Tribal Football

Maresca still trying to work out midfield balance

Maresca still trying to work out midfield balance
Maresca still trying to work out midfield balanceAction Plus
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has attempted to decipher the riddle of his star midfielder. 

The Blues have constantly been searching for Argentine Enzo Fernandez's best position since he joined the club. 

Advertisement
Advertisement

Maresca admits that finding the balance between attacking and defending as a midfielder is not easy. 

He told reporters this week: "I think it's very, very difficult in the way we play to find a midfielder that can attack like an attacking midfielder and defend like a holding midfielder. For instance, Arsenal is using Declan Rice, playing on the ball as an attacking midfielder and defending like a holding midfielder, City in the past have done with (Ilkay) Gundogan; attacking like an attacking midfielder and defending like a holding midfielder. 

"In our case, we are trying to find the balance and find the players that can give us this kind of solution. At the moment, Enzo is the only one that when we have the ball is playing like an attacking midfielder and off the ball is dropping next to Moi (Caicedo) and trying to help us with defensive balance. 

"The first game, for instance, we used Romeo (Lavia) and Moi as holding midfielders. Enzo is at this moment playing on the ball as an attacking midfielder and off the ball as a holding midfielder - and he is doing very good with us so the idea is to continue with that."