🚨WHY SO MUCH HATRED?🚨Fans reacts as Liverpool legend Steve Nicol throws brutal dig at Cristian Romero and Martinez after COPA AMERICA truimph.
Pep Guardiola has one of the best footballing brains in the world, so you would assume you would listen to him more than most.
Copa America recently concluded, with Argentina victorious again after being Colombia 1-0 in the final after extra-time, with several Premier League stars from Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Manchester United & Aston Villa securing glory.
One of the main reasons for Argentina’s success in recent years has been their defence, with Tottenham’s Cristian Romero partnering Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez at the back.
The Argentina media lauded Romero for his performance in the final and how he ‘risks his life’, with the man from Old Trafford, who stands at 5ft 9in tall, also getting lauded and applauded for his display.
It also needs to be noted that Martinez helped Manchester United win the FA Cup last season, despite being injured for large parts of the campaign – it was claimed Martinez would still play even if you ‘chopped his leg off’.
That resulted in Guardiola insisting that Martinez is ‘one of the top five centre-backs in the world’ (OneFootball).
And that now-famous 2022 World Cup win in Qatar will be remembered forever, so from that perspective, you would assume players like Romero and Martinez would get the respect they deserve.
You can think again!
One man who has been a constant critic of Martinez is Steve Nicol and he still refuses to acknowledge the Manchester United man as a top player, as he threw verbal punches at the man from Tottenham as well.
The Liverpool legend labelled Spurs’ fan favourite as a ‘bomb scare’ and says there is no logic behind Martinez being a top player, as he told ESPN.
Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez slammed after Copa America final win
“No, he’s not, a straightforward no,” said Nicol about Martinez being top 5 CBs in the world. “Who was his partner?
“If your logic is because you are on a winning team, then it doesn’t work out. Romero, who played beside him, plays for Spurs and is actually a bit of a bomb scare, at times. So, we are going to say Romero is top five?
“Look at Spain. They have just won the Euros, with two of their bang-average centre-backs in international football. Laporte and Le Normand. The reason they are playing for Spain is because France didn’t want them, where they were born. The logic of just because they won the Copa, that makes him top five.”
Trophies speak for themselves
Just look how dominant these players are on the international stage. Their trophies speak for themselves and they deserve more respect.
A lot was made of Martinez’s height, but he is now one of Manchester United’s best players and a multiple winner on the international stage.
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Can Romero be too aggressive at times? Yes, but he has improved a lot, he is going to the next level under Ange Postecoglou and seems to have found the perfect mix on the international stage.
You can be as critical as you like, but these two just seem to be racking up the trophies.
