Peterborough United Defender Rumoured to Join Scottish Giants: What Can Rangers Expect and What Does This Mean for Posh?

Rumours circulating today suggest that Peterborough United defender Emmanuel Fernandez has entered talks with Russell Martin’s Rangers regarding a potential permanent move from London Road to Ibrox.

Photo credit: Joe Dent

So, Rangers fans, what can you expect from Fernandez? If the deal goes through, you’ll have a highly promising young defender on your hands. His talent is raw but undeniable, and with the right coaching and patience, he has the potential to reach a very high ceiling.

Strengths

Fernandez has many strengths that will positively impact the Rangers defence, his biggest being his height. Standing at 6ft 4in Fernandez was not only an aerial monster winning 106 aerial duels (64.2% success rate) but also became a handful to mark in the box when attacking a set piece. Fernandez scored five goals last season, three of which came from corners all scored with his head. For a team that struggled to create from corner kicks specifically that number is impressive and again highlights his dominance aerially.

His strengths do not stop there, Fernandez's composure and ability to calmly sweep up loose balls and remain calm under intense pressing situations was both impressive and sometimes frightening. Regardless of the situation Fernandez looked collected and unbothered by the threats which means a lot of the time Fernandez was able to beat off a press purely because he was unfazed by the pressure. It also aids him when on the occasion he goes on a marauding run through midfield and drives the ball up the pitch. Fernandez has 14 successful dribbles this season (60% success rate) and has 41 touches in the opposition box which indicates his attacking prowess. 

Weaknesses

It has to be said though that this composure was a double-edged sword to Fernandez’s game giving Posh fans many “heart in mouth” moments usually from a decision making stand point on whether to clear the ball from danger or pass the ball along the back line or to the goalkeeper. 

Fernandez’s ball playing ability is also not up to the standard that Ferguson would like and could be the reason he fell out of favour for that starting spot when Hughes came through the door in January. His statistics show a different story with 1492 passes and an 86% success rate, but this statistic is higher than what meets the eye as in Peterborough's system the centre backs are tasked with recycling the ball before laying it off into midfield to build from there, rather than looking to do anything with it. This is backed up through Fernandez’s long ball accuracy statistic being at a low 28.6% which is in the 14th percentile of League One centre backs. 

Fernandez’s disciplinary record simply has to be mentioned as in 30 appearances in League One he committed 40 fouls, and earned himself seven yellow cards and two red cards in the process. Again this is not the cleanest record for a centre back in League One, but discipline is usually something that can be ironed out and I wouldn’t be too worried about it if I was a Rangers fan looking in.

Max’s Thoughts on Fernandez

The fanbase, in my view, is yet to see the best of Fernandez. His most complete performance came in the Vertu Trophy final against Birmingham City, where he helped the team keep a clean sheet and secure the trophy against a side that broke nearly every League One record that season. 

The inconsistency shown this season does not reflect on Fernandez’s true ability, albeit he was very poor more times than he was very good. With the right coaching and patience I cannot see why this would be a poor move for Rangers, and will be an excellent addition to Russell Martin's defensive troops.

A change of defensive plans at Peterborough United?

Peterborough have recently bolstered their defensive ranks, bringing the experienced Sam Hughes back to the club on a three-year deal. With Oscar Wallin, Emmanuel Fernandez, George Nevett, and now Sam Hughes as their core centre-back options, it appeared that Posh had completed their defensive rebuild. However, Fernandez's potential departure suggests otherwise and raises the question: what will Peterborough do next to reinforce their backline if a likely first-choice centre-back is on his way out?

Peterborough struggled defensively last season after losing Josh Knight and Ronnie Edwards to Hannover 96 and Southampton, respectively. Fernandez and Wallin, who were tasked with filling that void, often looked fragile and inconsistent. For Posh, this move would bring in funds and mark another successful development of a young talent sold to a top-division club. For Fernandez, it's an exciting opportunity to join a bigger club after missing out on a January move to Norwich, with the added bonus of playing in the Scottish Premiership and potentially in European competition.