by Branded Cristian Romero “furious” and “insane” after a horrific challenge on Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson somehow escaped a red card following a Var review during another impressive Tottenham Hotspur display.
With Spurs leading 3-0 and in complete control against Newcastle, the centre-back stepped out with high studs, catching Wilson on the top of his boot and shin pad. It was clearly a red card offense but referee Chris Kavanagh only showed a yellow and Var Peter Bankes did not ask him to watch the incident again.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said he was “just relieved” Wilson got through after the challenge. He added: “I don’t like to see players sent off but I looked high and reckless. Your heart is always in your mouth a little bit when one of your players goes down like that.”
As ever, the Newcastle manager, even after the chastening defeat, was calm and diplomatic, although there were scuffles between the players after the game, bad blood caused by goalkeeper Guglilemo Vicario going to Wilson late in the game.
“I don’t think he will learn. I think it’s in him. Some players you can’t tame them. He’s one of those”
The Super Sunday panel discusses Cristian Romero’s yellow card 🟨 pic.twitter.com/x6opwq33gx
— Premier League Sky Sports (@SkySportsPL) December 10, 2023
But it was Romero’s challenge that angered the guards. On Sky Sports Gary Neville said: “He’s mad at him, honestly. Completely mad. I think it’s a red card at first glance. It’s crazy, Romero. He always has to fight. Players do not slow down in his head.
“For me, it’s red. I have little sympathy for him. He has gone straight over the ball into his ankle. He is defenseless.”
That view was shared by his colleague Jamie Redknapp who said: “It’s scary. Some people will say he cares, but it is going to cost his team. He can play, he is technically good on the ball, he reads the game well. But he makes rash decisions all the time. He is now vice-captain so he has to set a good example.
“You can’t keep doing that. It’s a red card all day. I don’t think he will learn. He sees red and goes for it. With some players, you can’t dominate them. He has that aggression and it makes him the player he is.
“Every time I look at him, I think he’s going to give away a goal or cost his team.”
Even former Spurs defender Michael Dawson criticized the tackle, which threatened Romero’s second dismissal of the season – and the fifth of his Spurs career – following a red card against Chelsea four games ago. “ He plays on the edge. I thought it was stupid.
“There was no need to make the challenge because you’re 3-0 up and cruising. You just came back from suspension and there was no real needle in the game.
“It goes over the top. When Chris Kavanagh gets the yellow card, I was thinking they would go to Var. If promoted, it would be four games. He’s such a good player, but he’s not useful if you’re going to be sent off all the time.”
Spurs hardly needed to lose their heads late on as they won but Vicario’s behavior also helped Wilson.
He said: “There is a way to win. We saw it in the week when Everton were winning and [Jordan] Pickford was joking around.
“The goalkeeper, I have a header, he starts pulling faces and joking around and it’s disrespectful, I thought. I’ve said my peace, we’re grown men and we move on.”
Comment: Romero is lucky to escape the red card – these dangerous tackles must be prevented
Just when I was thinking that Referee Chris Kavanagh had a good performance in Tottenham’s win against Newcastle, as well as Spurs’ Cristian Romero’s stunning challenge on Callum Wilson, which only resulted in a yellow card.
The Argentine lunged into his opponent at speed and threatened the safety of the Newcastle United player. The law is very clear that when a player exceeds the necessary force and endangers the safety of an opponent he must be sent off.
The number of players missing from the game due to injury is increasing and the lenient attitude that referees are currently taking to these challenges must be ruled out.
The whole idea of the video assistant referee is to take another look and when the yellow card was issued it met the criteria for a clear and obvious error.
Why didn’t the Var for this game – Peter Bankes – send Kavanagh to the pitchside monitor to take that precious second look? If he had done that I’m sure a red card would have appeared
Bankes, who officiated Manchester United vs Bournemouth on Saturday, was at Stockley Park on Sunday with a bank screen in front of him to see this bogus challenge. Did fatigue play a part in this poor decision?
This is not the first time Romero has been defeated. He was already shown a red card this season, in the game with Chelsea. Last season he accumulated 15 yellow cards, twice there were double yellow cards and he was dismissed as a result. He is a serial offender and to say he was lucky to stay on the field is an understatement.
This latest moment of fury should have resulted in a red card but none was given, just like earlier in the day when Luton’s Jacob Brown dispatched a two-footed challenge on Manchester City’s Phil Foden.
Although Howard Webb, head of the Professional Game Match Officers Limited, is emphasizing disagreement, in reality he needs to find a solution to these red card challenges and ensure they are dealt with properly.
