Paul Merson has taken aim at Chelsea over their ‘crazy’ decision to ban Enzo Fernandez and labelled Liam Rosenior’s team ‘cringeworthy’ in defeat to Manchester City.
The Blues have lost three Premier League games on the spin and at the moment are in a battle to qualify for any European football next season.
Chelsea sit sixth within the table after their 3-0 home loss to Manchester City, 4 points behind fifth-placed Liverpool, but just one point ahead of Brentford and Everton.
Rosenior admitted after the loss that his team are vulnerable to capitulating after conceding a goal, having watched Manchester City rating three in 17 minutes on Sunday.
Merson feels this trait is ‘cringeworthy’ and likewise reckons the club has given itself an issue by banning midfielder Fernandez.
The Blues handed the Argentina international a two-game ban for making eyebrow-raising comments a couple of possible move to Real Madrid.
The previous Arsenal and England forward has labelled the choice ‘crazy’ and reckons it could cost Chelsea a Champions League finish.
‘It’s an enormous issue in the event that they don’t qualify for the Champions League, but if you happen to have a look at it in the intervening time, they will probably be sweating on moving into Europe full stop,’ Merson told Sky Sports. ‘They need to be playing within the Champions League, but for me, yesterday [against Man City] was cringeworthy. I’m asking the query “why”?
‘Why in your brain of brains would you ban Enzo Fernandez for 2 games? He’s your best passer of the ball, the one who can create, and also you chop your nose off to spite your face. And it’s not the FA banning him, it’s the club. It’s crazy at the very best level. They were crying out for him yesterday; they couldn’t get out.
‘Who banned Enzo? Was it the manager, or did that come from up above? You’ve got to make use of a little bit of common sense and say “we want all our greatest players”.
‘This can be a hard job; persons are questioning the manager. The final thing you desire to do is tell certainly one of your best players they will’t play in the massive game. It’s madness. Common sense isn’t at all times common, is it?’
Rosenior could have Fernandez available again when Chelsea host Manchester United on Saturday, with the manager more than happy to have him back.
‘I’m looking forward to having him back next week,’ said the Chelsea boss. ‘Sometimes you make decisions not based on the short term, but on what you desire to see in the long run.
‘It was a long-term decision made by myself, the administrators and the club, alongside the leadership group of players, to ensure that our values and our culture are in the fitting place for the long run.’
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Fernandez caused a stir along with his comments a couple of possible move to Madrid during an in an interview with YouTube channel Avirales, when he was questioned on which city he would love to live in.
‘I’d wish to live in Spain. I actually like Madrid, it jogs my memory of Buenos Aires,’ Fernandez said.
‘Players live where they need. I’d live in Madrid. I get by in English, but I’d be more comfortable in Spanish.’
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