CRISTIAN ROMERO HANDED FOUR-MATCH BAN FOLLOWING RECKLESS TACKLE AT OLD TRAFFORD
Discover why Cristian Romero’s 4-match ban and social media outbursts have left Manchester United's Thomas Frank in a 2026 crisis.
Thomas Frank just can’t catch a break. One disaster follows another—Tottenham fold at Manchester United, Romero loses his head and gets sent off, and now they’re only six points clear of the drop zone. You keep thinking, “They can’t actually get dragged into a relegation fight, right?” But lose to Newcastle at home on Tuesday and, well, things get real ugly, real fast.
This season was never supposed to be like this. Sure, everyone knew the rebuild would take time, but no one honestly thought they’d be sitting 15th, stuck in this miserable loop. The mood around the club? Pretty bleak.
The club wants to give Frank a real shot to fix things. That’s clear. But let’s be honest, the fans just aren’t sold on a manager who doesn’t play the kind of football they grew up loving. There’s a lot of work to do—most of it starts with bringing in better players and, hopefully, getting better results. They’ve had some big moments since rock bottom, which, no question, was that home loss to West Ham back in January.
That night, the boos rained down. The stadium turned toxic. Frank looked like a dead man walking. You could feel the clock ticking on his job.
But then, somehow, Tottenham scraped into the Champions League knockouts—finished fourth, even—and suddenly the club’s bosses see hope again.
Then they went and dropped points at Burnley, only to pull off a wild comeback against Manchester City for a 2-2 draw. That game changed everything. The crowd felt alive again. For once, Frank wasn’t public enemy number one.
And then, out of nowhere, Romero takes to social media and rips the club for only having 11 fit players. That’s a not-so-subtle shot at the board for lousy recruitment. And as if that wasn’t enough, Romero gets himself sent off at Old Trafford with a crazy, reckless challenge. Now they’ve got one fewer player and an even bigger headache.
Romero let everyone down—the team, the club, the fans. It really looks like he’s sabotaging himself so he can force a move in the summer. And when your captain wants out, you know you’re in deep trouble. The bigger problem? There’s just no leadership here.
Romero actually wanted to leave last summer (and probably the one before), yet Spurs gave him a new contract and the captain’s armband. What were they thinking? Trouble is, he was the only real leader they had. Who else steps up? Maybe Micky van de Ven—fans love him; he’s quick and covers his mistakes, but after that? Not much. And that’s exactly the problem. Frank doesn’t have enough strong personalities in the dressing room to drag them out of this mess.
Last summer, they sacked Ange Postecoglou even though he won the Europa League, just because the team flirted with relegation. And here we are again, back in the same hole.
Tottenham did at least some smart business in January. They brought in Souza, a talented Brazilian kid, and splashed £34 million on Conor Gallagher—a proven England international who actually knows how to lead. They tried for Antoine Semenyo, but he chose City. Still, you can see they’re trying to lay foundations.
But in the end, it’s all about the fans’ patience. The only thing saving Frank right now is the Champions League run. The club’s backing him, and Romero’s meltdown gives them excuses.
But fans want better football, better results, and real progress. If they take another beating, another toxic night, and drop further down the table, the pressure’s back on Frank. Right now, it’s just crisis after crisis.
SEASON OVER: JACK GREALISH UNDERGOES SURGERY FOR STRESS FRACTURE—EVERTON CAREER IN DOUBT
Jack Grealish confirms his season is over following foot surgery. Discover what this means for Everton's £50m transfer option.
Jack Grealish has confirmed he’ll miss the rest of the season after having surgery for a stress fracture in his foot. Tough news for Everton fans—he’s only been at the club since his loan move from Manchester City last summer, but he’s already a fan favourite.
Grealish posted an update from his hospital bed on Instagram. He didn’t sugarcoat things: “Didn’t want the season to end like this, but that’s football. Gutted. Surgery done, and now all focus is on getting back fit. I know for sure I will come back fitter, stronger and better than before.
"The support I’ve had since coming to this unbelievable club has meant the world to me. The staff, my teammates and especially the fans have been incredible, and I absolutely love representing this club.
"I’ll be backing the lads all the way and doing everything I can to get back as soon as possible. Thank you again for all the love; it means so much. UTFT"
Plenty of players chimed in with support—Erling Haaland left blue hearts and a praying emoji; Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall sent a “Back soon” message; James Maddison, who’s also dealing with injury, dropped three white hearts.
Now, Grealish’s future is up in the air. Everton have a £50 million option to buy him, but nobody really knows if they’ll go for it, especially with the recovery still ahead.
Pep Guardiola spoke earlier in the season, saying, “I think he has a contract for one more year with us. The important thing is he is back. He’s a massive influence in the Everton games. After what’s happened, maybe Manchester City wants him back, but I don’t know. Many things are still going to happen. We’ll see. The important thing is he is playing again, a lot of minutes. This is the standard. I’m happy, really, honestly, that he’s back in, trying his best.”
It’s not just a setback for his club and transfer prospects. This injury pretty much ends any chance he had of joining England’s World Cup squad this summer, even if he does recover in time. That’s a shame, because his form at Everton had put him back in the conversation for an England recall. His last game for the national team was in October 2024, when Lee Carsley was in charge.
MIDFIELD MAESTRO: DISCOVER KIERNAN DEWSBURY-HALL’S STATS SINCE JOINING EVERTON FROM CHELSEA
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall inspired Everton’s 2-1 win at Fulham under Thomas Tuchel’s watch, marking the Blues' 6th away win of 2026.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall played a huge part in Everton’s comeback win over Fulham at Craven Cottage. He got involved in both goals, helping the Blues turn things around after falling behind.
Since joining Chelsea this summer, Dewsbury-Hall has hit the ground running at Everton. He’s clearly loving life with the club and wants to catch the eye of England boss Thomas Tuchel, who watched from the stands with the World Cup coming up.
After the match, Dewsbury-Hall said, “If I keep scoring and helping the team, that’s all I can do.”
He added, “And hopefully, people in those positions keep watching and think there’s a spot for me.
“I know what I bring to England. I’ve always said, the better I do for my club, the better my chances with the national team.
“Hopefully, Tuchel keeps showing up if I keep scoring. He came to Old Trafford, and I scored there too, so maybe he should just come to all the games!”
Wearing number 22, Dewsbury-Hall couldn’t stop talking about how much he loves the club and the support he’s gotten from Everton’s travelling fans.
“I love it,” he said. “Honestly, it’s probably gone better than I expected. The fans have been unbelievable since I arrived, and it just feels good to be able to give something back. Being an Everton supporter and travelling to away games this season must be a thrill because you know we’ve got a real shot at winning.
“Credit to the fans—they really do help us out. Even when we were down today, you could hear them shouting and pushing us on. Turning that into celebrations at the end? That’s the best part.”
He also played a role in bringing Tyrique George to the club. George joined on loan from Chelsea on Deadline Day, six months after Dewsbury-Hall made his own move north.
Talking about George and what he brings, Dewsbury-Hall said, “I’m excited. Tyrique’s a really talented young player with a great attitude.
“You saw it today when he came on—he looked calm, not nervous at all.
“He’s got that confidence, not arrogance, just the right amount. If he settles quickly, he’ll be a big addition for us.
"I chatted a bit with the gaffer about him and gave my opinion. I didn’t really talk to Ty much before the move—he had to make his own decision. But I’m glad he picked us. I’ve been helping him settle in, just letting him know how things work around here.
“He’s fitted right in, honestly, from his first training session. If he gets up to speed fast, you’ll see goals and assists pretty soon.”