Tim Sherwood says that Chelsea vice-captain Enzo Fernández has changed into a player who only cares about himself and not his teammates. The former manager of Tottenham Hotspur gave a harsh review of the Argentine midfielder after the Blues’ problems on the pitch continued with a 3-0 loss to Brighton. The 25-year-old World Cup winner has already hinted that he plans to leave the Blues this summer.
On Tuesday, Brighton beat Chelsea 3-0 at the Amex Stadium, which put Chelsea in seventh place and seven points behind the Champions League qualification spots with only four games left. Fernández had just come back from a two-match internal suspension for comments he made in which he openly flirted with a move to Real Madrid during the March international window.
Speaking about the captain, Sherwood said:
“He wanted to make a show, this is not someone who I wanted to see with an armband on. He wants to leave the club. He stuck his chest out, he stood there, he made a stand, mate, make a stand when the game is on, do something about it, lead your players, you’re an individual who plays for himself.
“He’s probably there talking to the coaching staff trying to blame everyone else around him, that ain’t what leaders do, they galvanise their teammates, they make sure they’re organised, he has to know when he’s on that pitch what Liam Rosenior wants, and he has to try and implement it on the pitch for his manager.”
Sherwood’s harsh words add to the general worry about the Argentine, whose £107 million move from Benfica in 2023 was meant to start a new era at Stamford Bridge. After the failed Real Madrid saga, John Obi Mikel said the midfielder was “not a leader,” which added to the growing chorus of doubt.
Rosenior Fighting to Salvage Chelsea’s Nosediving Season
Liam Rosenior’s position has grown increasingly precarious after another chastening defeat on the south coast. The travelling supporters directed X-rated chants at their own manager in the second half, while Brighton’s home fans mockingly sang Rosenior’s name in recognition of his coaching roots at the Amex.
Chelsea failed to muster a single shot on target, compounding misery for a side that have won just one of their last seven outings across all competitions. Injury problems have only deepened the Blues’ trauma during this collapse. Attacking trio Cole Palmer, Estêvão, and João Pedro were all unavailable for the Brighton humbling, while teenage sensation Estêvão reportedly faces a race against time to feature again this term.
Rosenior’s attacking options are looking threadbare just as the FA Cup semi-final against Leeds United at Wembley approaches on April 26. With Nottingham Forest, Liverpool, Tottenham, and Sunderland still to navigate in the league, Chelsea’s slim hopes of sneaking into the top five now hinge on a dramatic collapse elsewhere.
A first major trophy under Rosenior could paper over the cracks temporarily and buy precious time for the embattled head coach. However, anything short of silverware in the FA Cup could leave the Stamford Bridge hierarchy weighing up deeply uncomfortable decisions in the summer.