'Very difficult': Pat Nevin explains what Enzo Fernandez can't do at Chelsea
Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez has been an ever-present in the team for most of his time at Stamford Bridge, but he’s hit a bump in the road during the last few weeks.
Enzo Fernandez, 23, is one of the high-profile individuals in the young Chelsea squad. Even though the Blues coughed up £107m to sign him nearly two years ago, he’s lost his starting position recently.
Fernandez hasn’t started any of the last three Premier League matches. Instead, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia have been the starting combination in the central midfield area, forming a fantastic partnership during that time.
Frank Lampard likes the balance of Caicedo and Lavia in Chelsea’s midfield, so thinks Fernandez will have to work really hard to regain his starting position.
Pat Nevin says Enzo Fernandez can’t play as Chelsea’s No.10
According to Pat Nevin, Chelsea’s Fernandez doesn’t have the speed or mobility to play as an advanced midfielder in their No.10 role.
On top of that, he’s struggling to see how the 23-year-old breaks back into the Blues XI in the deeper midfield positions because of the success of Caicedo and Lavia.
When asked why Fernandez is struggling at Chelsea right now, Nevin told Squawka: “It’s very difficult to see, because there was a period of time where he was stuck up top and it was suggested they thought he was going to be a No.10 sort of player. And I can’t see that. He’s not pacey enough, there’s not enough passing for that position. Not in comparison to Cole Palmer, not in comparison to Joao Felix, not in comparison to (Kiernan) Dewsbury-Hall, absolutely not. They are really brilliant in that position.
“So the position is that kind of No.6, or the more defensive midfielder. The problem is you’ve got (Moises) Caicedo playing well and Lavia, and it’s kind of tough to get into that team.”
Chelsea supporters rated Fernandez’s cameo off the bench versus Manchester United on Sunday, but it remains to be seen whether that’ll be enough for Blues manager Enzo Maresca to break up his new-look midfield.
If the Argentina international wants to get back into the Chelsea XI, he’ll need to be a lot more productive in and out of possession.
Enzo Fernandez needs to raise his game
So far, Fernandez hasn’t done enough for Chelsea this campaign to warrant a spot in the best line-up. In contrast, Caicedo and Lavia both progress the ball extremely well, plus are defensively great.
WhoScored data shows the impact of Chelsea’s three main central midfielders in the league so far this season:
| Appearances | Starts | Goals | Assists | Pass success | Average match rating |
| 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 82.6% | 6.47 |
| Appearances | Starts | Goals | Assists | Pass success | Average match rating |
| 10 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 87.7% | 7.23 |
| Appearances | Starts | Goals | Assists | Pass success | Average match rating |
| 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 92.1% | 6.67 |
Jamie O’Hara said Fernandez isn’t good enough for Chelsea earlier in the season, which is so far from the truth because he’s shown in patches he’s brilliant at dictating play from the centre of the park. However, it’s now on his shoulders to raise his levels and force his way back into the team.
from Latest Chelsea News and Updates - The Chelsea Chronicle https://ift.tt/CM0YpGX
Post a Comment