Cristian Romero

[Bedfordspurs]

Kept playing with purpose and bravery on the ball. Played to the system. Took responsibility on the ball.

Our press imo failed, that was the "fault" of players ahead of him. But he kept being aggressive and trying to be a front foot defender.

Several times he was slowing things down (as imo is part of our approach), he was obviously looking for movement, looking for options to open up. That didn't come. Others imo were shirking responsibility to get on the ball and so something useful, he didn't.

That’s him playing his game
I didnt see any leadership though

 

[braineclipse]

That’s him playing his game
I didnt see any leadership though

That's essentially what I said. If more of our players had been playing their game, and playing to what the role requires in this system we wouldn't have struggled as much. He responded well, others didn't.

On the leadership thing I think there's a point there. But I also think that's a collective responsibility, not just on the person with the armbands.

 

[glorygloryeze]

Kept playing with purpose and bravery on the ball. Played to the system. Took responsibility on the ball.

Our press imo failed, that was the "fault" of players ahead of him. But he kept being aggressive and trying to be a front foot defender.

Several times he was slowing things down (as imo is part of our approach), he was obviously looking for movement, looking for options to open up. That didn't come. Others imo were shirking responsibility to get on the ball and so something useful, he didn't.

Tbf, those are good points re movement off the ball, providing passing options etc.
In the second half we started to go back to how we've often been when at our worst over the last few months. A total opposite to the first half, when i thought we had played our very best since maybe last autumn.

I still think fatigue was part of that downturn

 

[Bedfordspurs]

That's essentially what I said. If more of our players had been playing their game, and playing to what the role requires in this system we wouldn't have struggled as much. He responded well, others didn't.

On the leadership thing I think there's a point there. But I also think that's a collective responsibility, not just on the person with the armbands.

It’s a massive issue and it’s a collective issue as you say

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Tbf, those are good points re movement off the ball, providing passing options etc.
In the second half we started to go back to how we've often been when at our worst over the last few months. A total opposite to the first half, when i thought we had played our very best since maybe last autumn.

I still think fatigue was part of that downturn

Travel and fatigue has a huge impact on the players

 

[Bishop]

I think individually we have pretty decent defenders but the system we play and the synergy between them seems to make them less than the sum of the their parts would suggest. I've seen Romero be a very good CB both for us in his first season and for Argentina and I've seen VDV play well consistently but they don't appear to make a great pairing. I'm not sure if that's then or the system but I do feel we always just have an opened that I do feel leads to more mistakes or errors. I'm not really sure why that is though. I guess it's a some combination of players and system.

 

[parklane1]

To me he was one of the players that actually responded well to us letting in the first goal. He kept playing his game, he kept playing our game.

If others had more of his composure and belief we wouldn't have lost control of the game like that.

With the armband and his experience perhaps he could have done more to lead and not just by example. Pointy shouty stuff. At least it looks good to some. But I mostly think of taking responsibility in situations like this as a collective responsibility.

I really believe he is a very good player but it seems he has become a focal point for some fans to blame for our form. The bolded bit of your post is spot on. imo

 

[Bishop]

I really believe he is a very good player but it seems he has become a focal point for some fans to blame for our form. The bolded bit of your post is spot on. imo

People are talking about the symptoms rather than the disease. Let's all agree he was poor in key moments the rest of the team let those moments occur in the first place. What happened to our press in the second half? What happened to our passing and possession? We lost our purpose with those elements and that's what allowed Brighton to just consistently attack. We didn't on the pitch or on the sideline. The individual defenders on a better may react better but that's putting a lot of onus on defenders to get everything right.

 

[braineclipse]

People are talking about the symptoms rather than the disease. Let's all agree he was poor in key moments the rest of the team let those moments occur in the first place. What happened to our press in the second half? What happened to our passing and possession? We lost our purpose with those elements and that's what allowed Brighton to just consistently attack. We didn't on the pitch or on the sideline. The individual defenders on a better may react better but that's putting a lot of onus on defenders to get everything right.

How many goals are scored every weekend from a player sneaking around the back of a defender as they watch where the ball is (as they also have to do, they can't just man mark and ignore what's going on with the ball). It happens. Stop the cross, stop the service. Or stop the attack even getting there through better cohesive pressing or mid block defending.

The goal Romero was partly at fault for comes after a throw in. How do we end up with a cross like that following a throw in? Need to defend better, need to be switched on and aggressive. Way before it even becomes a cross/ball into the area in front of the goal.

 

[Grays_1890]

I think individually we have pretty decent defenders but the system we play and the synergy between them seems to make them less than the sum of the their parts would suggest. I've seen Romero be a very good CB both for us in his first season and for Argentina and I've seen VDV play well consistently but they don't appear to make a great pairing. I'm not sure if that's then or the system but I do feel we always just have an opened that I do feel leads to more mistakes or errors. I'm not really sure why that is though. I guess it's a some combination of players and system.

I think it likely comes IMO from neither being "leaders", great followers and great at what they do in individual sense but no one is taking a lead from what I can see. That does not mean that over time it can't be remedied but its not there yet IMO

 

[braineclipse]

I think it likely comes IMO from neither being "leaders", great followers and great at what they do in individual sense but no one is taking a lead from what I can see. That does not mean that over time it can't be remedied but its not there yet IMO

Certainly a lack of vocal leadership it seems. Of the two centre backs Romero seems to lead and to me they seem like a really good partnership. But be it Son, Maddison, Romero or Vic we definitely have more of the lead by example types.

I think the value of vocal leadership on the pitch sometimes gets a bit overstated. Hojbjerg got quite a bit of stick for being a pointy shouty bloke, but it has it's value.

But it's also about those not in "leadership roles". It's a collective responsibility and not a huge shock that this kind of thing happened to us. It's for the team, players and coaches, to figure out together how to solve. Not up to any one individual to just lead better.

 

[parklane1]

People are talking about the symptoms rather than the disease. Let's all agree he was poor in key moments the rest of the team let those moments occur in the first place. What happened to our press in the second half? What happened to our passing and possession? We lost our purpose with those elements and that's what allowed Brighton to just consistently attack. We didn't on the pitch or on the sideline. The individual defenders on a better may react better but that's putting a lot of onus on defenders to get everything right.

Would agree with that, our CM has a lot of good players but none of them are really that good at shielding the space down the middle and our CBs are left wide open to attacks. For me i have been saying for a while now we really miss a good DM player who can sweep up before it gets to our central defensive.

There is not doubt players like Biss, Maddison, Sarr are good players but they do not really protect our back four, Bentancur is the only one who IMO has a defensive mindset but he is wasted there imo.

 

[glasgowspur]

Certainly a lack of vocal leadership it seems. Of the two centre backs Romero seems to lead and to me they seem like a really good partnership. But be it Son, Maddison, Romero or Vic we definitely have more of the lead by example types.

I think the value of vocal leadership on the pitch sometimes gets a bit overstated. Hojbjerg got quite a bit of stick for being a pointy shouty bloke, but it has it's value.

But it's also about those not in "leadership roles". It's a collective responsibility and not a huge shock that this kind of thing happened to us. It's for the team, players and coaches, to figure out together how to solve. Not up to any one individual to just lead better.

Problem for me with a lot of pointy shouty people is they are doing it to distract from them not doing their job, and for me Peh certainly fell into that category.
Romero for all his faults isn't that player, he talks players through a game, but he isn't chastising which is to my mind a better way to do it.
We do need someone to manage the game better when the ball is dead, to help us refocus and regroup.

 

[braineclipse]

Problem for me with a lot of pointy shouty people is they are doing it to distract from them not doing their job, and for me Peh certainly fell into that category.
Romero for all his faults isn't that player, he talks players through a game, but he isn't chastising which is to my mind a better way to do it.
We do need someone to manage the game better when the ball is dead, to help us refocus and regroup.

Not huge on the pointing and shouting myself either. And the chastising mostly seems theatrical to me, not sure it does much good.

We need everyone to help us refocus and regroup. It should be on everyone's shoulders.

 

[thfcsteff]

Not huge on the pointing and shouting myself either. And the chastising mostly seems theatrical to me, not sure it does much good.

We need everyone to help us refocus and regroup. It should be on everyone's shoulders.

Performative actions are tedious, and there's also room for the occasional arm-wave, gestures and verbal war cry.

 

[braineclipse]

Performative actions are tedious, and there's also room for the occasional arm-wave, gestures and verbal war cry.

Part of me would have loved if Romero went all war cry, fists clenched, arms waving, aggression flowing through his body at his team mates at some point early in the second half.

I have no idea if it would have made any difference. If it would have helped.

For me that's part of what the team unit has to figure out. What is needed in and before this kind of situation to rectify the situation. And who can do what.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Certainly a lack of vocal leadership it seems. Of the two centre backs Romero seems to lead and to me they seem like a really good partnership. But be it Son, Maddison, Romero or Vic we definitely have more of the lead by example types.

I think the value of vocal leadership on the pitch sometimes gets a bit overstated. Hojbjerg got quite a bit of stick for being a pointy shouty bloke, but it has it's value.

But it's also about those not in "leadership roles". It's a collective responsibility and not a huge shock that this kind of thing happened to us. It's for the team, players and coaches, to figure out together how to solve. Not up to any one individual to just lead better.

In scenarios like Sunday vocal leadership is huge
More so for players who made the mistakes and get to hear the thought of others

 

[thfcsteff]

Part of me would have loved if Romero went all war cry, fists clenched, arms waving, aggression flowing through his body at his team mates at some point early in the second half.

I have no idea if it would have made any difference. If it would have helped.

For me that's part of what the team unit has to figure out. What is needed in and before this kind of situation to rectify the situation. And who can do what.

He's not that chap is he, so wouldn't be the right player as everyone would know he was faking. It has to be natural. Davids, for example, would not have let that happen and he was not overtly pointy-shouty. We need pros who are prepared to do the ugly work when the chips turn south on a swivel. Go over. Look for the physiological. Get between man and ball to draw a foul. The team can know what's needed, but if we don't have a figure or two like that, then it'll be hard to manufacture.

 

[braineclipse]

He's not that chap is he, so wouldn't be the right player as everyone would know he was faking. It has to be natural. Davids, for example, would not have let that happen and he was not overtly pointy-shouty. We need pros who are prepared to do the ugly work when the chips turn south on a swivel. Go over. Look for the physiological. Get between man and ball to draw a foul. The team can know what's needed, but if we don't have a figure or two like that, then it'll be hard to manufacture.

I think I agree. They have to find different solutions then...

 

[glasgowspur]

Part of me would have loved if Romero went all war cry, fists clenched, arms waving, aggression flowing through his body at his team mates at some point early in the second half.

I have no idea if it would have made any difference. If it would have helped.

For me that's part of what the team unit has to figure out. What is needed in and before this kind of situation to rectify the situation. And who can do what.

It's so not Romero that it may have had the shock value to work.
Too many do it so often, and usually for no reason, that the message is ignored.