8. Enzo Fernandez

[NikkiCFC 8,049]

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 3,529]

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 3,529]

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 1,882]

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 1,304]

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 4,920]

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 3,349]

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 3,529]

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... 

[Fernando 6,484]

Much better game and with Caicedo. 

I always said it before buying them they was my dream pair. 

Hopefully that partners can grow into why I always wanted them both. 

[Vesper 29,012]

On 02/11/2024 at 23:36, robsblubot said:

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... 

If Neymar had not had the mumps in summer 2015, causing him to miss Barca's 2015 UEFA Super Cup win

he would be the first player to win every major club international continental trophy on TWO continents plus the World Club Championship

he won

(in South America with Santos):

Copa Libertadores: 2011

Recopa Sudamericana: 2012

and in Europe he won (with Barca):

UEFA Champions League: 2014–15

plus he won the FIFA World Club Cup in 2015 with Barca

 

that 2015 UEFA Super Cup game he missed was insane

best one ever

Edited November 23 by Vesper

[robsblubot 3,529]

3 hours ago, Vesper said:

If Neymar had not had the mumps in summer 2015, causing him to miss Barca's 2015 UEFA Super Cup win

he would be the first player to win every major club international continental trophy on TWO continents plus the World Club Championship

he won

(in South America with Santos):

Copa Libertadores: 2011

Recopa Sudamericana: 2012

and in Europe he won (with Barca):

UEFA Champions League: 2014–15

plus he won the FIFA World Club Cup in 2015 with Barca

 

that 2015 UEFA Super Cup game he missed was insane

best one ever

impressive career which only reflect how talented he was. He overstayed his welcome in Brazil which made him a bery big fish in a small pond tho.

he was also not the protagonist in that Barca trio; still fantastic there, but came up short when leading Brazil.

the issues were really injuries tho. Can always wonder what he might have done with just a bit more dedication to his physique. Same applies to Ronaldinho too.

Edited November 23 by robsblubot

[NikkiCFC 8,049]

2g 5a last 250 mins!

[TheHulk 1,882]

3 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

2g 5a last 250 mins!

And some actually wanted him sold.

[DH1988 1,304]

Uptick in form, let's see how the season pans out. No fan wants to see him do badly, that's nonsense, my opinion is that Lavia and Caicedo is the preferred partnering in CM, unless we are running with Caicedo at RB'ish.

[LAM09 6,777]

2 hours ago, TheHulk said:

And some actually wanted him sold.

We are only in December. If he continues to deliver the goods, those noises will quiet down. Right now, I still don't see him as a starter, providing everyone is fit.

[Vesper 29,012]

Chelsea unveil their blueprint to weaponise Enzo Fernandez

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5960392/2024/12/02/enzo-fernandez-Chelsea-maresca-caicedo/

It was hard to tell which moment Enzo Fernandez preferred: trapping Cole Palmer’s sharp pass and expertly lacing a low shot beyond Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to double Chelsea’s lead in the 36th minute at Stamford Bridge, or standing in his own half ready for the restart around 60 seconds later, raising the arm that bore the captain’s armband to acknowledge the resounding chants of his name emanating from the Matthew Harding Stand.

For most footballers, nothing beats the feeling of scoring a goal. But that sensation is usually intertwined with the adulation that flows down from the stands in the aftermath. Fernandez had precious little taste of either in a Chelsea shirt for the best part of 10 months before pouncing on Mads Hermansen’s parry with a composed header to wrap up a 2-1 win over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium last weekend.

Now it is two goals in two Premier League starts to follow an assist for Pedro Neto’s equaliser against Arsenal last month, the kind of emphatic response that suggests he took head coach Enzo Maresca’s recent decision to bench him personally in the best possible way. He was also in the right place to set up Nicolas Jackson’s opener against the Foxes.

Signs of an individual revival went beyond the goal. Fernandez’s performance bristled with the kind of energy and positive aggression that Chelsea collectively harnessed in their pressing and passing to overpower and overwhelm Villa. “Chelsea showed that this year is different,” visiting coach Unai Emery admitted afterwards. “They are feeling stronger. They have power and (their) capacity, it is higher.”

 

Maresca has found a way to exploit Fernandez’s talents (Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)

This is more like the player Chelsea believed they were signing from Benfica in January 2023 when they agreed to meet his £106million ($135m) buyout clause as the transfer deadline loomed. Much like the £115million paid to Brighton for Moises Caicedo the following summer, that fee is and likely always will be ludicrous; a millstone hung around his neck as he has tried and failed to live up to expectations inflated to an unreasonable level.

For much of 2024 he has looked lost, derailed more by the consequences of his own decisions — banned from driving after two speeding offences in Wales; forced to apologise to his own Chelsea team-mates after live streaming an offensive chant on the Argentina team bus following their Copa America triumph in July — than by any opponent. Even the public revelations about his separation from his wife in October contributed to a sense of overwhelming negative noise.

Maresca’s controversial move to make him captain on the pitch only served to intensify the debate about his suitability, turning every appearance into a referendum of sorts. Elevating the fit-again Romeo Lavia above him for the trip to Anfield to take on Liverpool in October felt like a potentially defining moment, the first serious exploration of what a Chelsea midfield might look like absent of one of Clearlake Capital’s marquee signings.

But without Fernandez on the pitch, life became more difficult for Chelsea in the final third. Malo Gusto is simply not respected by Premier League opponents as a scorer or creator in Maresca’s right pocket, meaning Manchester United and Arsenal could focus the bulk of their defensive resources on stopping Palmer. They largely succeeded in shutting him down.

 

Fernandez scores Chelsea’s second against Villa (Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Maresca’s experimental 3-1-5-1 alignment in possession against Leicester, with Fernandez and Joao Felix operating either side of Palmer in the creative line, alleviated that problem while reintroducing the broader challenge of balancing Chelsea’s defensive structure. It never seemed viable against more dangerous opposition, but the tweaks made for Villa’s visit to Stamford Bridge absolutely do.

What do you call picking a central midfielder at full-back, then asking him to invert into central midfield? It might be more a question for Tenet director Christopher Nolan than Maresca, but Chelsea’s structure against Villa allowed the Italian to maintain the “physicality” he feels is offered by the Caicedo-Lavia axis while also enjoying the fruits of Fernandez’s goal threat and creation at the top-left corner of his midfield box. It also allows Palmer to operate in the right pocket, the area in which his own spectacular talents are maximised.

Fernandez’s best attribute is his ball progression from deeper midfield areas, but it is easy to forget what first introduced him to the wider football public at the 2022 World Cup: darting into the penalty area from a short Argentina corner kick against Mexico, faking out an opponent with a deft stepover and curling a brilliant shot into the far corner. He has a real eye for goal, and all the technique he needs to find it on a relatively regular basis.

After the Villa win, Maresca confirmed he wants to weaponise that particular skill as often as he can. “More times he was in the right positions, inside the box, and we didn’t contact with him,” he said of Fernandez in his post-match press conference. “In the action that we scored, we contacted with him.

“It is very difficult to see goals from outside the box. Almost all of the goals come from inside the box, so we need the two wingers, the two attacking midfielders and the No 9 inside the box.”

The shot from Fernandez that doubled Chelsea’s lead was unleashed from just inside the Villa penalty area, and Maresca’s point was well made. Chelsea have not had a consistent goal threat from central midfield for several years (though Conor Gallagher made strides in that direction in the second half of last season) and they will need goals from a wide range of positions and personnel if this attack is truly to take off.

It has not always been easy to determine Fernandez’s role in Maresca’s system. But with the level of focus, fitness and form he has showcased in recent weeks, he is too valuable not to include in Chelsea’s strongest side.

GO DEEPER

The Briefing: Chelsea 3 Aston Villa 0 - the Palmer press, Fofana concern... and are Chelsea contenders?

[IMissEden 21]

Would love a chat with the social media morons, the kids, the engagement baiters and the parrots about Enzo right now.  Genuinely not more than a slither of a % of people understand basics.