Stuart Pearce says he was shocked, branding the Tottenham player’s display as “horrific” and insisting the star has become a clear weak link.

The Argentine started for Spurs against Manchester United on Saturday, but couldn’t stop Ruben Amorim’s men from grabbing a dramatic late equaliser. The World Cup winner hobbled off with a knock when the score was 1-1, but by then Pearce had already formed his verdict of a below-par performance.

What did Pearce say about Romero?

“If I was a chief scout watching Romero, I’d mark him down as a weakness,” the ex-England captain told talkSPORT.

“You can get in behind him, no doubt. And if I was doing recruitment, I’d say, ‘Leave him where he is!’”

Pearce continued, “Romero’s current form is horrific. He’s giving the ball away in midfield and isn’t even trying to recover. That’s a basic trait for a defender.

“He steps into midfield, gets played around, then jogs back with zero effort to cover.

“I know I keep pointing it out, but it’s astonishing from the captain of the team.”

Romero was named Tottenham captain in August after Heung-min Son’s departure. And despite his honours – including the Europa League and the World Cup – it is centre-back partner Micky van de Ven who has drawn most of the praise this season.

The Dutch defender, who was on the scoresheet against Copenhagen in midweek, was superb again versus United, further underlining his value to Spurs.

Despite conceding at the death, Spurs boss Thomas Frank was satisfied with the response after the break.

“I think it was a strong display at home against Man United, especially after half-time,” Frank told talkSPORT.

“When we came back out 1-0 down, the players stuck to what we worked on and kept applying our principles.

“We turned it around and levelled up. We hoped that would be the winner. Of course it hurts conceding so late, but it’s not the first time that has happened in football.

“But to come back the way we did, I’m pleased.”