Ange Postecoglou surely won’t survive no matter what happens in the Europa League but must be sick at the thought of one particularly contemptible Tottenham star failing upwards in such dramatic fashion this summer.
We’re not sure there is a footballer who gives less of a sh*t about Tottenham right now than Tottenham’s very own Cristian Romero.
He’s always been a defender who’s seen defending as something of a nuisance, but in a charming sort of way, putting up with it as a necessary irritation in order to make bonkers runs into the opposition box and using it as an excuse for his absolute favourite pastime of kicking people.
We used to love watching him play football. Now he makes us angry.
Failure to do his job could previously be written off as a brain fade such was the infrequency in a What’s He Like, Eh? kind of way as they were allied with more typical moments of excellence, but with occurrences of him challenging for a header or tracking a runner now anomalies as he watches while games of football happen around him, we can no longer grant him those caveats.
Romero was stood firmly on the ground looking up at Chris Wood as the striker rose between him and Micky van de Ven to head Forest into a two-goal lead, seven minutes after the New Zealand international had seen another header ruled out for a marginal offside.
Gugliermo Vicario came and missed the cross which Pedro Porro waved a limp leg towards in an attempt at a block. There was plenty of blame to go around, as was the case with the opener as Porro’s poor header, Dejan Kulusevski’s non-challenge and Vicario’s limp wrists saw Elliot Anderson give Forest the lead, and is the case for the season as a whole.
Ange Postecoglou will surely pay the ultimate price no matter what happens in the Europa League. A bottom-half finish (and quite possibly their worst-ever in the Premier League), 18+ defeats, 8+ at home and the clear downward trajectory in performances and results simply cannot be countenanced no matter the unbridled joy should they win that long-awaited trophy.
READ MORE: Who will be the next manager of Tottenham after Ange Postecoglou?
And for the last six months, through spiky, glum or spiky and glum interviews in which his eyes have been fixed firmly on the ground having typically been booed from the touchline by his own fans, Postecoglou hasn’t exactly looked like a man excited by an extended relationship with a football club he too now appears to intensely dislike.
But the difference between him and Romero, as well as a few others who will be looking for the exit door in the summer should they fail to win the Europa League and qualify for the Champions League, is that those Star Players won’t be judged on this season while Postecoglou will.
READ MORE: Reassigning Tottenham stars wanting transfers after inevitable Europa League exit
Romero looks set to fail upwards, and dramatically so. Reports suggest Real and Atletico Madrid will be vying for his signature this summer, ensuring his participation in the Champions League next season and for every season he remains under contract with one of those two stalwarts in Europe’s showpiece competition.
It would now be a surprise if Postecoglou ever manages another game in the Champions League. Having previously been linked with Liverpool when Jurgen Klopp announced his departure, there’s very little chance he will get a job anywhere near that level after this career-blighting shambles of a campaign.
And maybe that’s fair – he’s been found wanting this season and it’s gone horribly wrong, with the excuse of injuries no longer valid and a fully fit squad making no notable difference.
But he must look at what supposedly excellent footballers like Romero have been doing this season ahead of big moves that will see their careers continue unabated and wonder why they aren’t being tarred by the same brush.
Romero was subbed at half-time having achieved his primary goal in the opening 45 minutes of getting a yellow card, eventually cautioned for his third challenge worthy of one to ensure he watched the rest of the game from the bench.
In Postecoglou’s mind he will have taken him off with a view perhaps to Liverpool on Sunday but more likely Bodo/Glimt a week on Thursday, but for Romero, his representatives and Diego Simeone it will be one more game chalked off without serious injury ahead of a summer move that the lackadaisical Tottenham centre-back doesn’t deserve.
