8. Enzo Fernandez

[NikkiCFC 7,927]

4 hours ago, TheHulk said:

This maybe explains why he's been poor this season.

He wants to enjoy single life. Which means chasing girls, going out to clubs... you think he will play better when this is his focus?

[robsblubot 3,496]

On 09/10/2024 at 15:39, Vesper said:

Does Enzo Fernandez fit into this Chelsea team?

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5828173/2024/10/09/enzo-fernandez-Chelsea-enzo-maresca-analysis/

No player at Chelsea divides opinion more starkly these days than their captain on the pitch.

It has taken less than two years for Enzo Fernandez to lose the shine of a World Cup triumph and a £106million ($139m) transfer fee in the eyes of many supporters, to the point where his continued presence in Chelsea’s starting XI is becoming a topic of increasingly fierce debate.

The lingering memory of him live streaming what team-mate Wesley Fofana subsequently labelled “uninhibited racism” on Argentina’s team bus after last summer’s Copa America victory does him no favours, but the bulk of the current criticism coming his way — some of which manifested audibly at Stamford Bridge against Nottingham Forest on Sunday — relates to his merits as a footballer. Does he add more to Chelsea’s midfield than he takes away and what even is his best position?

Both questions are startling given Chelsea’s level of investment in Fernandez, but his critics are not the first to ask them. Last season, Mauricio Pochettino privately queried whether his countryman was destructive enough to be a No 6 or creative enough to be a more attacking midfielder and doubted that he and Moises Caicedo possessed the size and power to be a dominant pairing in the Premier League.

Enzo Maresca has a markedly different view of Fernandez’s importance to his Chelsea team and laid out his thinking in a press conference last month.

“I think it’s very difficult in the way we play to find a midfielder that can attack like an attacking midfielder and defend like a holding midfielder,” he said. “For instance, Arsenal are using Declan Rice as an attacking midfielder on the ball and as a holding midfielder when defending. Manchester City, in the past, have done this with Ilkay Gundogan.

“In our case, we are trying to find the balance and find the players who can give us this kind of solution. At the moment, Enzo is the only one. When we have the ball, he is playing like an attacking midfielder and is dropping next to Moises when we don’t have the ball to help us and give us defensive balance.

“In the first game (against City), we used Romeo (Lavia) and Moises as holding midfielders, but Enzo in this moment is playing on the ball as an attacking midfielder and off the ball as a holding midfielder. He is doing very good with us and the idea is to continue with that.”

Why have one position when you can play two? In the graphic below, you can see that Fernandez took the bulk of his touches in the centre of midfield under Pochettino, while operating more on the left side of the middle third of the pitch than the right.

So far this season, as the left-sided No 8 in Maresca’s system, Fernandez is getting more of his touches slightly higher up the pitch and even more focused on the left side. The shifts in where the ball is finding him are subtle but clearly noticeable.

The biggest change is that Fernandez is touching the ball a lot less overall: he is averaging 66.3 touches per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season according to FBref, down from 86.9 touches per 90 minutes in 2023-24. That is a big drop, which is due to him being far less involved in Chelsea’s possession build-up in the defensive and middle thirds — his attacking third touches per 90 minutes are virtually identical this season and last.

Maresca’s preference for a full-back to invert into central midfield alongside Caicedo means there is far less need — or indeed space — for Fernandez to drop deep and contribute to Chelsea’s ball progression before they cross the halfway line. He does still occasionally move into his favourite left-back position to receive the ball and from there his sharp switches of play to the right flank can be an effective way to beat opposition pressure.

Fernandez’s single best attribute might be his ability to identify and play progressive passes, so it is fair to ask if moving him higher in midfield — and giving him the ball to feet much less often — truly maximises him. As a No 8 underlapping Jadon Sancho (a pass-first winger who is best surrounded by runners than other passers), he often looks awkward; in the below sequence he is not quick enough to create separation for a first-time cross, so instead attempts a blind backheel that results in an immediate turnover.

That particular combination is much more dangerous when Sancho decides to be the runner. Here against Brighton, he beats a man and then initiates a one-two with Fernandez, who stops to create space for himself after shaping to underlap and is fouled as he tries to dart onto a perfectly weighted return pass, winning Chelsea a penalty.

Maresca appears to be trying to focus Fernandez’s incisive passing instincts in the opposition half. His 5.4 progressive passes per 90 minutes are way down from his average of 8.6 per 90 minutes last season, as are his passes into the final third per 90 minutes (six, down from 7.2) and his passes into the penalty area (0.5, down from 1.8).

His key passes (passes that lead directly to a shot attempt) have remained relatively consistent, up to 1.4 per 90 minutes from 1.3 in 2023-24. His shot-creating actions per 90 minutes have dipped from 3.3 last season to 2.8 so far under Maresca but, considering the big reduction in the volume of his touches and passes, these more decisive attacking actions represent a higher proportion of his overall contribution to Chelsea’s play.

Yet it is not as if Maresca has reinvented Fernandez as a Gundogan-style goalscorer from midfield, or even a hub of attacking creation: he has had only four shot attempts in 511 minutes played in the Premier League this season, with a cumulative expected goals (xG) value of 0.3. He does not have any assists either, an underperformance on one expected assist (xA).

There have still been sensational passing flashes from Fernandez in these opening weeks. Here he drops a little deeper to counter Brighton’s high press, receives a sharp pass from Levi Colwill on the half-turn, and slips Cole Palmer clean through on goal in a matter of seconds.

This one is classic Fernandez, manufacturing a great scoring chance out of nothing for Noni Madueke with a measured golf shot that drops into his stride in the six-yard box:

But too often it feels like Fernandez is simply occupying a plot of space in Chelsea’s attacking system, receiving the ball with his back to goal rather than with the game in front of him. This was a big problem when it happened under Pochettino because when the ball was lost, he was too far behind the developing opposition counter-attack to offer any form of assistance to Caicedo or the defenders behind him.

That is still the case this season, but Maresca’s deployment of a full-back in midfield next to Caicedo makes Chelsea less immediately vulnerable in transition. Fernandez can instead focus on helping win the ball back higher up the pitch and he has had some good moments in this regard — not least this tackle which led directly to a Madueke goal against Wolves.

Fernandez’s effort and energy are not in question. He presses as hard as his body will allow as part of Chelsea’s broader structure without the ball and he generally works hard to regain a more defensive midfield position nearer to Caicedo when the situation requires him to do so.

But he remains somewhat of a liability defensively. No player has been dribbled past more times than his 13 occasions in the Premier League this season. His body position often disadvantages him and he lacks the athletic explosiveness to keep up with most opponents in space.

Here is an example from the opening minute against Brighton. Fernandez makes a half-tackle without winning the ball, does not give up on the play and closes down the impressive Carlos Baleba, who easily wrong-foots him with a deft first touch and leaves him in the dust as he spins away upfield into space.

It is still preferable for Maresca to have Fernandez pressing higher up the pitch than guarding deeper areas because he too often provides insufficient resistance. Here, he moves across to confront the advancing Pervis Estupinan, but the Brighton left-back simply slips the ball through him into a dangerous shooting position for Baleba.

Fernandez is averaging more attempted tackles per 90 minutes (3.9) in the Premier League than any Chelsea player not named Caicedo this season, but his success rate is 40.9 per cent, only marginally better than Madueke (40 per cent). Caicedo, by comparison, wins the ball 70.4 per cent of the time.

Chelsea did not buy Fernandez to be a defensive force. In six months at Benfica and a handful of World Cup matches with Argentina, he appeared to be a highly polished deep-lying playmaker, capable of controlling matches for his teams at the highest level. That has not yet transpired consistently at Stamford Bridge, though it is fair to point out there has been very little control around him in his first two years.

In the early weeks of Maresca’s tenure, the challenge of accounting for Fernandez’s considerable strengths and significant weaknesses in midfield has become no simpler and the conversation about his importance to this team — and even his place in it — is unlikely to go away.

Good analysis and at the same time it contains the implicit "for the way we are setup."
If Maresca's goal is indeed going for City and Arsenal positional system, then the deep lying protectors aren't required to be that great at winning tackles. In that system, winning the ball back is the responsibility of the entire team, but all players need to be good in possession--don't think Enzo would have a problem in that system tbh.

[robsblubot 3,496]

Just now, NikkiCFC said:

He wants to enjoy single life. Which means chasing girls, going out to clubs... you think he will play better when this is his focus?

Worked for Ronaldinho and Ronaldo #9 just fine 😅

Seriously though, it's not a binary choice: family and/or church or the night life. Plenty of players can balance their single's life just fine. yes, you have players like Neymar who clearly struggled physically and it's obvious that his life style play a part.

[TheHulk 1,847]

3 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

He wants to enjoy single life. Which means chasing girls, going out to clubs... you think he will play better when this is his focus?

I don't think this is the whole story for divorcing his wife with which he has 2 children, just to "have some fun while young".

Edited October 31 by TheHulk

[DH1988 1,273]

4 hours ago, NikkiCFC said:

He wants to enjoy single life. Which means chasing girls, going out to clubs... you think he will play better when this is his focus?

Exactly what I came here to post after seeing this, what an absolute fool. Sad for her, my money would be on him going back years later and reconciling.

Grass is green where you water it and all that.

[Tomo 21,733]

6 hours ago, TheHulk said:

I don't think this is the whole story for divorcing his wife with which he has 2 children, just to "have some fun while young".

If they're marriage is unhappy/ran it's course than whatever the reason they are making the right call.

An unhappy/toxic marriage is the worst environment for children. Aslong as Enzo's still stepping up as a Dad it's a non issue and frankly none of our business.

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,918]

13 hours ago, DH1988 said:

Exactly what I came here to post after seeing this, what an absolute fool. Sad for her, my money would be on him going back years later and reconciling.

Grass is green where you water it and all that.

Going back groveling is likely if hes the regular guy, not so sure Enzo will though.

 

Enzo is a 23 year old playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world, the current World Cup and Copa America holders, and currently being eyed up by the best team in Europe. He's going to live in the clubs for at least the next few years at the very least. When he wants to start a family in 2031 or so when he most likely is done at the highest level he'll go get a woman, thats younger than his current wife is now, and have the kids he REALLY wants.  I dont know his character, but I guess we'll see it in how he deals with the current kids. I know when Patrice Evra threw away his childhood sweetheart and their kids he pretty much went no contact with them. Then his 11 year old daughter had to see how he dotes on his new daughter and son and ignores her and her older brother....nasty work. 

[milka 3,344]

He probably has the potential to be a solid player, but with proven players around him like he has in Argentina who help him shine at Chelsea, he doesn't have those players, and he should be a leader on the other hand, football in England is not his type and there is clearly no chemistry. If madrid want him give us Tchouameni .

Edited November 2 by milka

[robsblubot 3,496]

Eden Hazard was a family man who would be the polar opposite to Neymar lifestyle, and yet they had very similar issues on the pitch as players who simply refused to pay the price to become one of the selected few, to be an elite athlete.

Not worried about that, but it could indeed be playing a part in his current form. Going through a divorce can be taxing...