Gary Neville delivered a brutal assessment of Cristian Romero's conduct after the Tottenham Hotspur defender was sent off in the closing stages of his side's Premier League defeat to Liverpool on Saturday.
Neville's Scathing On-Air Critique
Romero received his marching orders from referee Craig Pawson for a second bookable offence, kicking out at Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate. The incident came after teammate Xavi Simons had already been dismissed for a reckless tackle on Virgil van Dijk.
Analysing the match for Sky Sports, a furious Neville did not hold back. "Has he done something on the ground with Konate? He's not right, him, is he?" Neville questioned. "He just literally - he cost his team a goal with the first goal, they're just about to get back in it, or have a chance of getting back in it; he does that. I mean, what is he doing?"
Highlighting the sheer lack of discipline, Neville added: "Forget the fact that it's madness because he's already on a yellow card, his team have got a chance to get a goal back. Who's he shouting at? Get in the dressing room. Absolute madness from him, it really is. He's left the referee nowhere to go."
Reviewing the replay, the former Manchester United captain concluded: "There's the little kick, right in front of the referee. He's only two or three yards from him. Stupidity."
Redknapp Joins the Condemnation
Romero's first yellow card had been shown earlier for protesting to Pawson that a foul should have been given in the build-up to a Liverpool goal. Fellow pundit and ex-Spurs midfielder Jamie Redknapp conceded a foul may have occurred, but was equally critical of the Argentine's subsequent actions.
"What Romero did was what Romero does. It was just ridiculous to get involved right in front of the referee, and just kick out at someone," Redknapp said. "It's just so stupid. If my four-year-old did that I'd go 'what are you doing?' Ridiculous."
Simons' Challenge Also Labelled 'Ridiculous'
Neville also had harsh words for Xavi Simons after his extremely late tackle on Van Dijk, which saw an initial yellow card upgraded to a red following a VAR review.
"Simons was never going to get there. He rakes his studs right down the back of Van Dijk's leg. That's not clever. It's a poor, poor challenge. It's a ridiculous challenge," Neville stated. "He is absolutely nowhere near the football. Malicious, nasty, reckless? Whatever you want to call it. Stupidity."
The pundit emphasised the danger of the challenge, noting: "Virgil van Dijk is six foot four and 15 stone. If it is the other way around, it's a leg breaker." Simons' dismissal was for serious foul play, defined as a challenge that endangers an opponent's safety.
Immediate Consequences for Tottenham
The twin dismissals compounded a miserable afternoon for Ange Postecoglou's team. The immediate fallout is significant for Cristian Romero, who will now serve a one-match suspension and miss Tottenham's upcoming fixture against Crystal Palace.
Furthermore, the defender's disciplinary record remains a major concern. The booking that preceded his red card means he now sits just two yellow cards away from triggering an automatic two-match suspension in the Premier League.
The defeat leaves Tottenham with a mountain to climb in the race for European qualification, while Liverpool strengthened their position at the top of the table.
