100 million on a championship level player, only turns it on against relegation clubs and championship and div 1 levels... Got to move him on in the summer.

1 hour ago, bluetrooper said:

100 million on a championship level player, only turns it on against relegation clubs and championship and div 1 levels... Got to move him on in the summer.

I think Championship level player is harsh but agree with the rest of your sentiment. Too limited to be a game winner by himself, realistically a £50m player and we'd be happy. Probably shouldn't be starting assuming Caicedo, Lavia & Santos are available.

19 hours ago, axman2526 said:

Will see how they cope vs Newcastle, Arsenal, Pool and even Spurs. Nothing impressive iimpressive doing it with championship sides and conference league cannon fodder.

I think he's been good since the turn of the year, played particularly well v Villa and Bournemouth who are around our level under this manager but yes some tough run of games coming up for him to prove himself.

Seems to me like the board has told him that they want him to be the face of the club and he has embraced it. Regardless of his performance, he does seem to be stepping up in terms of leadership and hard work.

7 minutes ago, yaz said:

Seems to me like the board has told him that they want him to be the face of the club and he has embraced it. Regardless of his performance, he does seem to be stepping up in terms of leadership and hard work.

Aye looks like it, hence him being vice captain, therefore most of the time actual captain.

Another odd call making someone heavily involved in an incident of racism, bit that seems to have been quickly forgotten. Helps when the media are in BlueCos pockets.

4 hours ago, Ukraine Bolt said:

I think Championship level player is harsh but agree with the rest of your sentiment. Too limited to be a game winner by himself, realistically a £50m player and we'd be happy. Probably shouldn't be starting assuming Caicedo, Lavia & Santos are available.

Just hope he keeps up his performance levels. All I think I want to see. Would love to see him move to a Madrid side... they have some players we could use.

He's just ok really isn't he ? When you pay that sort of money you expect a lot more .

2 hours ago, The Rising Sun said:

He's just ok really isn't he ? When you pay that sort of money you expect a lot more .

Second to that. I mean he's not a bad player for most teams. But after almost 2 seasons with the club, had to see a 100M player in him, Would I believe an European ( or Saudi) giant bid 100M+ for him? I will only believe it when I see it.

Can't believe we paid whatever for the Argentinian version of Scott McTominay

I don't expect a bloke who walked out on his wife and kids to commit to our club for very long

They’re back together.

7 hours ago, SydneyChelsea said:

Can't believe we paid whatever for the Argentinian version of Scott McTominay

I don't expect a bloke who walked out on his wife and kids to commit to our club for very long

I see him as more of a "Fred" than a "McTominay" ... LOL

BBC Sport

Football gossip: Fernandez, Tchouameni, Huijsen, Gibbs-Wh...

Real Madrid are interested in a move for Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who the Blues could allow to leave as part of a swap deal for Aurelien Tchouameni, plus more.

This needs to happen...

To be honest, I haven't been very impressed by Tchouameni the few times I've seen him, especially last CL game against Atlético.

10 hours ago, bluetrooper said:

BBC Sport

Football gossip: Fernandez, Tchouameni, Huijsen, Gibbs-Wh...

Real Madrid are interested in a move for Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who the Blues could allow to leave as part of a swap deal for Aurelien Tchouameni, plus more.

This needs to happen...

The most optimal starting 11 does not include him, that’s the reality of it. If Lavia wasn’t perpetually out, and Santos hadn’t been loaned out, we’d have got to that conclusion a lot quicker. I’d be shell shocked if Madrid are genuinely interested in him, and if so, there is no doubt our sporting directors will be delusional and ask for the moon; making a deal a non-starter.

The funny thing is that under Poch we only improved when he got injured and Poch couldn't play him. That is really telling.

Really really average player. I pray that Madrid actually want him for some reason and we can move him on before Santos arrives.

His price tag means that he has to start every game he's fit.

He’s been here for long enough to show us his talent and well, he’s dogsh*t.

I think both Enzo and Nkunku need to be the first ones out the door in my opinion.

Both of them are unique components that don't fit any modern football system, and its evident they aren't physically tailored to the Premier League.

Putting myself out there for a slating now, but i really don't see him as top of the list of issues tbh.

We have a cupboard full of goalkeepers none of which seem to be up to the job, a defence full of players that are not yet good enough to even be mediocre, our decent players are pretty much all injury prone, we have a manager that is a complete fraud, swinging between revisionist and liar periodically with a grand plan that would be a universal cure for insomnia and an overarching club policy enacted by two complete morons that appears to be the footballing equivalent to child trafficking (I am sure the reason why these players have medicals is to check that their pubes aren't in yet).

Fernandez has some issues and maybe a bit of a checkered past since joining us, but sorry, i don't even have him in my top half of my priority list.

1 hour ago, Sconnie Blue said:

I think both Enzo and Nkunku need to be the first ones out the door in my opinion.

Both of them are unique components that don't fit any modern football system, and its evident they aren't physically tailored to the Premier League.

Not gonna lie mate, if this is a modern football system then I want no part of it, it's complete sh*te. Enzo will flourish in pretty much any other top club imo.

40 minutes ago, WhiteWall said:

Putting myself out there for a slating now, but i really don't see him as top of the list of issues tbh.

We have a cupboard full of goalkeepers none of which seem to be up to the job, a defence full of players that are not yet good enough to even be mediocre, our decent players are pretty much all injury prone, we have a manager that is a complete fraud, swinging between revisionist and liar periodically with a grand plan that would be a universal cure for insomnia and an overarching club policy enacted by two complete morons that appears to be the footballing equivalent to child trafficking (I am sure the reason why these players have medicals is to check that their pubes aren't in yet).

Fernandez has some issues and maybe a bit of a checkered past since joining us, but sorry, i don't even have him in my top half of my priority list.

I would imagine it's the price tag and how that influences managers to have to pick him that has people irate. I agree with you personally, he's pretty low priority when it comes to all our issues.

42 minutes ago, WhiteWall said:

Putting myself out there for a slating now, but i really don't see him as top of the list of issues tbh.

We have a cupboard full of goalkeepers none of which seem to be up to the job, a defence full of players that are not yet good enough to even be mediocre, our decent players are pretty much all injury prone, we have a manager that is a complete fraud, swinging between revisionist and liar periodically with a grand plan that would be a universal cure for insomnia and an overarching club policy enacted by two complete morons that appears to be the footballing equivalent to child trafficking (I am sure the reason why these players have medicals is to check that their pubes aren't in yet).

Fernandez has some issues and maybe a bit of a checkered past since joining us, but sorry, i don't even have him in my top half of my priority list.

3 minutes ago, timetowaste said:

Not gonna lie mate, if this is a modern football system then I want no part of it, it's complete sh*te. Enzo will flourish in pretty much any other top club imo.

Think I said this before but if he had joined City instead of us people would be upset we missed out on him.

I don't think Enzo has ever been put in a position to actually succeed, he's been used in a variety of roles in midfield. We currently have him playing right wing when he pushes up. Closest was under Potter and no surprise that's probably been his best run for us so far.

2 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

I think both Enzo and Nkunku need to be the first ones out the door in my opinion.

Both of them are unique components that don't fit any modern football system, and its evident they aren't physically tailored to the Premier League.

Don't think it's league specific at all, sometimes a player just doesn't suit a team.

Not sure what you mean by modern football system, it's not like he's never had a good game for us. Physically he is fine, covers lots of ground, wins tackles at times he has no right to, etc so I don't agree with you there.

21 minutes ago, timetowaste said:

Not gonna lie mate, if this is a modern football system then I want no part of it, it's complete sh*te. Enzo will flourish in pretty much any other top club imo.

6 minutes ago, Remodez said:

Don't think it's league specific at all, sometimes a player just doesn't suit a team.

Not sure what you mean by modern football system, it's not like he's never had a good game for us. Physically he is fine, covers lots of ground, wins tackles at times he has no right to, etc so I don't agree with you there.

You can't play him in a 4231/433 unless there is a DM supporting him, and traditional DMs that actually sit in front of the defense are a dying breed. He's had more bang average games than good games and a lot of it is down to his own limitations.

• He's ineffective playing as a CAM or the advanced midfielder.

• He's defensively awful when in transition. Players bypass him with ease.

• He isn't press resistant to play as the deepest midfielder (both Poch, Scaloni and Maresca identified that).

He's not like MacAllister for example who can play anywhere in the midfield 3 given he has the pace and technical ability to do so.

31 minutes ago, Remodez said:

Don't think it's league specific at all, sometimes a player just doesn't suit a team.

Not sure what you mean by modern football system, it's not like he's never had a good game for us. Physically he is fine, covers lots of ground, wins tackles at times he has no right to, etc so I don't agree with you there.

He's incredibly slow and so easy to bypass in midfield. Very rarely is successful in a tackle.

Enzo has, I believe, a hit for ffp of 11mill per season for his 9.5 year deal.

That would mean 28.5mill of 105mill has been amortized by the summer, leaving 76.5 mill book value, there abouts.

I don't think BlueCo will want to move him on so soon after making him captain.maybe in 2 or 3 years when his book value will make a book profit more possible.

Santos has earned the right to return and be a starter, imo, alongside Caicedo. If Enzo also must start then we should switch to a 433, and have a manager in mind that plays that way lined up for after the CWC.