Kepa Arrizabalaga

[communicate 2,703]

11 hours ago, King Kante said:

Kepa is on record as saying that he only got contacted by Chelsea about two weeks prior to the transfer. That tells me he wasn't fully planned for. When big transfers happen they are usually ongoing for months so the player can prepare themselves to move country which involves new house/new schools for children/new cars etc. 

The rumour was Oblak turned us down due to us only going to him so late and he didn't want to go through the upheaval (although this is only a rumour.) 

Further, Kepa in January 18 had an £18m buyout, so he was clearly not a target for us or we thought of him that highly at that point as otherwise we should've done one of our buy to loan specials. Further, at that point he was apparently on under €10k a week. 

Everything about the Kepa transfer points to a panic buy and a particularly insane one at that. 

I don't think it was oblak. We wanted Allison 

[Jype 6,398]

11 minutes ago, communicate said:

I don't think it was oblak. We wanted Allison 

The club tried to go for Alisson earlier in the summer but when he joined the dippers the plan seemed to be keeping Courtois for the last season of his contract and delay the GK signing till 2019 (which in hindsight would've been really bad because of the transfer ban). After Tibo went on a strike and refused to return to training the club first went after Oblak and was willing to pay his clause (£89M at the time) but he turned it down. Only then the club went and bought Kepa.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6052121/Jan-Oblak-rejected-Chelsea-club-met-89m-release-clause.html

[King Kante 1,474]

6 hours ago, OneMoSalah said:

Forget the stats, they can be extremely misleading in many aspects. Like Southamptons the amount of goals conceded at Southampton when van Dijk was there prior to leaving in January or the amount of assists Reece has this season when he should have so many more due to poor finishing or the amount of assists Jorginho doesn't have or whatever. Be exactly the same with GKs and even then he didnt have bad stats prior to moving, for a team like Bilbao which arent exactly high flying or hugely successful they were probably as good as theyd get all things considering.

There is a clear reason why he was highly regarded throughout Europe.... or you going to tell me that these clubs following him were all wrong? I mean I had seen him play in a few La Liga games and he was decent enough, wouldnt have said he would ever be world class but solid enough to have a good career at a top level club. Plenty to work on to hit another few levels like all GKs around that age 22/23, still a few wee errors here and there but doubt many would of seen him coming here doing well last season and in his second season play so poorly at times, even more so after the year he just had previously where he has gained recognition in Spain and ousted David de Gea to the Spain NT #1 spot.

Also de Gea the yips? Hes been making huge mistakes constantly in the last 24 months mate. Huge mistakes. But he was world class beforehand so its different to Kepa? So whats not to say Kepa had a really good first season last year (which he did) building on a promising campaign in Spain the year beforehand and now has had the yips in phases this season? Their situations are basically the same except one guy played in Spain for the bulk of the last 5 years and one guy in Manchester. Maybe to different levels but I don’t see how its hugely different because even then, Kepa has probably made less mistakes in the last 2 seasons than De Gea has. I wont deny there have been maybe 10 games this season where be has been poor for some of the goals and he was rightfully dropped earlier in the season looking back on it and even agree to an extent that replacing him could be a good idea if he doesn't recover but again, if he remains and gets back to last seasons level, I wont complain as it will save us signing another player and allow us to focus on the defence which needs a more vocal CB and a LB.

What part of he renewed after the move fell through aren’t you getting? Like it was just over a week, I am sure Real pulled the plug just after the second week of January and he renewed on the 20/21/22nd of January. Why would we trigger a 20m release clause for a GK when we had every intention of trying to keep Tibo? Or if he wasn’t the number one or two choice originally if he did go - Alisson and Oblak were. Do you think a club would just sign a 20m or 71m GK on the off chance Courtois would be sold and they didn’t feel they could get one of those other two who are undoubtedly world class? Again the clubs stance was hard regarding Tibo and if he had returned to train, he wouldnt of had been able to strongarm a sale as much so I dont get this whole panic side of it, they obviously did whatever they do and had watched him before before green lighting the buy, which again he signed before Madrid even presented Courtois to their fans so he was brought in prior to letting Tibo go so this panic buy shit is beginning to sound even dafter to me. I mean even stupider for me, if you want to bad mouth the club for this why not mention why didn’t we pursue Alisson or Oblak sooner in the January? Oh wait clubs don’t necessarily sell their better players mid season. Unless in exceptional circumstances such as release clauses being met or loaned back (ie. Pulisic). It also clearly indicates that we were keen on trying to keep Courtois and why not, he is a WC Gk. it would be daft to consider that we couldnt sway him otherwise, like we did with Eden that same summer.

Yes none of them went for record fees but if you look at Bilbao’s recruitment and their stance on selling players you’ll see why they only ever sell players for their release clauses. Javi Martinez to Bayern - release clause. Clubs wanted Muniain in the past but wouldn’t pay the release clause. Same with Inaki Williams the last few seasons, been interest but they want the release clause. It wouldn’t of mattered if it was 15m, 20m, 55m or 71m, we would of had to pay it.

I get the fee is a bit big for a GK of his quality but you act as if we had a choice, or as if Sarri also didnt give his blessing after Pepe Reina, his GK at Napoli, said to him he would be a good signing after having worked with him with the Spain set up also. The club knew exactly what they were buying, the potential number 1 GK for the next 7 years at least, so that would indicate to me they knew maybe their be a little hiccup here and there (but not to this extent) but theyd expect him to grow in the role as we all did after last season. Just hasnt happened and I would think the club will probably push for Oblak but if we dont get him, which in my eyes is more than likely, I think he will still be here either in the 11 or on the bench. 

I would disagree a GK's stats are like a CB's stats when it comes to analysis on goals conceded. A GK is more like a CF in that few clean sheets should be seen as few goals. Obviously a GK, cannot record clean sheets by himself but he is also at the mercy of his team mates just like a CF. If a centre forward has poor supply he has fewer goals. So, yeah the clean sheet stats count. Further, go have a look at Kepa's Opta shot map. Honestly, it is even worse than I thought it would be. Essentially he only saves the ball if it is down the middle, either side and you have an a massive chance to score. 

As for other areas of Kepa. Looking back at his play for Athletic, there were the glaring errors that we still see today; 

Inexplicably swinging his arms before attempting a shot - this is a massive massive massive red flag. A GK should not do this as it means they are more than likely going to miss the ball as they do not have the time to get across. 

Incredibly low save % of one v one's in comparison to other GK's because of his poor positioning/decision making

Getting rooted to the spot for long range shots

Getting too square to save cut backs and/or getting himself caught in no mans land. 

Making silly errors

This is all there. As I said with the other GK's there was much better evidence that they were great GK's. Kepa may have had some flashy saves (like his one against Fulham, where everyone gets slightly excited because they can then watch some gifs) but he was also error prone. 

As for the Madrid fall through. If you think Kepa is potentially a £70m+ GK and you have a business model that involves buy to loan then surely you go for it at £21m. This is a club that in 2011 spend £7m on Tibo (which was actually quite a lot for a GK then) to only loan him out for three years. So, yes. If the club rated Kepa so high and where tracking him to a level you would expect, he should've been signed then. It is clear they club where not tracking him then as otherwise it is just another level of insanity. 

You say they were hoping Tibo would re-sign but when exactly were they expecting him to do so? By that point it had been over 18 months of him refusing. How much more rejection did they need? No one was expecting the club to buy a Oblak/Alisson mid-season. However, what you do is you sound them out and make sure you get your ducks lined up so they know of your interest and they can plan to move their families. All the noise from Oblaks side was that we left it to late to contact him i.e. went for him at the same sort of time we went for Kepa, that indicates panic as you do not go to a GK like Oblak two weeks before a season and try to do a world record deal. 

As for De Gea, I think you misunderstand what the yips is. The yips can mean the end of a career as the players head has completely gone, it doesn't just mean he is in poor form but will 100% recover. Utd's contract extension was silly. However, De Gea did justify it to a certain extent with his performances. I am not saying he will recover, I am saying he has the yips which means he could be done but it is due to it being a mental thing rather than a ability thing. 

Oh well, if Pepe Reina said to Sarri Kepa was a good GK, what other choice did we have than to buy him for £72m and on £170k a week for 7 years? Quick, we had better also ask him which CB's he rates as well. Don't want to miss out on any other nuggets of wisdom he has. 

[Vesper 28,767]

Does Kepa’s unwanted record mean Caballero should play against Wolves?

https://theathletic.com/1946013/2020/07/23/chelsea-kepa-arrizabalaga-caballero-lampard-wolves/

Kepa Arrizabalaga broke one record when he joined Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao for £71.6 million. Now he is on the verge of another.

When the club made him the world’s most expensive goalkeeper in 2018, they would have hoped Kepa would end his debut season challenging landmarks for clean sheets or saves.

Instead, after conceding five times against champions Liverpool last night, he sits just one behind Dmitri Kharine for the most goals conceded in a Premier League campaign by a Chelsea goalkeeper.

Unlike Kepa, Kharine cost a mere £400,000 when he arrived from CSKA Moscow in 1992, and he was part of a much weaker Chelsea side. In 1993-94 — when clubs still played 42 matches per season in England’s top division — the Russian let in 48 goals in 40 appearances, an average of 1.2 per game.

Kepa’s goals conceded per game (1.42) is already worse than Kharine’s and he has been beaten 47 times this season in just 33 matches. Should the Spain international let in two against Wolves in Sunday’s league finale, he will overtake Kharine as the most porous goalie in Chelsea’s Premier League history.

The 25-year-old was trending on Twitter during and after Wednesday’s contest at Anfield. Within a few hours of the final whistle, nearly 150,000 tweets had been posted about him. Few, if any, were complimentary.

It should be noted that he wasn’t helped by his careless team-mates or their ruthlessly efficient opponents during the 90 minutes. However, for a world-class goalkeeper, such excuses would only be required a few times a year. Kepa seems to find himself in this situation on an almost weekly basis.

Whether it be from a set piece or from long-range, opposition players can sense the vulnerability, the lack of belief. Chelsea’s greatest goalkeeper, Petr Cech, who is now employed as their technical and performance advisor, was watching from the stands. This month, Kepa’s predecessor, Thibaut Courtois, secured a La Liga title with Real Madrid. One can’t help but think Liverpool would have found either of those two harder to beat.

Liverpool’s five goals on the night came from just seven shots on target. Their expected goals (xG) was 1.27, Chelsea’s was 2.58. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s shot for the fifth goal looked savable, with Kepa only able to deflect the close-range finish into the net.

When an Andy Robertson free kick floated past him at a catchable height just before the end, there were audible cries of “Kepa! Kepa!” from Chelsea players as he made no attempt to claim it. Fortunately for him, the ball fell to Virgil van Dijk at the back post and he scuffed the chance over the bar.

As on the 11 other occasions where Chelsea have lost a league game this season, singling out Kepa is not fair. It wasn’t the only reason they got beaten at Anfield, but his form is an ongoing issue that won’t go away and could undo 12 months of head coach Frank Lampard’s work.

Chelsea are one point against Wolves away from qualifying for next season’s Champions League via a top-four finish and Lampard has big decisions to make on who will start a game that is crucial for the club’s long-term ambitions.

When asked by The Athletic if he was worried about Kepa’s confidence going into Sunday’s match at Stamford Bridge, Lampard replied: “I wouldn’t talk about individuals in a game where we’ve conceded those goals. Some were real quality finishes, particularly the free-kick (from Trent Alexander-Arnold). There were some collective and individual errors for them. We know that if we make mistakes against a side like Liverpool, then this is what can happen.

“But there were a lot of good things in the game. I certainly don’t want to get in an individual conversation about players.”

Despite Lampard’s straight bat, the prospect of dropping Kepa will surely come into his mind. No one should blame Kepa if he is short of belief right now. Chelsea’s goals against column stands at 54. It is the 13th worst in the division, below teams such as Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace. They are only seven better off than Watford, who are in the bottom three with a game to go.

On top of that, Kepa must be aware that other goalkeepers have been linked to big-money moves to Chelsea on an almost-daily basis. Jan Oblak, Dean Henderson and Andre Onana are just three of the names they are rumoured to be interested in.

None of them can help Chelsea over the next few weeks, however. Lampard has turned to back-up Willy Caballero 11 times in all competitions this season, including the 3-1 victory over Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final last weekend.

The soon to be 39-year-old Argentinian is not perfect by any means. His four Premier League appearances in February didn’t provide a miracle cure, let alone any clean sheets. Caballero conceded seven goals in those games, yet he will be in a better frame of mind after Sunday’s outing at Wembley.

It is not an easy call for Lampard to make. Wolves, who need to win to guarantee Europa League qualification, are a side capable of exposing Chelsea’s weaknesses at the back.

Perhaps memories of the way Kepa performed against Liverpool in the FA Cup four months ago, when he did keep them out, will give him one more chance.

It is some gamble — not exactly a position you’d expect to be in after spending £71.6 million on somebody.

[Fulham Broadway 16,829]

Yes ^

Kepa has conceded 86 times in 69 Premier League appearances, and lets the ball in at a greater rate than even Dmitri Kharine and Hilario

[lucio 5,418]

3 hours ago, Fulham Broadway said:

Yes ^

Kepa has conceded 86 times in 69 Premier League appearances, and lets the ball in at a greater rate than even Dmitri Kharine and Hilario

We should also be asking why a clown like hilario is coaching him

[Special Juan 27,421]

The mind set of Kepa is a huge problem.

[DDA 9,690]

The length of Kepas arms is a huge problem 🦖

[Magic Lamps 11,653]

24 minutes ago, DDA said:

The length of Kepas arms is a huge problem 🦖

Their length, strength and the speed he is able to move them. But he has so many problem areas, physical, technical and mental that I don’t think he will ever be a world class goalie. Even if he somehow recovers his confidence. It amazes me how he even managed to become a professional athlete with such remarkably average physical characteristics, middling talent and football intelligence. If you go to the nearby Highschool, pick a random lanky teen and train him  reasonably well to be a goalkeeper for 10years, he would probably do just as good/bad as Kepa. I can’t find any personal dislike for him tho. Even after the shit he pulled with Sarri subbing him off which was an unprecedented act. He just seems a guy in the wrong job. Should have been a much better ornithologist 

[Vesper 28,767]

lololol

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepa_Arrizabalaga

[Vesper 28,767]

sums it up

[kellzfresh 7,229]

Anyone can take a shot at the centre of the goal and it goes in. That still does my head in  

Courtois and Cech used to tip them over without even jumping.

[Jype 6,398]

34 minutes ago, kellzfresh said:

Anyone can take a shot at the centre of the goal and it goes in. That still does my head in  

Going to be scary as shit today every time Ruben Neves is holding the ball at 25 meters.

[Laylabelle 9,351]

But this is the 2nd time this season huge questions are being asked and the drop is mentioned. This shouldn't be happening to a goalie with such a ridiculous price tag! What on earth goes on in training?! You move! You don't just watch the ball weeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Confidence wont be helped if keep making the same silly mistakes. I just dont get where it all went wrong. Doesnt help the defence are at times a sodding disaster and where they should be clearing it suddenly down to him to do but still..he has brilliant moments then wtf moments

[Nero 1,838]

It's over!

[Pulisicismydaddy 91]

We would've conceded with him today no doubt in my mind. You could see the players were already more assured and calm with Willy in goal.

[Special Juan 27,421]

He'd of conceded that shot Willy clawed from under the bar, he'd of ducked out of the way the useless fucker.

[Jase 43,479]

Kepa has been very poor and his days at the club are numbered but really though, don't think we need to add more salt into the wound and criticize him any further. Give the fella a break..