đ¨WHY SO MUCH HATRED?đ¨Fans reacts as Liverpool legend Steve Nicol throws brutal dig at Cristian Romero and Martinez after COPA AMERICA truimph Read more below đ
đ¨WHY SO MUCH HATRED?đ¨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 Argentinaâs success in recent years has been their defence, with Tottenhamâs Cristian Romero partnering Manchester Unitedâs Lisandro Martinez at the back.
The Argentina media lauded Romero for his performance in the final and how he ârisks his lifeâ, 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 â it was claimed Martinez would still play even if you âchopped his leg offâ.
That resulted in Guardiola insisting that Martinez is âone of the top five centre-backs in the worldâ (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 Spursâ fan favourite as a âbomb scareâ 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
âNo, heâs not, a straightforward no,â said Nicol about Martinez being top 5 CBs in the world. âWho was his partner?
âIf your logic is because you are on a winning team, then it doesnât 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?
âLook 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 didnât want them, where they were born. The logic of just because they won the Copa, that makes him top five.â
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 Martinezâs height, but he is now one of Manchester Unitedâs 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.