Tottenham midfielder Pape Sarr has backed manager Ange Postecoglou’s comments on Cristian Romero, agreeing that the Argentine defender’s leadership and battling spirit should be emulated by his teammates.
Romero produced a battling, all-action display in Spurs’ 3-2 defeat to north London rivals Arsenal on Sunday, popping up all over the pitch and pulling a goal back for his side having already hit the post and sent two headers wide in the game. It was a performance that drew praise from Spurs boss Postecoglou, who called on the rest of his players to be more like Romero.
“He was outstanding. He’s a World Cup winner and I’ve just got to get some of what’s in him into some of the others,” Postecoglou said.
Sarr agrees with his manager’s assessment and is delighted to have the “winner” on his side.
“The coach is absolutely right,” Sarr told Sky Sports. “Romero is a really hard worker. I often say he is a warrior. He’s a winner and he absolutely hates to lose.
“In terms of his mentality, out on the training pitch and in matches, it is always the same. That’s just how he is and he is certainly one of the leaders in the dressing room with the energy, commitment and determination that he brings to the team.”
Sarr believes Romero’s battling resolve will be crucial for Spurs as they face another London rival in Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Thursday.
“It is something that helps us get across the line sometimes. When you look at the match against Arsenal, it’s not easy to put in that performance like he did in the second half. But he’s like that.
“He’s a winner and I’m really happy for what he brings to this team.”
Tottenham will need more of Romero’s battling spirit when they face Chelsea, who are in good form at the moment.
“Of course, the result against Arsenal was a disappointment. We didn’t expect that result.
“We played well in the first half but couldn’t score a goal. They were more decisive in that period and big matches are like that. You have to make your chances count.
“There is a big week ahead of us now and we are fully concentrated on that,” Sarr added.
“It’s a big challenge but we have already played a lot of big teams this year.
“Chelsea are a team who are in good form at the moment, but we are ready to take on the challenge to the best of our ability.”
Sarr also discussed Tottenham’s upcoming matches against Liverpool and Manchester City, highlighting the importance of finishing the season strongly to secure a Champions League spot.
“The most important this is to win all our matches,” he said. “If we win all our matches, we’ll finish high enough.
“Our objective now is to win all our matches and finish as high as we can.
“The aim is absolutely to win these matches. We have to win our remaining matches to finish this season in the best way possible.
“Next season will also be here before you know it and if we can manage to put a few wins on the bounce together, that will put us in the best position possible for next year.”
