The Misunderstood Role of Enzo Fernandez

I find it exhausting to engage in discussions with football fans who lack a deeper understanding of the game. Many fans simply watch matches without grasping the intricacies of positions, formations, and tactics. While not everyone can play at an elite level, studying the game can be done with the same dedication as studying physics at university.

A prime example is Chelsea fans’ criticism of Enzo Fernández, calling for his removal from the team. They fail to recognize that every coach he’s played under has started him. Fernandez is a deep-lying midfielder, not a traditional central midfielder (CM) or defensive midfielder (DM). His role is to initiate attacks or maintain possession, not control the tempo or win balls.

To illustrate this, consider legendary deep-lying midfielders like Pirlo and Alonso, who always played alongside a CM and DM. Fernandez had this support at Benfica and with the Argentina national team. His job is not to tackle or make key passes, but to complement the DM(De Paul or Peredes) and CM(McAllister).

It’s frustrating that fans don’t understand this. Instead of blaming Fernandez or the coaches, they should criticize the team’s recruitment for failing to sign suitable players to play alongside him. Fernandez is a talented deep-lying midfielder, but he’s being played out of position. This is reminiscent of Pogba’s situation at Manchester United.

Chelsea fans should be reasonable with Fernandez and urge the board to sign a quality CM. The team lacks a skilled CM, and expecting Fernandez to fill this role is unfair. With the recent signing of Caicedo, the next step is to find a suitable CM, which may mean reevaluating the roles of Nkunku and Palmer. By doing so, Chelsea can unlock Fernandez’s true potential.