberto De Zerbi, whose men are now two points adrift of 17th placed West Ham.
During the Sunderland game, Cristian Romero suffered a knee injury after clashing with goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, thanks to a shove by Brian Brobbey. He left the pitch in tears in the second half, indicating something serious with his knee. Earlier this week, the scans revealed that the Tottenham skipper will not take part for the rest of the season as he requires a minimum of six weeks to recover from a knee injury.
Fortunately, Romero has not suffered collateral ligament damage and will not require surgery, which would have then jeopardised his World Cup participation in North America this summer. Now that Romero is sidelined, Roberto De Zerbi faces big decisions regarding choosing his skipper for the remainder of the campaign.
Roberto De Zerbi makes Tottenham captain claim after Cristian Romero’s injury blow
De Zerbi has told his Tottenham players that dinner will be on the house every week, providing they win, starting against Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday. The Italian, who will lead his first home match as Spurs boss against former employers Brighton, took his players to a swanky Mayfair restaurant in Bacchanalia in midweek.
The 46-year-old thinks one victory could change the entire picture of Spurs’ wretched Premier League campaign. However, missing his skipper Romero’s services for the final stretch of games is a big blow to De Zerbi and Tottenham. In his press conference, De Zerbi remained upbeat despite Romero’s injury blow, challenging his squad to step up and assume leadership roles.
“I didn’t decide yet because I have had other, more important problems to find a solution,” De Zerbi said in his press conference when asked about who his new captain will be for the final six games (h/t Football London).
“But I would like all players to be a captain, especially in this moment, it’s not important if you play in the first eleven, if you play 30 minutes or 90 minutes, or you can’t play, we have to feel the responsibility of this situation.
“And we can’t cry, otherwise we have to push and be stronger to come out of this situation because we are able to do that.”
Players must step up to the plate and produce their best
De Zerbi, as our gaffer, can only motivate the players up to an extent. The onus is on the fit Tottenham players to assume responsibilities, fight for their teammates on the pitch and produce their best for the final six games to keep our historic club in the top flight.
Micky van de Ven, vice-captain of the club, is the obvious candidate to be handed the armband in Romero’s injury absence against Brighton. However, Van de Ven’s performances have been disappointing since the turn of the year, especially when assuming the captain’s armband. This is something the Dutchman will be aware of, and he has six games to prove he is a capable leader on and off the pitch.
Not just Van de Ven, every single member of the Tottenham squad must consider themselves as leaders and fight for their and the club’s pride.