I love a truly honest assessment by a player, and Enzo Fernandez has done just that this week after helping Chelsea win the Fifa Club World Cup!
Fernandez has admitted that he ‘couldn’t cope’ in the early stages of his Chelsea career.
You know what? He joined Chelsea during such a turmoil and toxic time at the club. We were 12th, recently been taken over, and going fully into the unknown realms. Fernandez still decided to join the club. For that, he will always get my respect.
But the Argentine midfielder truly did struggle with form and to make any kind of impact at Chelsea. People started questioning his price tag, some fans were turning on him, and it wasn’t looking great. It was a tough time to play for Chelsea too in those months and years, so that would have played a part.
But we could all see what the biggest issues were, and the main one was the Premier League being too fast and too physical for what he was used to. And it wasn’t just us making poor judgements there, Fernandez has admitted that this was the issue when he first arrived in a very honest admission after winning the CWC.
Fernandez said: “When I joined, I knew I was coming to a very big institution like Chelsea, that was in a difficult situation, but the owner showed me his projects, what he had in mind for the future, and I think today we’re finding that, so I’m very happy.
“The first years were hard for me, I had a bad time. I really wasn’t feeling well, I wasn’t okay with myself. I didn’t feel comfortable during matches. I had to start training more, preparing more during the week, and doing extra training sessions,
“Honestly, I think the pace of the Premier League isn’t played anywhere else in the world. I couldn’t cope, in the first year, I felt like I just couldn’t keep up. I wasn’t feeling well, and I even suffered injuries and everything, That’s when the work began. I started contacting trainers until I found the right one. I felt good for two or three weeks, and over time, I started seeing results and feeling good on the pitch.
“Nowadays, I think I’ve achieved something very good on a personal level this season. And very good things in terms of assists, goals, and titles with the club, that’s what I’d been looking for since I arrived.”
It’s very big of him to be so honest and let’s hope he stays happy and stays in the form he’s been in this season, which has by far been his best yet as a Blue.
It’s also refreshing to see that players can adapt and it’s a good example of why sometimes, some players do just need that time to settle.
He’s been brilliant this season and shows why we were all so excited when we signed him. In the almost 5 years since we have been running this community, the Enzo Fernandez to Chelsea done deal article remains the most liked and commented on!
