It’s been over 18 months since Enzo Fernández first graced a Premier League pitch in Chelsea blue, and it’s fair to say that he has not yet lived up to his £105m price tag. Other than a fleeting 6 month period of promise under managerial failures Graham Potter and Frank Lampard, he has failed to find any consistent form. Many theories have arised to explain this underperformance, but they are starting to pile up too high, and the blame is starting to fall on Enzo’s shoulders.
These theories include his on-pitch relationship with teammate Moises Caicedo (who was bought a transfer window later for a similarly pricey fee), injury (a hernia injury he played with in 23/24), and misuse of him by managers (Pochettino in 23/24, and now Maresca this season).
These are all partly valid. In a pivot, Enzo is best paired with a ground eating #6, an OOP specialist with positional discipline and great ground duelling to mask his lack of mobility. He hasn’t found that partner yet, playing last season alongside Caicedo and Gallagher in a running-heavy system.
As for the injury, playing while injured will hamper anyone’s performance, especially a midfielder in Pochettino’s system. It was visibly effecting him as time went on, and he eventually got surgery in April.
Pochettino’s style is never going to get the best out of Enzo, injured or not, and a year of box-to-box duties under one of the most physically demanding coaches in the world has definitely changed his perception for the worse. Enzo Maresca replaced the former Spurs coach in the summer, and he was expected to get the best out of Enzo, within his positional system.
Enzo’s rare passing talent has led to a widely held opinion among the Chelsea fan base that he should be deployed deeper, as a ‘DLP’, part of the pivot in Chelsea’s 3-2 base. The idea in theory is sound; Enzo at the base, with most volume (touches) spraying passes with the most options available to him (facing play).
But, the reality in deep build up tells a different story. Enzo’s heavy/flat footing effect his receptions under pressure, and he lacks the nimbleness (that Caicedo/Lavia/Gravenberch possess) to slalom through defenders and break through aggressive presses with carries or quick combination play. In short & simple terms; Enzo is too flat footed and immobile to be the sole receiver in deep build up against high presses like Newcastle, which he showed in the Carabao Cup recently. When facing more passive presses alongside a more trusted pivot partner in Caicedo/Lavia, it might be a different story, but his inability to orchestrate fluid deep build-up against high presses should put the #6 calls to bed.
Another problem with Enzo’s skillset in the #6 is what he favours in possession, recycling or progression. Despite his passing ability, he isn’t a metronome, who can recycle, dictate tempo and slowly break blocks down. He always looks for the incisive pass, and is very progressive-favoured on the ball.
In a positional, poss. based system, it’s vital that the midfielders are able to dictate a slower tempo, and keep it ticking while sniffing opportunities for an advance. Enzo isn’t that player.
His talent is utilised better in an #8 role. Receiving outside the wave of pressure in unopposed space, for more time to receive the ball, process information and set himself for the line-breaking pass.
He has been deployed there by Maresca so far this season, in a 3-2-2-3, occupying the left half space. But despite his suitability for the role on paper, he has struggled to find form and has recently been dropped for the returning Romeo Lavia. The main issues with Enzo in this role are the physical requirements placed on him, the ‘dirty work’ of a conventional #8 that doesn’t suit him. Underlapping (providing separation w/ support runs for slower, less dynamic wingers like Sancho), box crashing, and leading the press are all things that the Argentine looks uncomfortable with.
Also, in Chelsea’s positional system under Maresca, the confined space he’s operating in doesn’t allow for the cleanest, best possible action from Enzo in advanced zones. This is mainly due to his inability to carry, win 1v1s (IP), and quickly receive on the half turn.
So, if a £105m midfielder has so many flaws, why was he so highly sought after and why have Chelsea persisted with him after over 18 months of underwhelming performances?
Enzo Fernández is the most talented midfielder in the Premier League. Throw any physical or systematic deficiency you want at him, he possesses talent like no other. He can change the shape and picture of the game in a moment. The weight of pass, the vision, the technique he holds should strike fear into any team in the planet.
He requires space to set himself for the action, to think and optimise his position for the pass without having to ride or absorb contact. This is part of the thought process of him in the double pivot; receive under less pressure (midfielders are more aggressive when block has been broken), able to drop between CBs to progress unchallenged. But because of the aforementioned reasons, he can’t be maximised there.
One solution for Enzo is more freedom. His strict positioning in the LCM role he plays at the moment allows for too much predictability. They mark him tightly, he can’t generate separation from a standstill and he is bullied out of the game.
The solution is freedom. Relieve him of positional rigidity, allow him to operate more freely in different zones during possession phases. Maresca’s introduction of inverting full-backs into the half space opens up new possibilities for the fluidity of the team despite their use of positional play, and rotations could get the best out of Enzo.
One potential setup Chelsea could use is a different RHS dynamic, with Gusto/James situationally inverting into the half-space or pivot, with Enzo filling in the suitable role left. This allows for flexibility within the shape, the shape remains the same but the roles change depending on phase and game state.
Enzo, without a strict positional role, can take up different, unpredictable roles on the pitch where he can create separation from his marker before he receives. This allows him to drop into the pivot during slower tempo game states, and control the game under less pressure with more options afforded to him.
Shifting him to RCM will benefit him; his natural, ball-playing game is more suited to the RHS. Receiving through the lines on the half turn and facing the flank with the ball shielded on his favoured right foot, ready to start attacks. This season, his right footedness at LCM has delayed his speed of action, forcing him inside and rendering unable to make the killer pass, limiting him to a safer, retentive poss. approach. At RCM, his ball-playing abilities should be fully maximised. Give him a dynamic back-line stretcher like Neto at RW and you increase his operating zone, and give him an energetic runner to target with his passes. Neto’s also excellent at generating separation individually with his athleticism and marker manipulation, without the need for Enzo’s labouring underlaps.
So, the solution. A RHS dynamic like Fofana—Gusto—Enzo—Neto, with vertical rotations between Enzo and Gusto to increase flexibility and adaptability. The problem with this is Cole Palmer, of course, Chelsea’s talisman who has mainly been deployed in the half spaces this season.
But, a half space combination of Palmer—Enzo has problems in high intensity Premier League matches. Both are best with positional freedom, and both are almost passenger-like out of possession. You can’t have both in a high press, especially one as flimsy as Chelsea’s.
Playing Palmer and Enzo in the half spaces should only return against weaker sides in the Premier League first, before the team are able to assert more control and can settle for consistent periods with territorial possession. Although, this may leave Maresca with a tricky dilemma if Enzo returns to his best form with Palmer maintaining his. Palmer or Enzo? Optimal dynamics or player politics? This really could pose a big problem.
Enzo will also inevitably benefit from the integration of Ugochukwu and Santos into the squad, possibly next year. Big space midfielders with better space coverage; pairing one with Enzo in the pivot is much more suitable than Caicedo or Lavia.
Conversations around Enzo Fernandez will continue to be had until the day he leaves the club; truly a super-talented, once in a generation passing talent who will end up at the top, wherever he goes. His deficiencies elsewhere have led many people to believe he’s just not made out for Premier League football, but Maresca and Chelsea have to continue to try; the potential best midfielder in the league is waiting for them.
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