Theo Hernandez, once a devastating full-back and the best in the world in what he does, is now in a negative period.
There are still flashes of brilliance, but his recent form has been inconsistent. He has fluctuated between strong and weak displays. This left the fans frustrated as they expect a lot more from him.
Theo wants to respond to criticism on the pitch
There couldn’t be a better opportunity to showcase his true skills than the big match at San Siro between Milan and Juventus, scheduled for Saturday at 6:00 PM CET. Fonseca will start him after the international break, during which he played against Israel but was left out for Italy.
What's the reason behind the decline in Theo Hernandez' performances?
According to France’s coach Didier Deschamps, the reason for Hernandez's decline is psychological. The player needs to work on his mental approach to return to being the top performer he once was: resetting everything at the end of each match and starting fresh in the next one, with full intensity and a 100% desire to win.
It’s not just the knee issue. For Deschamps, there’s also a mental strain that shouldn’t be underestimated. The focus is on the sheer number of matches Theo plays, taking the field every three days between league and cup competitions:
"Physical fatigue has always existed, but the tough one to manage is psychological fatigue."
Perhaps Paulo Fonseca considered this as well when he left Theo out of the starting lineup against Lazio, only bringing him on during the second half before the infamous cooling break.
Fabiano Parisi is an idea for AC Milan as a backup for Theo Hernandez
To get the best out of Theo, the solution might be to give him some rest in certain matches so he can be at his peak in big games.
For that to happen, the coach needs a proper backup for Hernandez—an alternative for the left flank that could come from the transfer market to avoid adapting players accustomed to the opposite side of the pitch.
One name linked with AC Milan for January is Fabiano Parisi, a 2000-born player who is actually struggling right now for game time at Raffaele Palladino's Fiorentina since Cristiano Biraghi and Robin Gosens are ahead of him.
Head coach Paulo Fonseca is reportedly very keen on Fabiano Parisi, and a loan deal could be the right approach to convince both clubs to negotiate.
With an additional left-back, Theo Hernandez would finally have the chance to rest occasionally, with the goal of returning to his best form, as relayed via Calciomercato.com.
