🇧🇪 Thibaut Courtois

[The only place to be 11,313]

What has he done to earn the first spot ahead of Cech? performance wise, cech has always been better than him and premier league proven.

Cech was flakey at crosses last season and made enough mistakes to be dropped for Mark Schwarzer.

You're referring to Cech of about 18 months ago and if his form was still at that level then you'd be right.

Ofcourse Thibaut "parry shots back into dangerous zone" Courtois is better.

And Petr 'flaps at crosses and costs us goals' Cech is better?

You can pick moments out of matches and extrapolate larger issues if you want, but for me it comes down to this.

I want Courtois to continue his form of the last 12 months.

But I want Cech to REDISCOVER his form of about 18 months ago. That's the real difference between the two. Courtois is the better keeper right now.

[The only place to be 11,313]

No because Cech is quite frankly a better goalkeeper and one of the very best the league as ever seen and he only gets to displace Cech by actually earning it through outperforming Cech in a chelsea uniform in an ideal world.

Cech was dropped last season. Cech cost us goals last season. Cech cost us points last season.

And he's one of the best keepers this league has ever seen, but you can't live off past glories forever.

Cech usually has to do alot actually. a whole lot more than Thibaut.. . .The presence of David Luiz alone makes that impossible. Even in our best defensive year 04/05 I remember vividly spectacular saves cech had to make like against Barca, Blackburn, Liverpool,Newcastle, Fulham just to name a few. His award as the best goalkeeper that year was well earned and fully deserved.

Atleti on the otherhand are just a different beast collectively, they are arguably the most stingy and annoyingly resolute team I have seen in recent years, they simply do not allow their opponent to create clear cut chances

And Courtois made world-class saves last season too. Against Milan he made probably the save of the season.

Both Chelsea and Atletico had miserly defences last season BUT Cech was still dropped last season for poor form. He made more errors last season than I can remember him making in perhaps the four seasons before that.

Cech is a legend at this club but Courtois is the form keeper in Europe behind Neuer.

I was actually against using pre-season as a barometer for choosing the goalkeeper but Cech actually flapped at another cross against Bremen (I think off the top of my head) just like he did a few times last season. You can't ignore actual match performances and simply repeat 'well Cech is a legend'. You won't get an argument from anyone.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Tone down the discussion, guys. Cut down on personal insults, please.

And may I remind everyone that BOTH are still our players. There is absolutely no need to insult or disrespect either of the great goalkeepers.

[Tomo 21,751]

I feel you. Most top goalies play till they are like 40 or 41. Van Der Sar at Man U played till 40+, Buffon is how old, etc. etc. GK position is not like a field player where you need fresh legs as in younger players. 32 is very young in GK age. Our own Schwarzer Nigel Martin, David Seaman kept till how old? Gordon Banks, Peter Schmeichel (sp) Scary guy.David James, Jan Tomaszeweski, Harald Schumacher, Angelo Peruzzi, Jose Luis Felix Chilavert , Fabian Barthez , Etc. The guy is young, so we should just discard of club legends, because we are scared of losing him. If he really loved Chelsea, it should not an issue in the first place. Every player will have his up and down part of his career, and clearly, Petr has not shown us that he is in a downward spiral.

Do you remember Seaman in the latter stages of his career? He was all over the place and conceding corner goals against Macedonia.

VDS is the only example in recent times that stayed to a high level till he was 40, for one VDS there are hundreds of Cassilas and Givens.

[Daniel1980 1,425]

And here I thought Oscar vs Mata was bad.

[nyikolajevics 2,698]

I feel you. Most top goalies play till they are like 40 or 41. Van Der Sar at Man U played till 40+, Buffon is how old, etc. etc. GK position is not like a field player where you need fresh legs as in younger players. 32 is very young in GK age. Our own Schwarzer Nigel Martin, David Seaman kept till how old? Gordon Banks, Peter Schmeichel (sp) Scary guy.David James, Jan Tomaszeweski, Harald Schumacher, Angelo Peruzzi, Jose Luis Felix Chilavert , Fabian Barthez , Etc. The guy is young, so we should just discard of club legends, because we are scared of losing him. If he really loved Chelsea, it should not an issue in the first place. Every player will have his up and down part of his career, and clearly, Petr has not shown us that he is in a downward spiral.

You are right but Cech has suffered some bad injuries. Head, knee, shoulder, ankle... Schmeichel and James were better and better as they were aging while Cech was outstanding at the age of 22.

[iseah100 5,612]

Tibo will start. Love Cech, but Courtois is one of the best in the world and still only 22.

[DH1988 1,348]

Worried the same as I was when cech started over cudichini

[ParNolio7 285]

What a silly discussion over nothing... We have two fantastic goalkeepers. If keeper A will have a bad run of performances, keeper B will step in. And the other way around. Be happy

[Despiadado.Maleante 1,046]

But Oscar.

[lionsden 4,689]

I just hope if the rumour turns out to be true and we are favoring the younger, flavor of the month over the veteran that Cech doesn't take a secondary role sitting on the bench. He should find another club because he deserves much much better. a true legend and utter class act.

[Styles 9,790]

I just hope if the rumour turns out to be true and we are favoring the younger, flavor of the month over the veteran that Cech doesn't take a secondary role sitting on the bench. He should find another club because he deserves much much better. a true legend and utter class act.

He deserves so much more. Legend.

[The only place to be 11,313]

I just hope if the rumour turns out to be true and we are favoring the younger, flavor of the month over the veteran that Cech doesn't take a secondary role sitting on the bench. He should find another club because he deserves much much better. a true legend and utter class act.

I don't get you. You moan about us not supporting young players, then when one of our's proves himself to be truly world class you deride him as 'flavor of the month' (sic).

What type of football supporter are you? Most of us have been respectful towards both keepers because we recognise they're both great players, yet you call one that?

[The Rising Sun 711]

This is precisely the reason one of them has to go.

We cant have this constant speculation and unrest that follows having both these guys in our squad.

In goalkeeping , there simply has to be an undisputed no. 1, and then another quality keeper who can just about challenge, not usurp.

i really hope we deal with this quickly.

Its like playing only 1 striker up front, and then having Costa and Cavani in our squad, telling them that only 1 will start the game while the other sits out, Both will get games through rotation. Just doesnt work. You could sometimes go 2 upfront with strikers, but with goalkeepers that isnt happening..

[The only place to be 11,313]

He deserves so much more. Legend.

Sorry he deserves so much more than what? Isn't the best thing at a football club that players are selected on merit?

So you're saying that Petr Cech deserves more than £100k p/w and the opportunity to play for this club? What exactly would that be?

[Styles 9,790]

Sorry he deserves so much more than what? Isn't the best thing at a football club that players are selected on merit?

So you're saying that Petr Cech deserves more than £100k p/w and the opportunity to play for this club? What exactly would that be?

Deserves more sitting on the bench. Cech is 32 - relatively good age for a keeper - and still has a lot to offer at the highest level. Did you read the post I was responding to?

[The only place to be 11,313]

Deserves more sitting on the bench. Cech is 32 - relatively good age for a keeper - and still has a lot to offer at the highest level. Did you read the post I was responding to?

Sorry I read it along with lionsden's post and thought you were suggesting we were being disrespectful to Cech in some way.

I agree that if he's not going to be used then he should be allowed to leave, not least because he also occupies a non-hg spot, costs about £5 million per year and would fetch in a decent fee.

[Spike 12,049]

'Premier League proven' is one of the funniest idioms.

[robsblubot 3,595]

This is precisely the reason one of them has to go.

We cant have this constant speculation and unrest that follows having both these guys in our squad.

In goalkeeping , there simply has to be an undisputed no. 1, and then another quality keeper who can just about challenge, not usurp.

i really hope we deal with this quickly.

Its like playing only 1 striker up front, and then having Costa and Cavani in our squad, telling them that only 1 will start the game while the other sits out, Both will get games through rotation. Just doesnt work. You could sometimes go 2 upfront with strikers, but with goalkeepers that isnt happening..

agreed.

It's actually worse than that though, as strikers actually do get "minutes" whereas GK can only get full matches - not to mention each game has its own peculiarities. Plus tons of other variables we've been through, such as gelling with the defenders, confidence, etc.

Competition does not work for goalkeepers. How do you replace the goalie after 2 clean sheets? Just because?

As much as I like Cech, I'll be sick if we manage to lose Courtois.

Courtois is an experienced world class youngster - it does not get any better than that.

[Gilvorak 3,734]

When did this myth of Cech flapping at crosses begin lol? And when was he dropped for Schwarzer da fak?

Cech at Courtois' age was miles better. At 32 it's much closer though, the only major difference between the two is people will favour Courtois because he's the younger more exciting player at the moment.

It's why you keep hearing the "he's never been the same since the head injury" line time after time despite the fact he was far and away the best keeper in the World as early as 2012.