Thibaut Courtois

[11Drogba 2,000]

14 minutes ago, Jason said:

 the team will come under pressure at some stage in each game

You guys were talking about the defenders in front of Thibo. I think Godin and Miranda would also make more mistakes if they were playing behind our midfield or Atletico was playing like we do.

We are coming under pressure too frequently even against much weaker teams. Defensive mistakes become harder to avoid then. That's the first problem we should solve imo.

 

[coolhead23 1,146]

16 minutes ago, 11Drogba said:

Our problem is midfield imo. We can't control the tempo of a game even against much weaker teams. This makes the job of our defenders and goalkeepers more difficult. When I look at better performing teams the main difference I notice is how their midfield takes control of the games. Once they lose that control their highly praised defenders also start making mistakes.

Our problem is not one department but the team on the whole ... In a team everyone has a role to play (individual or collective) and we arent doing a great job at it. There are mistake done at every juncture and for me Courtoius has been off the radar for long atleast this season. He needs to really up his game to be a top player. 

[Jase 43,479]

1 hour ago, 11Drogba said:

You guys were talking about the defenders in front of Thibo. I think Godin and Miranda would also make more mistakes if they were playing behind our midfield or Atletico was playing like we do.

We are coming under pressure too frequently even against much weaker teams. Defensive mistakes become harder to avoid then. That's the first problem we should solve imo.

 

Coming under pressure is normal. If we're going to crack under it so easily every time and make stupid mistakes, then there's major issues. I expect some form of competency from those players, to at least do their jobs properly.

[Muzchap 8,966]

It's just been one of those seasons - Willian hardly impressed in his first full season! Some players take longer than others, he's on a learning curve right now and this will see him sink or swim, personally I think he'll be ok and Begovic is a great replacement if not. 

[11Drogba 2,000]

17 minutes ago, Jason said:

Coming under pressure is normal.

I agree that our defense and Thibo needs perform better but Stoke city takes 10.9 shots on average per game. http://www.squawka.com/comparison-matrix#premier_league/2015/2016/stoke_city/2/165/44/0/t#total_shots#avg

Against us in our home they took 16 and I don't think that's normal.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

16 hours ago, Special Juan said:

That was a massive mistake from him no matter how you dress it up. Yes, he made great saves today but if you are going to push the ball that you should be holding into the path of the opposition then the good saves mean fuck all.

Guus has rotated, he's talk of rotating and without hiding, this is one area he should of rotated in because Tibo of late has not been good enough.

 

I agree. It didn't happen just once in that game alone, either - he did it in the first half where he punched a cross straight into the danger zone and onto Cameron's head. When punching, you look for three things:

1. Height
2. Width
3. Distance

Height is the most important. Even if it goes straight up in the air, the advantage is restored to the goalkeeper as he should be the first person to be able to reach the ball in the air. It also gives defenders time to reset and protect the goalmouth. Width is the next most desirable characteristic - DO NOT punch it back into the 18 yard box, but rather out towards the wings. Ideally, out for a throw-in. Then comes distance. But height and width are by far the most important as they give time for the GK and defenders to reset. However, Thibaut is achieving neither of these, and he certainly isn't getting distance, either.

15 hours ago, Blue Armour said:

Fact is we can have Begovic in front of goal instead, and I can almost guarantee that we will still not have a clean sheet

No I do totally agree - I am merely arguing that, with goalkeeping, the simple things (handling shape - "W" or "Cup", for instance) are more important. You can make outstanding saves like Thibaut did from Shaqiri in the second half, but if you're going to punch away - and punch away badly - crosses you should be comfortably claiming with both hands, there's little point. The basics need doing first. Fair enough if you get done from 20 yards with a rocket into the bottom corner - but we cannot be conceding goals like yesterday. Utterly awful. 

 

3 hours ago, Jason said:

Maybe. Maybe not. If we are going to concede, then at least make the opposition work for the goal. But if we're just going to let in some really cheap goals, then we might as well not bothered playing a goalkeeper at all. Some of the goals that Courtois has let in of late have been really poor - slow to come out of his line, getting beaten at his near post, flapping at crosses (used to be his strength!).

 

Exactly this, great response. Defensively we are still very poor - BUT undoubtedly more compact than under Mourinho. The simple facts suggest that Begovic kept more clean sheets in fewer games at a time when we were truly terrible and even worse defensively. 

[MCM4PR3Z 411]

Because the goalkeeper that keeps the most clean sheets in 5 random games is always the best goalkeeper, yes

[MCM4PR3Z 411]

Mignolet is the best goalkeeper in the EPL, look at his clean sheet record.

[OhForAGreavsie 5,890]

46 minutes ago, MCM4PR3Z said:

Mignolet is the best goalkeeper in the EPL, look at his clean sheet record.

Really well said. I wanted to say something about judging a keeper on clean sheets but you said it in a much better way than I could.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Clean sheets are a product of the work of the entire team. Amateurish keeper mistakes, however, only have to do with the keeper making them... 

[manpe 10,861]

PSG just posted this snippet. Dedicated to the people who think Tibo is the only one who can't defend the near post.

 

 

[kellzfresh 7,229]

As usual, Courtois at the near post concedes between his legs. 

[chelseafan26 293]

Average. Bang Average

[LAM09 6,744]

Give Begovic his place. Total mess

[iseah100 5,612]

Cech is better

[BlueLyon 9,359]

Quality my ass. The kid deserves as much shit as Eden, Matic, Cesc and everyone else. 

[xPetrCechx 13,563]

Nothing Special...

[Special Juan 27,424]

Begovic was selected in my match line up and I sticky by it and say play Begovic from now until the season finishes.

Tibo has been fucking dreadful.