Someone was strict with some and lenient with others. A Tottenham expert who had sharpened his words about Son Heung-min (LAFC)'s leadership, saying "it's over" or "he should be stripped of the captain's armband," fell silent in the face of captain Romero's irresponsible sending-off.
Tottenham on the 7th (KST) lost 0-2 to Manchester United in the 2025-2026 English Premier League round 25 at Old Trafford in Manchester, England. The turning point came in the 29th minute of the first half. Captain Cristian Romero's choice broke the balance of the match.
In a contest for the ball, his timing was late and the motion was large. Romero struck Casemiro's shin and then stamped on his ankle. Referee Michael Oliver's judgment was decisive. A red card without hesitation. Even VAR intervention was unnecessary. At that moment the flow of the game ended.
Tottenham, down a player, collapsed rapidly. In the 38th minute of the first half they conceded an opening goal to Brayan Embolo, and in the 36th minute of the second half they conceded a killer goal to Bruno Fernandes and fell apart helplessly. It was an aftershock greater than a simple single loss.
The more painful point was the timing. Romero had publicly criticized the club leadership's lack of investment only days earlier. His SNS comment that "there were only 11 players who could play. It's shameful" revealed a rift rather than internal unity.
And immediately the captain himself plunged the team into a numerical disadvantage. He effectively erased his own persuasiveness.
The punishment is also severe. It was his second sending-off this season. A direct red carries a three-match ban plus an additional one-match cumulative weighting, totaling a four-match suspension. The absence of the defensive leader is a direct blow to the fight for position in the standings.
The EPL match center classified it as "a serious foul endangering the opponent through excessive force." Former referee Darren Cann also told the BBC, "an unequivocal red card."
Thomas Frank defended him but could not deny it. While saying "he went for the ball," he also acknowledged, "still, Romero's sending-off is justified. A red card is a red card." He dismissed the possibility of stripping the captain's armband, but could not erase the blow to leadership.
At this point a strange silence followed. It was the mouths of the "experts" who had sharpened their words at Son Heung-min's leadership in the past. Last season Tottenham alumnus midfielder Jamie O'Hara, now working as a pundit after retirement, continued his harsh words about Son Heung-min.
O'Hara in the past provoked strong backlash from fans with remarks beyond evaluation, such as "Son Heung-min is finished now" and "you should take the captain's armband away."
Especially last season he insisted, "If a big offer comes, you have to sell Son Heung-min. The Premier League is now too fast for him. He's lost his pace."
Mentioning a lack of influence in the Europa League final, he even cited Ryan Giggs' positional change as an example and said, "He needs to change his play."
But the mood was different in the face of Romero's irresponsible sending-off. Public criticism disappeared and explanations were reduced. The standard that criticized Son Heung-min's leadership became lenient toward Romero. There is considerable attention locally to this temperature difference.
The statistics are even more merciless. Since joining Tottenham, Romero is tied for the most red cards in the league. Counting all competitions he already has six cards. The number is not fitting for someone holding the captaincy.
All the more contrast becomes clear. Son Heung-min was calmer in crisis and was a name that made the team look like 12 players rather than 10. O'Hara, who has not criticized Romero in this situation, even once praised him as a Real-level player.
That is why the era of Son Heung-min as captain is missed under the runaway Romero captaincy. A leader's single action is not just a foul but shakes a team's season. And now Tottenham is paying that price.
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