Ange Postecoglou responds to Lionel Messi's 'best in the world' Cristian Romero claim
- Lionel Messi hailed Cristian Romero as 'the best defender in the world' last week
- Ange Postecoglou named centre-back as vice-captain for new season
- Romero often criticised for patchy Tottenham form
By Sean Walsh
Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou has admitted he will not argue with Lionel Messi's verdict that Cristian Romero is the best defender in the world.
Romero joined Spurs on an initial loan in the summer of 2021 before making his move to north London permanent a year later.
His performances in lilywhite have been mixed over the last couple of years and he grew a reputation as unnecessarily aggressive, leading to the occasional red card.
Ahead of the 2023/24 season, new boss Postecoglou named Romero as one of his vice-captains alongside summer signing James Maddison in a show of faith to the defender. He has started the season in fine form though, keeping two clean sheets and scoring twice.
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While Romero's overall performances for Tottenham has been patchy, the same can't be said for those with Argentina, proving to be one of their key players on their way to World Cup glory in 2022.
Romero was named player of the match for Argentina's 1-0 win against Ecuador on Friday, with Messi telling the media post-match: "For me, he is the best defender in the world right now. Amazing performance tonight, man of the match."
These comments were put to Postecoglou during an interview with talkSPORT on Tuesday, with the Greek-Australian choosing not to go against Messi's word.
"I don't argue with Messi," Postecoglou said. "I tell you what, I wouldn't like to play against him [Romero]. Most of the boys don't like to train against him. He's a real competitor. I love that about him. Whether it's training or a game, what you see is what you get with Romero."
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