Thibaut Courtois

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Competition in goal is different from outfield, you can't make a tactical sub from the goalkeeper in the match, like you can with say attacking midfield to make sure Mata is still getting a decent amount of minutes.

Im not saying give them a free pass, yes have a good keeper like Schwarzer, Pantilimon, Lindegaard, Tremmell that would keep whoever out of Cech and Courtois on their toes, but having two world class keeper's just isn't practical.

Absolutely agreed, but why should Courtois be told: "Yes, you can come here and be number 1" without even putting on a pair of gloves in a training session? THAT is what strikes me as impractical.

[Stingray 9,441]

Competition in goal is different from outfield, you can't make a tactical sub from the goalkeeper in the match, like you can with say attacking midfield to make sure Mata is still getting a decent amount of minutes.

Im not saying give them a free pass, yes have a good keeper like Schwarzer, Pantilimon, Lindegaard, Tremmell that would keep whoever out of Cech and Courtois on their toes, but having two world class keeper's just isn't practical.

Absolutely agreed, but why should Courtois be told: "Yes, you can come here and be number 1" without even putting on a pair of gloves in a training session? THAT is what strikes me as impractical.

I don't think/believe Courtois thinks/said that tbh. But he does want a fair shot - not just an a priori fixed bench role, which can happen with a legend as Cech around. That is only fair to ask, and he is right to do so imo. He did not demand a no1 role, only said he isn't coming back just to sit on the bench. Big difference that most papers do not grasp.

[Tomo 21,733]

Absolutely agreed, but why should Courtois be told: "Yes, you can come here and be number 1" without even putting on a pair of gloves in a training session? THAT is what strikes me as impractical.

True, i would hope that if or when he returns that the other keeper is good enough for Jose to do what Pellegrini did to Hart i he has a wobble.

[Belgiannutt 3,201]

Absolutely agreed, but why should Courtois be told: "Yes, you can come here and be number 1" without even putting on a pair of gloves in a training session? THAT is what strikes me as impractical.

Well i think some might say that he's earned a shot at being our nr 1 goalkeeper because of his performances at Atletico.

Sure he's a great goalkeeper, but demanding the number 1 jersey without even earning it? Not for me. Seems to me like he's got ego problems; either that or he's scared he won't start because he knows he can't compete with Cech. He should come in and expect to earn the number 1 jersey the same way Cech did with Carlo. The difference is Cech supplanted a good goalkeeper; Courtois has to supplant an exceptional one. Good luck, you'll need it.

it's not really about demanding the number 1 jersey. Think he just wants to be assured that he'll get his shot at the beginning of the season.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Courtois demanding an automatic place in the team is like me putting no effort into an essay, slapping a lecturer and telling him to give me a first. It ain't gonna happen, not with José around.

[Stingray 9,441]

Courtois demanding an automatic place in the team is like me putting no effort into an essay, slapping a lecturer and telling him to give me a first. It ain't gonna happen, not with José around.

There is a difference between asking a fair shot (Cech does bear a legend status!) and asking for an automatic first place. He never did that, Alex.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Another reason is that he is into the final 2 years of his contract now and his father said he won't extend his deal if he isn't made number 1, not even a fight is up for debate atm. So either we use him or risk losing him for very small fee or eventually free in 2 years, our choice.

I'm just going by this.

[sutro 1,026]

World best gk election

1 neuer

2 buffon

3 cech

4 courtois

Could luck with that Mourinho, very hard choice coming up for him this summer

[Weckerz 3,781]

Courtois demanding an automatic place in the team is like me putting no effort into an essay, slapping a lecturer and telling him to give me a first. It ain't gonna happen, not with José around.

So basically the loan Chelsea arranged to make Courtois a better player, which is essentialy a prolonged trainingsession, has no merit? Then what's the point in loaning someone out to begin with?

Ofcourse he has no guaranteed first spot, there's no such thing, but he has at least earned the right to start the season as nr1, considering he was bought to be our keeper for a decade and has been arguably better than Cech the last 2 years.

Either that or sell him.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Competition in goal is different from outfield, you can't make a tactical sub from the goalkeeper in the match, like you can with say attacking midfield to make sure Mata is still getting a decent amount of minutes.

We're practically doing the exact same with Luiz and Cahill this season with both getting chances and then going by form. We haven't yet (that I remember) once made a "Tactical" sub by bringing one for the other. .

[Tomo 21,733]

We're practically doing the exact same with Luiz and Cahill this season with both getting chances and then going by form. We haven't yet (that I remember) once made a "Tactical" sub by bringing one for the other. .

Luiz and Cahill is similar to having a top keeper and decent squad one anyway. Luiz is the one who has all the tools to be well, whatever he wants to be, while Cahill is the player keeping David on his toes.

Even saying that, rotation in defense happens a lot more than in goal anyway. Goalkeeper is a completely different ball game.

[didierforever 7,349]

Courtois demanding an automatic place in the team is like me putting no effort into an essay, slapping a lecturer and telling him to give me a first. It ain't gonna happen, not with José around.

well did your institute transfer u to another institute, saying that "first prove urself worthy of our high standards, then we ll consider uand let u sit in our classrooms".

now, during your time in the "lower and transfered institutes" u topped your classes and now u know that there are other universities with better offers waiting for u, so why would not u try and play your hand in this institute specially considering how much the student of the institute is slipping down these days.

also u cant compare a GK situation to a normal footballing situation. we bought willian, took our time to bring him into the first team, altered the line-ups, played him in different positions and have atlast got our best combo. how do u propose we do that with our GKs?

[Korea 734]

You guys are worrying too much...

TC will have the ultimate stage to prove to Mourinho via Champs League and World Cup... Afterwards, you guys can fight over Tc vs Cech...

[The only place to be 11,313]

We're practically doing the exact same with Luiz and Cahill this season with both getting chances and then going by form. We haven't yet (that I remember) once made a "Tactical" sub by bringing one for the other. .

Goalkeepers are completely different. You don't use different keepers for different tactical reasons. Once you've got a number one, you stick with him to give him a chance to build confidence and to give the defence a chance to build a relationship with him.

This whole notion that they should 'fight for a spot' is supremely flawed. It will do more damage than good.

Courtois has done more than anyone could have hoped or expected of him in his loan spell. He's become arguably a better keeper than Cech now and he's younger. He should be demanding that number one spot, or he should leave.

[BlueSunshine 672]

how do u propose we do that with our GKs?

It won't be a fair fight though since Courtois doesn't have a helmet.

[Gilvorak 3,734]

In what way has Courtois been the better GK the last 2 seasons? Cech in 2012 was easily his best ever season.

Even last season is somewhat debatable. Cech had the best save ratio in Europe last season.

[The only place to be 11,313]

In what way has Courtois been the better GK the last 2 seasons? Cech in 2012 was easily his best ever season.

Even last season is somewhat debatable. Cech had the best save ratio in Europe last season.

Save ratios don't take into account things like the types of shot keepers actually had to save. It's a fairly useless statistic as things go.

The fact that there's even an argument about which keeper is better when Courtois is still only 21 shows just what a phenomenal talent this guy is.

[Alan Partridge 1,124]

Courtois doesn't seem to punt the ball down field too often, when he does it doesn't almost go out of touch like Cech's. It's not a huge factor but Cech's kicks do my head in.

I thought Cech would have declined a bit but he's still going strong. If Courtois is going to look elsewhere if we don't play him next season, he has to start for us, we can't let someone that good leave.