The experienced defender has been in inspired form in Serie A with Roma; a far cry from his displays in the Premier League in Tottenham Hotspur colours.
When Tottenham Hotspur fans cast their mind back to the lumbering, dawdling, mistake-a-minute performances of Federico Fazio at White Hart Lane, the word ‘undroppable’ is not the first exclamative that comes to mind.
Yet, that is precisely the term Roma coach Luciano Spalletti used to describe the on-loan Argentine after their 1-0 win at Genoa last month. Fazio was indeed impressive; mustering 11 clearances and four interceptions as part of the capital club’s unbreachable back three.
However, this is no way suggests that Fazio deserves a second chance at White Hart Lane despite the nervy performances of Kevin Wimmer in Jan Vertonghen’s injury enforced absence.
After all, it didn’t take long to realise that the centre-back was very much ill-suited to the demands of the English game. 67 minutes in fact. By which point Fazio had given away a penalty for a tug on the rampant Sergio Aguero, receiving his marching orders in a 4-1 debut Etihad thrashing.
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Fazio made his name as one of La Liga’s most underrated defenders with Sevilla for his intelligent positional sense and excellent aerial ability, not so much his ability to outpace rapid centre-forwards or play out from the back. Therefore, he was at odds with Mauricio Pochettino’s demands, and defensive high line, from day one.
Instead, the slower pace of the Italian and Spanish games suit him to a tee. Like so many of Tottenham’s signings in recent seasons, the league and player proved a complete mismatch.
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Undroppable in Italy, unsuitable in England.
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