I don’t even assume Kepa Arrizabalaga was dangerous towards Brighton on Sunday morning, and as all the time, the snippet highlights reels of him from our ‘personal followers’ displaying solely the ‘dangerous bits’ is simply ridiculous and doesn’t assist something or anybody.
After all, we should always voice our views on issues, and that’s precisely what I’m doing right here. However I additionally wish to attempt to keep in mind that Kepa has truly been tremendous professional at our membership and we have now to respect that. He’s by no means moaned, by no means gone to the press, by no means accomplished any silly interviews, and at any time when he has been requested to play he has are available in and accomplished his finest regardless of dropping his primary place to Edouard Mendy, who has now sarcastically been offered!
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 assume while providing criticism to those gamers, it’s necessary to attempt 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 believe it’s necessary to keep in mind 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 can be indignant if we don’t signal a brand new primary.
I’m nonetheless massively pissed off that we aren’t listening to any stable information on a brand new goalkeeper coming in. Not even something stable on a backup choice, regardless that it needs to be a brand new primary coming in and never a backup.
On the opposite facet of this, I’m additionally questioning and hoping that the silence could possibly be a great 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 making an attempt to maintain issues as quiet as they probably can. And possibly that’s why we’re listening to inconsistent and contrasting stories 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 approach I’m judging a switch window till it bodily closes.
However as a lot as I respect Kepa, there isn’t a approach we should 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 need to be on the very high once more, then I’ve critical questions for them.
By all means if Kepa needs to remain as backup then nice, I’m content material with that. However we have to 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 assume 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 important concern with Kepa. My important 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.
Individuals say he’s a great shot-stopper from shut vary and I agree, he’s. However then why can’t we have now a goalkeeper who is nice at saving from close-range, in addition to being good at saving from long-range, has a great attain on him, and dominates his field? Is that actually an excessive amount of to ask for a membership who need to climb again to the highest once more!? Nope, it completely just isn’t.
I’m staying calm on transfers proper now, regardless that the Liverpool recreation is fast-approaching. I’ve issues and frustrations that we have now nonetheless but to handle our two most necessary positions, a defensive midfielder and a goalkeeper. However I’m not at panicking phases simply but.
What I want to see proper about now although, is a few stable actions for a high goalkeeper choices who’s not less than going to problem Kepa for the primary spot, if that’s the finest we are able to do. Time is working out and there’s no approach that we needs 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.
