Kepa Arrizabalaga

[bigbluewillie 1,859]

On 19/03/2023 at 06:03, King Kante said:

Got to get Mendy back in the goal. Kepa is too small and weak and teams are waking up to this again. Mendy has his limitations but those limitations are not as problematic as Kepa's. 

Me too

I know this is the Kepa thread but...

What is so wrong with Mendy when he first came here I said thank christ at last a keeper that can catch a ball and was very safe.

Then he became a real fuckup trying to play out with his feet got caught out a couple of times and it cost us, but I still don't get why everyone is so against him.

[LAM09 6,744]

1 hour ago, bigbluewillie said:

Me too

I know this is the Kepa thread but...

What is so wrong with Mendy when he first came here I said thank christ at last a keeper that can catch a ball and was very safe.

Then he became a real fuckup trying to play out with his feet got caught out a couple of times and it cost us, but I still don't get why everyone is so against him.

I don't believe people are against him per se, but his limitations are more prevalent with the style of football we're trying to play.

As they say, possession football starts from the back; you can't exactly do that if your GK is hoofing it long. 

[Tomo 21,733]

3 hours ago, LAM09 said:

I don't believe people are against him per se, but his limitations are more prevalent with the style of football we're trying to play.

As they say, possession football starts from the back; you can't exactly do that if your GK is hoofing it long. 

Ironically it was Kepa doing just that that started the chain of events that led to the 2-2.

I think Mendy was actually ok with distribution in his short prime, ok he'll never have been Ederson or even Alisson/Maignan but he made some pretty good passes at times, Tuchel even namedropped him for such at one point.

[LAM09 6,744]

15 minutes ago, Tomo said:

Ironically it was Kepa doing just that that started the chain of events that led to the 2-2.

I think Mendy was actually ok with distribution in his short prime, ok he'll never have been Ederson or even Alisson/Maignan but he made some pretty good passes at times, Tuchel even namedropped him for such at one point.

I've tried to ignore the events of last week. However, KK was just as much at fault for stupidly going in to intercept for no reason, which presented the chance for Everton's attacker.

Away to West Ham and the obvious one against RM are the two most vivid memories of Mendy's distribution. The fact we're even having this discussion goes to show a new GK should be a main priority in the summer.

[King Kante 1,474]

On 25/03/2023 at 06:58, NikkiCFC said:

Some interesting stats:

Courtois 154 games for Chelsea 58 cleen sheets. 

Kepa 151 games 58 cleen sheets. 

This is the problem with looking at stats in isolation. The difference between Kepa and TC are incredibly stark. I believe if you go to a full break down of all stats between Kepa and TC it becomes apprantly clear why TC is an elite GK and Kepa is a GK where you struggle to find another PL who would take him as their No.1. 

Kepa has far too limitations as a GK from the swinging of his hands behind his back before attempting a save (which cause his 'weak wrists') to his physical limitations to long range shots (which is why Tielmanns said after the FA Cup final of '21, that he only took on such a long shot against him as he cannot reach into the far corners; hence why his save percentage to long range shots is dire; I think at that point he has zero saves to shots for 25 yards or more to his top left hand corner in three years) to TC who had difficulty in his early part of his career to ground shots (hence the memes of him having his legs wide open) due to his height (which he has largely resolved by standing in a more statuesque fashion when dealing with 121's.) 

On 25/03/2023 at 11:37, bigbluewillie said:

Me too

I know this is the Kepa thread but...

What is so wrong with Mendy when he first came here I said thank christ at last a keeper that can catch a ball and was very safe.

Then he became a real fuckup trying to play out with his feet got caught out a couple of times and it cost us, but I still don't get why everyone is so against him.

This is the thing. There have been a lot of posters on here who dropped to their knees and swallowed anything the hipster pundits put in front of them (particularly that 433 or that a back 4 brings you results) without looking to what our actual sqauds strengths are, which is clearly a back 3 and pushing James/Chilwell on. As a result, when playing a back 3, they would always jump on the weakest link (Mendy's ball playing abilities or, when he was here, Alonso's acceleration.) 

However, what is lost in all of this is that if you have a ball playing CCB (see Silva or Fofana and particularly a pressure resistant No.6 who can shift the ball very quickly under pressure (see Enzo and Kova)) there is no real need for a ball playing GK (if that means the basics of GK play is undermined) as the GK always has a passer on and can lay off fairly easily (something Mendy can do faily reasonably.) 

On 25/03/2023 at 13:03, LAM09 said:

I don't believe people are against him per se, but his limitations are more prevalent with the style of football we're trying to play.

As they say, possession football starts from the back; you can't exactly do that if your GK is hoofing it long. 

Not true. If you play a back three and you have both a ball playing CCB and a No.6 who can avoid the press by quick releases, the GK's ability to play with their feet is greatly reduced and their aerial abilities is much more valued as set  pieces become a lot less fraught. 

All of Mendy's massive mistakes came when he essentially didn't have Kova as a secondary outlet to Silva. 

On 25/03/2023 at 16:22, Tomo said:

Ironically it was Kepa doing just that that started the chain of events that led to the 2-2.

I think Mendy was actually ok with distribution in his short prime, ok he'll never have been Ederson or even Alisson/Maignan but he made some pretty good passes at times, Tuchel even namedropped him for such at one point.

Mendy was at his best when he knew he had players he could play to when he knew they would face pressure quickly. Hence, why he always played well in teams who lined up with Kova and Silva in them and less so when one was missing. 

[LAM09 6,744]

On 03/04/2023 at 00:40, King Kante said:

Not true. If you play a back three and you have both a ball playing CCB and a No.6 who can avoid the press by quick releases, the GK's ability to play with their feet is greatly reduced and their aerial abilities is much more valued as set  pieces become a lot less fraught. 

All of Mendy's massive mistakes came when he essentially didn't have Kova as a secondary outlet to Silva. 

In other words, play around a GK that's been below par for two seasons. 

[Johnnyeye 7,440]

fuck off

[Johnnyeye 7,440]

T-Rex arms beaten by another worldie, some things never change. I miss us having a commanding GK like Cech.

[Reddish-Blue 2,345]

44 minutes ago, Johnnyeye said:

T-Rex arms beaten by another worldie, some things never change. I miss us having a commanding GK like Cech.

Such a shame, went from Cech/Courtois to Kepa.   

Feel like we're stuck with Kepa though as no-one will pay his full wages (part of the reason why Lazio decided not to pursue a loan) 

Mendy will probably be sold back to a Ligue 1 team

[DH1988 1,273]

Worst time for him to revert to type, camera saves shots or headers straight at him, makes a big deal out of it and let’s in almost every half decent long range shot.

[lucio 5,418]

we really are the laughing stock of world football. this "goalkeeper" should have been given away for free years ago

[Fulham Broadway 16,831]

He's won the PL Save of the Season Award. -The triple stop versus Villa

Least we've won something, and it's more than Arsenal

[Mário César 975]

we should sell him 

[Fulham Broadway 16,831]

Still very amateurish last night - Pope v Kepa = man v boy

[King Kante 1,474]

5 minutes ago, Fulham Broadway said:

Still very amateurish last night - Pope v Kepa = man v boy

Honestly do not understand how people do not think he needs replacing immediately. Absolutely should not be anything but a No.2.

[Fulham Broadway 16,831]

8 minutes ago, King Kante said:

Honestly do not understand how people do not think he needs replacing immediately. Absolutely should not be anything but a No.2.

Has cost us so many goals and points

[King Kante 1,474]

8 minutes ago, Fulham Broadway said:

Has cost us so many goals and points

It is farcical that we still have him as No.1. I actually think a new GK is on par with getting another CM. 

[Special Juan 27,424]

And Poch's words are not what we want to hear.

This is where should of been at least the first port of call in terms of replacement this summer.