For brand spanking new Chelsea supervisor Enzo Maresca, checking out the goalkeeper state of affairs was not goal No 1, nevertheless it was excessive up on the listing.
“For sure, the way we want to play, the goalkeeper is very, very important,” stated the Italian after Chelsea’s first pre-season sport of the season, a 2-2 draw with Wrexham. “It is one of the main positions.”
Usually when a brand new supervisor is available in, he brings in gamers he desires by way of the switch market. And Chelsea have certainly acted by signing Villarreal’s Filip Jorgensen.
However Jorgensen doesn’t seem like the answer, but. Regardless of the cash invested in a brand new face, it’s understood Robert Sanchez is about to start the brand new season as Chelsea’s No 1 goalkeeper. Chelsea need Jorgensen to come back in as a backup however with the expectation that he can rival Sanchez.
Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez (proper) is about to start out the season as No 1
From the outset, sticking with Sanchez appears a shock. The Spaniard had a tricky first season at Stamford Bridge final time period, wanting unconvincing firstly of the season earlier than his marketing campaign succumbed to damage.
The damage woe, plus the spectacular shows of stand-in Djordje Petrovic, meant Sanchez’s closing look of final season got here in early December. However due to the brand new supervisor, he is again as first alternative, for now.
Maresca’s particular goalkeeping model isn’t that of a conventional goalkeeper. If something, it’s extra like outfield participant.
One of the simplest ways to take a look at what Maresca desires is thru his time at Leicester final season. Maresca signed Mads Hermansen as his first-choice goalkeeper – and needed him at Chelsea this summer season just for the Foxes to cost the Blues out of a transfer.
Hermansen isn’t a shot stopper who solely performs between the sticks. Final season, he can be tasked with moving into the again 4 and appearing as one other defender within the build-up. The Danish goalkeeper would successfully transfer out of his web and briefly act as an outfield participant.
Enzo Maresca deployed Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen as an additional centre-back in build-up play
Chelsea didn’t have that possibility final season given how deep and conventional Petrovic was. It might clarify why the Serbian is deemed surplus to necessities at Stamford Bridge forward of the brand new season.
The identical, nonetheless, couldn’t be stated for Sanchez, who matches the mould of a Maresca goalkeeper because of his profile.
Even in his injury-hit season, the 26-year-old made extra touches, passes and fewer errors than team-mate Petrovic – he appeared a little bit extra snug on the ball.
The Spaniard additionally performed simply that little bit greater than Petrovic final season, albeit marginally. However these margins might have been key within the new Chelsea supervisor’s decision-making.
Even then, Sanchez has all the time performed as an ‘superior goalkeeper’ since his youth days. When Brighton’s then-head of recruitment Mark Anderson travelled over to Spain to scout him, it was one of many first issues he noticed.
“He was 100 per cent like that extra centre-back and extra defender,” Anderson tells Sky Sports activities. “People sometimes forget that they’re one of the only players who sees the other 21 players in front of them. The others don’t see that.
“Robert performs correctly – an enormous share of his sport is enjoying along with his toes. The trendy-day goalkeepers very hardly ever contact the ball with their fingers, until it is coming from crosses or shot-stopping, however even then they’ll cease it with any a part of their physique.
“He plays with a centre-back’s mentality, or even that of a right-back or left-back. He can go either way: right left, centre, long or short. He’s versatile and he can adjust to that.”
And even Sanchez himself recognises why he is Maresca’s first alternative for the second. “It’s a different style. The goalkeeper here needs to ‘have a pair’ and show a bit of personality. I think I am the right guy for that,” he informed talkSPORT this month.
“[It’s about] just being a bit different to what a normal goalkeeper is like, you need to have a bit of arrogance, hold the ball, show a bit, and like I said ‘have a pair’ and show a bit of quality.”
“I’ve seen Robert put the ball on a penny, and he reads the play really early,” provides Anderson. “But while he’s still developing, like any goalkeeper, he does have a mistake in him.” And there’s the primary concern with this model of play.
Any mistake in enjoying out of the again will probably go punished. Sanchez himself is aware of that full properly. Final October, his sloppy cross out towards Arsenal was intercepted by Declan Rice who swept residence, because the Gunners got here from 2-0 to assert a 2-2 draw again at Chelsea final season.
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Robert Sanchez made an enormous mistake to permit Declan Rice to attain for Arsenal vs Chelsea
That mistake was his solely error resulting in a objective final season, however then once more the identical goalkeeper was dropped by Roberto de Zerbi at Brighton as a result of Jason Steele was higher at passing underneath strain. Different nervy moments, together with a number of within the 4-1 loss to Celtic, have been clipped up on social media.
This could possibly be the place new signing Jorgensen is available in. The 22-year-old, who ranked third amongst LaLiga goalkeepers for accomplished passes, could also be lined up as back-up in case Sanchez’s misgivings return.
However whereas Sanchez is conscious of the ball-playing dangers, so is Maresca. His Chelsea facet gifted two objectives to Wrexham through enjoying out the again in his first pre-season match in cost, however the Italian was bullish about his philosophy.
“It is one of the risks that you have trying to build from behind,” he stated when requested concerning the objectives Chelsea conceded. “I feel you will concede in numerous methods, so it’s good to resolve by which means it’s good to concede a objective.
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Highlights from the pre-season pleasant between Chelsea and Wrexham.
“Sometimes teams that try to build from the back concede goals but I think you are going to score more than you concede.”
And even then, Sanchez isn’t the one participant attending to grips with a Maresca-style set-up, given final week the Italian accused his complete group of being “confused” as they try to stand up to hurry with the philosophy.
Like most trendy managers, Maresca is making ready Chelsea to play with 11 outfield gamers, not 10 – with Sanchez set to be simply as concerned in his group placing the ball in a single web as he’s retaining it out of the opposite.
Really saving the ball is secondary to the power to play successfully together with your toes. In any case, Jorgensen arrives at Stamford Bridge having made extra saves than any LaLiga goalkeeper. Even then, he confronted essentially the most pictures, and Sanchez’s saving numbers are at the same stage.
Goalkeepers begin the plan of assault from the again – and it might clarify why the latest Premier League success tales have all began when the No 1 state of affairs is sorted.
Manchester Metropolis gained titles underneath Pep Guardiola as soon as Ederson was signed in 2017, Liverpool got here a significant power as quickly as Alisson Becker got here by way of the door a yr later. Arsenal’s development sky-rocketed following the arrival of Aaron Ramsdale, then David Raya.
So it’s no shock Maresca is tackling this concern as he begins his Chelsea revolution.
