The Manchester City midfield balance is suffering because of one Enzo Maresca decision

The Manchester City midfield balance is suffering because of one Enzo Maresca decision It is no secret that Enzo Maresca was desperate to bring Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City. Fernandez was a key player for Maresca’s Chelsea side and Maresca was desperate to bring the World Cup winner with him to the Etihad. Maresca got his wish as City signed the Argentinian midfielder on deadline day in the summer. So far this season, Enzo Fernandez has been good in some matches for City and anonymous in others. Watching Enzo Fernandez, it is beginning to feel like he needs to play a less complicated role in Manchester City’s midfield. This would benefit him and City if Enzo Maresca can drop Fernandez in alongside Elliot Anderson in City’s engine room . Far too often this season, Enzo Fernandez has been left in no man’s land in the Manchester City midfield. Trying to establish what midfield role Enzo Fernandez is being tasked with playing by Enzo Maresca isn’t a straightforward process. Often, Enzo Fernandez is playing wide in midfield on the left or the right. The Argentinian midfielder is often in no man’s land in this role. He can’t get back defensively when City lose possession as he is too far forward, or he chooses not to. Or, he isn’t advanced enough to be a proper attacking threat. Simply put, this role isn’t working for Enzo Fernandez or Manchester City. Elliot Anderson is being left isolated as the number six in Manchester City’s midfield. Rayan Cherki as the ten isn’t being given the space he needs to prosper with Enzo Fernandez playing the role he is being tasked with. These factors combined see the City midfield look unbalanced. Fortunately, there looks to be a simple solution if Enzo Maresca is to persist with the Cherki, Enzo Fernandez and Anderson midfield trio. Enzo Fernandez needs to drop in as a number eight in City’s midfield for two reasons if Enzo Maresca is going to persist with him starting. Given how desperate Enzo Maresca was for Manchester City to sign Enzo Fernandez and the price City paid to sign him from Chelsea it seems unlikely that Enzo Fernandez will be dropped. Assuming that is the case the role that Enzo Fernandez should play seems obvious. Enzo Fernandez has to play alongside Elliot Anderson rather than in the advanced midfield he is playing. First, he will be more involved in the game. Fernandez is at his best when he is playing combative and feisty football. Playing in the heart of Manchester City’s midfield will bring this out of Enzo Fernandez. It will also allow him to be a box-crasher at the right moment with his late runs when the opportunity arises. Both of those traits are key to Enzo Fernandez’s game. Enzo Maresca has to get the best out of him in this regard. Also, dropping Enzo Fernandez deeper into midfield aids both of Rayan Cherki and Elliot Anderson. Cherki gets the space he needs to do what he does best. A box-crashing Enzo Fernandez becomes another option for Cherki to pick out. Also, Elliot Anderson can sit deeper as the six and not be forced to do absolutely everything. Yes, Enzo Fernandez isn’t particularly strong in duels. However, his presence in a deeper midfield role would slow up Manchester City’s opponents and allow Anderson and the City defence to get back into shape as he becomes a player for City’s opponents to bypass. It seems to be an obvious solution for Maresca to drop Enzo Fernandez deeper into midfield rather than playing in the pseudo number ten role he is currently playing. Final thoughts. Enzo Maresca has work to do over the international break to solve the Manchester City puzzle right now. Manchester City’s midfield looks to be the biggest issue at the moment. Playing Ayyoub Bouaddi as the six with Elliot Anderson more advanced looks to be the clearest and simplest solution to this issue. But that doesn’t look like the likely move that Maresca will make. Enzo Fernandez, Elliot Anderson and Rayan Cherki look to be Maresca’s preferred midfield. That option can work but not in its current guise. The solution seems to be to drop Enzo Fernandez in alongside Elliot Anderson. This gives City more balance in midfield and gets Enzo Fernandez more involved in the game. Secondly, it allows Enzo Fernandez to play to his strengths. This should benefit he and City if Enzo Maresca chooses to stick with the midfield trio that seems to be his first-choice midfield at this current time.