Blues should keep hold of legend Dinho
FERNA OFFERS MORE THAN ON-THE-PITCH PERFORMANCE
WHEN Fernandinho looks back on his playing career, 2021/22 will probably not feature among his fondest memories.
The 36-year-old would have been under no illusions about his playing time when he signed a one-year contract extension at City in the summer. In the twilight of his career and with Rodri adapting to Pep Guardiola’s system, he knew he would not be playing every week.
What he probably didn’t envisage was the Blues’ terrible record in games he’s started. In those four matches, City have produced neither a win nor a goal. Ordinarily, that would be a sign that it’s time for a player to move on. After all, whenever Fernandinho has played he has looked every day of his 36 years.
But in reality, he is no ordinary man. Despite his unwanted record, City should do everything they can to keep him at the club.
The decision to hand the out-ofcontract Brazilian a one-year deal over the summer was likely because of two reasons: to provide cover for Rodri and because of his behindthe-scenes influence.
Fernandinho has been at City since 2014, and as well as becoming a fans’ favourite, is well-liked and respected by players and club staff. He’s one of the few first-team players whose time at City precedes that of Guardiola, so he really does know the club inside-out.
That comes in handy when helping new signings to find their feet in Manchester. Fernandinho has looked out for numerous new recruits over the years, the latest being 18-year-old Brazilian Kayky.
Fernandinho’s friendly and approachable manner, coupled with his vast playing experience, also makes him the perfect candidate to help bring academy players through into the first team.
Due to his international retirement, the veteran worked with City’s next generation during preseason and during international breaks, an invaluable experience for the youngsters. He’s even been spotted at City youth team fixtures not the behaviour of your average footballer.
Interestingly, a number of the club’s top young talents are midfielders. For the likes of Romeo Lavia, Tommy Doyle, James McAtee and Cole Palmer, there is probably no one better to get advice from than a man who has made more than 300 appearances at the heart of City’s midfield.
Then there are the antics of his
son, Davi Roza. Fernandinho junior might just be the biggest bert in the City fanbase.
He’s a top-level banter merchant on Instagram, with United proving to be the butt of many of his jokes.
The 11-year-old’s latest post, a black screen with the words ‘Bernardo Silva > Bruno Fernandes’ in the centre is the latest example of why Fernandinho and his family need to remain connected with City.
Certainly, the Roza family see no reason to leave Manchester.
“Me and my family are settled here and year by year, we learn more about the culture, the people, the way they like to live and how respectful they are,” Fernandinho recently told the club’s official website.
“My family are really happy. My son, he’s starting to play football now. I hope he can follow his dad’s path!”
On a serious note, there’s no denying that Fernandinho’s playing days at City look numbered.
Rodri finally looks like he has nailed down the starting holding midfield spot, and with Lavia waiting in the EDS, Doyle set to return from a loan spell at Hamburg at the end of the season and City rumoured to be interested in signing Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona, the Blues aren’t going to have a shortage of players in his position.
If City and Fernandinho do part ways at the end of the season, the club could do far worse than to offer him a coaching role.
Could we see Pep form a ‘good cop, bad cop’ coaching partnership with Fernandinho like he did with Mikel Arteta?
Who knows, but one thing is clear: Fernandinho is the kind of guy you want around your football club for a very, very long time.
Any club would be lucky to have him.