I don’t even suppose Kepa Arrizabalaga was dangerous towards Brighton on Sunday morning, and as all the time, the snippet highlights reels of him from our ‘personal followers’ exhibiting solely the ‘dangerous bits’ is simply ridiculous and doesn’t assist something or anybody.
In fact, we must always voice our views on issues, and that’s precisely what I’m doing right here. However I additionally wish to try to do not forget that Kepa has truly been tremendous professional at our membership and we’ve to respect that. He’s by no means moaned, by no means gone to the press, by no means achieved any silly interviews, and every time he has been requested to play he has are available in and achieved his greatest regardless of shedding his primary place to Edouard Mendy, who has now sarcastically been bought!
It’s not his fault that he has a brief attain and simply isn’t ok to be a primary goalkeeper at Chelsea. I do suppose while providing criticism to those gamers, it’s necessary to try to respect them as people as nicely – one thing that I attempt to be extra conscious of the older I get. Romelu Lukaku actually pushes that barrier, however Kepa isn’t any Lukaku and I feel it’s necessary to do not forget that.
Some Chelsea followers actually appear to hate Kepa. However I definitely don’t hate the man, I simply don’t price him, and I do know that many different Chelsea followers really feel this fashion and might be offended if we don’t signal a brand new primary.
I’m nonetheless vastly pissed off that we’re not listening to any stable information on a brand new goalkeeper coming in. Not even something stable on a backup choice, despite the fact that it ought to be a brand new primary coming in and never a backup.
On the opposite aspect of this, I’m additionally questioning and hoping that the silence might be factor and one thing is being labored on behind the scenes. It’s clear to see of late with how a few of these strikes have simply come out of nowhere (Kudus and Olise), that Chelsea are actually attempting to maintain issues as quiet as they probably can. And possibly that’s why we’re listening to inconsistent and contrasting studies on the Moises Caicedo deal.
In order that hope is conserving me as optimistic as potential on this and as I all the time say, there’s no means I’m judging a switch window till it bodily closes.
However as a lot as I respect Kepa, there isn’t any means we must always even be considering going into one other season with him as our primary stopper. If anybody, and I don’t even care if Mauricio Pochettino’s goalkeeping coach thinks Kepa is nice, but when anybody thinks Kepa is an effective sufficient choice to the primary goalkeeper for a membership who wish to be on the very prime once more, then I’ve critical questions for them.
By all means if Kepa desires to remain as backup then tremendous, I’m content material with that. However we must be going all out for a brand new primary as precedence, and for me it’s not even a rattling debate.
I didn’t even suppose Kepa’s distribution was that dangerous towards Brighton and I truly gave him an OK write up in my report. However once I seemed again and dissected it some extra, there was some clear errors there. However that’s not even my major concern with Kepa. My major concern is his lack of pure attain. He concedes so many objectives {that a} goalkeeper with an extended attain would save. He has no presence on crosses, and he’s horrible at saving from long-range.
Folks say he’s shot-stopper from shut vary and I agree, he’s. However then why can’t we’ve a goalkeeper who is nice at saving from close-range, in addition to being good at saving from long-range, has attain on him, and dominates his field? Is that actually an excessive amount of to ask for a membership who wish to climb again to the highest once more!? Nope, it completely isn’t.
I’m staying calm on transfers proper now, despite the fact that the Liverpool sport is fast-approaching. I’ve considerations and frustrations that we’ve nonetheless but to handle our two most necessary positions, a defensive midfielder and a goalkeeper. However I’m not at panicking levels simply but.
What I wish to see proper about now although, is a few stable actions for a prime goalkeeper choices who’s no less than going to problem Kepa for the primary spot, if that’s the greatest we are able to do. Time is operating out and there’s no means that we ought to be beginning a brand new season with Kepa as our primary, with all due respect to him.
I’m not even going to start out on the captaincy factor….
I’ll maintain banging this drum.
