Romero in the need of a good run ahead of World Cup
“MY goalkeeper is always the best goalkeeper in the world. So now David is the third best. Romero is No.1,” Jose Mourinho joked ahead of handing his understudy a rare start.
Days after David de Gea’s manof-the-match display at Arsenal, the United manager handed Sergio Romero a huge vote of confidence.
Mourinho appeared to have a response readied ahead of an inevitable question about De Gea on the eve of United’s clash with CSKA Moscow last month.
Instead of talking up the Spaniard, and hailing him as the best goalkeeper he ever worked with, Mourinho held back, pointing to his often underrated No.2.
No doubt the towering Romero felt even taller after those comments, and the 30-year-old has been one of a handful of players to have really improved and grown in confidence under Mourinho.
The Argentinian started 18 games last season - nearly double the amount he managed in two campaigns under Louis van Gaal, the man who signed him - and was the first United goalkeeper since Edwin van der Sar to play in a European final.
With memories of that Europa League win still fresh in his mind, was it any wonder that the veteran penned a new four-year deal in July?
Mourinho has even moved away from his usual habit of picking his first-choice goalkeeper for Champions League group games to give the veteran some muchneeded game time since that night in Stockholm.
But Romero has made just five starts this season, the last of which came in United’s shock exit to Bristol City in the Carabao Cup. That quarter-final defeat denied the No.2 another two starts, at least, before January was even out.
Unlike last season, too, Mourinho used Romero in each round of the Carabao Cup so chances are he would have made his first ever start at Wembley if the holders got to the final.
Having started 28.5 per cent of games last season, that figure has dropped to just 16 per cent this season as he continues to keep De Gea on his toes in training under the watchful eye of coaches Silvino Louro and Emilio Alvarez.
With no league appearances to his name, and De Gea set to be the club’s undisputed knockout goalkeeper in the Champions League, Romero is already running out of competitions to play in with the World Cup fast approaching although he will get a chance against Derby in the FA Cup tonight.
Romero is fortunate in a way, internationally, as no one has seriously challenged him for the jersey since he started the 2014 World Cup final.
But Romero is a proud man and will be desperate to be in peak condition as he looks to go one better with Argentina this summer and win the World Cup.
That is why an FA Cup run could be so crucial for him.
There may only be a maximum of six games on offer, without taking replays into consideration, but it represents the best opportunity for Romero to play his part for the Reds between now and May.
In a meaningful way.