Midfielder “incapable of dictating a game” and winger with “no end product” – B team Blues savaged | OneFootball

While Enzo Maresca’s assessment of yesterday’s game was very positive, most people watching the match, whether Chelsea fan, Newcastle fan or neutral, came to very different conclusions.

“The most important thing, as we always say, is the result but the performance… we lost the game because of 10 minutes after the first goal and then for the rest, we were quite good,” said Maresca after the game, hoping to deny the evidence of our own eyes.

Yes Chelsea came back into it more once the home team were two goals up – but that’s because they were happy to sit deeper and defend their lead. When it was 0-0, they pushed high up and made us really uncomfortable. Maresca is being very generous to say his team were good even at 0-0.

Enzo Maresca addresses tactical questions from the media.

Journalist slams Enzo, Felix and others

Liam Twomey of the Athletic agrees, and his assessment of some of the players on display summed up their situations. There’s a reason some of these guys are currently in the B team, after all.

Enzo Fernandez has recently been dropped from the league team, and this performance showed why. He “currently seems incapable of dictating a game,” wrote Twomey. That’s a problem, given that’s exactly what we paid £105m for him to do.

He’s not the only one who frustrated: Joao Felix had his standard game when he plays anyone better than Conference League fodder of “nice touches and no end product.”

Meanwhile Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall looked “ill at ease” and Christopher Nkunku was “oddly subdued” as he was made to try and do his best Nicolas Jackson impression leading the line. That’s not his game at all, and it showed.

The less said about the defenders and goalkeepers the better, given the state of the two goals we conceded.