He's
kept more clean sheets than any other goalkeeper this season and is looking
for a fourth league title at the age of 24. Thibaut Courtois is on form.
Adam Bate caught up with him to find out the keys to his success and get the
lowdown on Antonio Conte's impact at Chelsea...
There's a ball-juggling drill going on at Cobham and the laughter among the
Chelsea players carries in the air. Thibaut Courtois isn't the most vocal;
that would be David Luiz. But he's holding his own alongside Eden Hazard -
blasting volleys into the net from 18 yards out.
As a young boy, Courtois was a left-back and he's visibly enjoying himself.
It's a role he gets to play more than many realise. During one suspension
last term, he spent a fortnight as an outfield player. Three goalkeepers
means opportunities to be the free man in training.
It brings practical benefits too. "I've played a lot with the team and my
passing is now much better," Courtois tells Sky Sports. "I'm more confident
and I'm trying to play. It helps as they play fast so you have to adapt to
their rhythm. Then you get better with your feet as well."
Saturday's trip to Manchester City, live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 11.30am,
will pit the Chelsea man against Claudio Bravo, the player signed by Pep
Guardiola for his abilities with the ball at his feet. But it's Courtois who
has been the most impressive goalkeeper this season, the No 1 for the
Premier League leaders.
As Bravo seeks to make the transition from La Liga to Premier League and
Liverpool's Loris Karius is spotted being buffeted by coaches armed with
rugby tackling pads on the training ground in order to aid his adjustment,
how did Courtois make the move look so seamless?
"When I came to England everyone told me that I'd get the hits so I was
prepared for that," he explains. "It's one of my stronger points claiming
high balls. I'm tall so that helps me. If you're a smaller goalkeeper,
crosses in England are even harder.
"I decided to come out for the ball immediately. I think that was because of
my time in Belgium. It's not the same level there as the Premier League but
they play really physical as well. So when I was there I was used to getting
the knocks. It helped me adapt."
He has now conceded only one goal in his last seven Premier League games for
Chelsea. All have been won, and won by playing some stunning football as
Antonio Conte's new 3-4-3 system has helped the players shrug off last
season's struggles. Courtois is on top again.
Speaking in one of the dugouts at Cobham fresh from a session in Nike
Football training apparel, he fronts up when discussing the "rubbish year"
that was 2015/16. "Being with Chelsea and finishing 10th," he says before
tailing off, as if still baffled by events.
There was his opening-day red card against Swansea and the knee surgery from
which he returned much earlier than expected in a bid to help a team that
had lost its way. It was a challenge. "In every game I had to make a lot of
saves," he admits. But he's come through it.
"For my age I've got a lot of experience," adds the 24 year old. "I think in
difficult moments that experience helps you to have confidence in yourself.
I think I've improved my form this season too. I think at the Euros I was
very good and I've carried that into this season."
Even so, he can reel off the times he was beaten. Two each versus Liverpool
and Swansea. Three against Arsenal. It was a tough start. One that suggested
Conte would need time. Instead, Chelsea are flying. And Courtois is
convinced he knows why.
"I think it's the system," he says. "It not only gives cover for the
goalkeeper, in general it's a good system. When one guy can drop down and
you can still have four at the back, when one guy can put pressure high up
and you still have a solid shape that's quite good.
"We've played it a few times with Belgium now too and it's a system that's
very hard to play against. In the summer we were working on another system.
It was after the Arsenal game that we decided to go to three at the back.
Since then we have trained it constantly."
Hazard looks reborn. Diego Costa is the country's top scorer. But Courtois
is keen to praise the defence too. And the goalkeeper. "Against Manchester
United there were a couple of good saves as well," he says with a sudden
flash of a grin. "It's good to keep clean sheets."
Premier League clean sheets in 2016/17
Player
Team
Clean Sheets
Thibaut Coutois Chelsea
7
Fraser Forster Southampton
5
Petr Cech
Arsenal
4
David de Gea Man Utd
4
Hugo Lloris Tottenham
4
But he is serious again when returning to the subject of tactics. In fact,
he speaks with the lucidity of a coach when discussing the details that have
helped turn Chelsea's form around. In particular, the impact that the
changes have made on his options as a goalkeeper.
"With a three you can put two in the middle, two wide and have your
wing-backs open," he explains. "If the opposition full-backs close them they
risk leaving the winger alone. Then I can maybe go to the winger. So it's
hard for a team to really put you under pressure high."
Courtois is a student of the game. He can name the number of senior
appearances he's made - it's 324 - and talks of his admiration for not only
Gianluigi Buffon but also Belgian goalkeeping icons of yesteryear such as
Michel Preud'homme and Jean-Marie Pfaff.
Perhaps that's to be expected given his education. A title winner as a
teenager with Genk, he has played under Diego Simeone and Jose Mourinho as
well as Conte. He acknowledges some shared characteristics in terms of their
intensity levels. "It's a bit similar," he says.
"Conte does more tactics and videos but you can see in the games that it's
really useful for us. OK, it's not always what the player wants to do in
training - a lot of players want to shoot, play little games and have fun -
but you have to do what's necessary too.
"You have to do the tactics to win games because if you have good
organisation and know what to do, you'll know where the weaknesses are in
the opponent. We've been doing tactics since the summer. Players need time
to get used to a whole new way of working.
"We want to play in Europe. Everyone does. But maybe with the new system and
the need to get used to a new way of working, the extra time helps as well.
If you have a game at the weekend you can work Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
and Friday to do everything more."
With Chelsea's focus squarely on the Premier League, the chance is there to
ram home their advantage and for Courtois to win a second title with the
club to go with those league wins he's already achieved in Belgium and with
Atletico Madrid in Spain. So can Chelsea do it?
"It's hard to say yet," says Courtois. "When I started with Genk we had a
team of quality and we knew we could be champions. It was the same at
Atletico, we knew we could win trophies. It's the same with Chelsea now but
there are a lot of teams who can say that.
"Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham, Liverpool - a lot
of teams have quality. Yes, we have a team that should be able to play for a
trophy but it's a long season. Maybe in March we can say we are contenders.
"I think the win at Southampton was a big one though. They are the sort of
games you have to win if you want to be at the top and be important. They
are a strong team and not a lot of teams will go there and win. They even
drew at City and Arsenal. That was a good victory.
"But we will see. It's hard to say where we will finish because we have to
do it every game. Liverpool and Arsenal would probably say Chelsea aren't
there after they beat us. Now people are saying Chelsea are there. It's
about proving it every week."
The speed of Chelsea's improvement is encouraging. But is their goalkeeper
getting better too? It's a tantalising prospect given his quality at such a
young age. Remarkably, Courtois remains one of the three youngest
first-choice goalkeepers in the Premier League.
"For goalkeepers, the better years they say come from the age of 27 or 28,"
he says. "If you look at Buffon, he is 38 and he's still playing great. It
gives you the dream that you can reach that age and play the amazing games
that he plays. I just hope I can keep on improving.
"There are still things I can work on. My footwork was something I had to
improve and I've focused on that. In every aspect you have to look for
perfection." He's not there yet. But Courtois has the time, the ability and
the attitude to get closer than just about anyone else.
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