Graham Potter gave his assessment on £107m new boy Enzo Fernandez after making his Chelsea debut.
Chelsea head coach Graham Potter hailed Enzo Fernandez for his “magnificent” debut against Fulham after the £107million record signing made his first appearance in the goalless draw. The Argentinian enjoyed a fine first outing in a blue shirt just days after completing his switch from Benfica and the Blues coach praised the midfielder for his performance.
Potter threw Fernandez into his starting XI just three days after he signed from the Portuguese side and just two training sessions. But the occasion did not appear to faze the World Cup winner.
Fernandez was one of the players to catch the eye at Stamford Bridge, especially in the first half, after controlling the play in the midfield and had the most touches of any player.
The holding midfielder played a brilliant pass in the first half which allowed Mason Mount to play in Kai Havertz but the German fluffed his lines. Then in the second half, Fernandez nearly scored a scorcher from distance before it whistled past the post.
Graham Potter: The Chelsea boss praised Enzo Fernandez (Image: Getty Images)
Despite some critics questioning the money invested in the 22-year-old, Fernandez looked to have the potential to become a real star in west London and Potter was delighted with what he saw so early in his Chelsea career.
“I thought he handled himself magnificently,” Potter told reporters. “Tough game and you can see his quality, you can see what he’ll bring to the team.
“Not easy for him or for us because he hasn’t been with us that long, but you see how good he can be and how much he can improve the team. So excited with him.”
Fernandez’s debut was a bright spark on a slightly disappointing evening for the Blues, who missed several chances to take all three points in their west London derby against the resilient Fulham.
Havertz hit the post in the first half after seeing his lobbed effort come back off the woodwork, while fellow debutant David Datro Fofana saw his brilliant solo effort cleared off the line by Tim Ream. The stalemate means Chelsea have now scored only 22 goals from 21 games this season, and Potter admitted their attacking prowess is lacking.
“I think a lot of positivity and good feeling, especially from the start of the game. The crowd helped with that as well, and within the team there is a good feeling,” Potter said. “But I agree, we didn’t do enough in our attacking play to create more, which is something we need to do.
I think you saw a team against us who defend very well and are very organised. That bit of connection, bit of fluidity, at the standard you need we lacked a bit which is understandable because we’ve got players coming back from injury and new players in the team. That’s just where we’re at at the moment.”
Chelsea owner Todd Boehly’s reaction from stands during drab Fulham draw says it all
Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly cut a frustrated figure as he was caught on camera watching from the stands during the Blues’ goalless draw with Fulham on Friday evening. The American billionaire, along with Clearlake Capital, has pumped an unprecedented £600million worth of transfer investment into the club over the past few months.
SOURCE: express.co.uk
