It
has been more than 18 months since Petr Cech left Chelsea for Arsenal after
losing his place to Thibaut Courtois. Ahead of their meeting on Sky Sports
this Saturday and with the expert views of Shay Given, we examine what
Courtois can still learn from the man he deposed…
When Jose Mourinho was tasked with picking his first-choice goalkeeper in
the summer of 2014, the then-Chelsea manager opted for Courtois ahead of
Cech.
Few managers are posed with picking between two world-class 'keepers, but
Mourinho's faith in Courtois was rewarded as they went on to win the Premier
League title with the fewest goals conceded that season, while Cech moved on
to join rivals Arsenal that June.
The Courtois v Cech debate has rumbled on since the latter made the short
nine-mile trip to the Emirates Stadium, but even now there is little to
divide the duo.
Cech v Courtois (Since August 2015 in Premier League)
Cech
Courtois
Games played
57
46
Minutes played
5130
4090
Clean sheets
23
18
Clean sheets per game 0.40
0.39
Goals conceded
56
45
Mins/goal conceded 91.61
90.89
Penalties faced
8
3
Penalties saved
0
1
Cech is showing no signs of slowing down at the age of 34, and fellow
goalkeeper Shay Given heaped praise on the Czech shotstopper, suggesting his
best years are yet to come.
"Cech has been around for a long time and I said when he joined Arsenal that
it was a great signing - he's proven that and he's still at the top of his
game. He's having a great season as well," Given told Sky Sports.
"Thirty four in goalkeeping terms is still young enough. I think Cech will
want to play for as long as possible and he still has his best years ahead
of him."
At 10 years Cech's junior, experience will only come to Courtois with age,
but having already won three league titles - and edging towards a fourth
this campaign - it's clear the Belgian is displaying a maturity beyond his
years.
"Courtois has a calmness to his game - he doesn't make anything look overly
spectacular. He makes the saves and he doesn't really seem phased by much,"
Given added.
"His big frame makes saves look simple but other keepers struggle to make
the saves he does.
"Obviously Courtois has not got as much experience as Cech, but he has shown
an experience beyond his young years. He has a big future ahead of him."
Courtois still has some way to go before he can emulate Cech's achievements
in England, and Given pointed towards the Chelsea goalkeeper's indifferent
2015-16 season as an indication that his consistency at the top is yet to be
proven.
In a season where Chelsea finished 10th, Courtois was sent off twice and
missed 10 league games through injury - conceding 29 goals in the 23 games
he started.
However, his record so far this season reads 16 goals conceded in 23 league
games, a marked improvement having picked up 15 clean sheets in the process.
Courtois need only look at Cech's record, which is simply a model of
consistency since he moved to England in 2004. Eleven years later, Cech rose
to the top of the all-time Premier League rankings for clean sheets,
toppling David James' record of 169 having played 220 games less.
Petr Cech's stats since 04/05
PL Cech
Games played
390
Minutes played
34843
Clean sheets
185
Clean sheets per game 0.47
Goals conceded
297
Mins/goal conceded
117
Penalties faced
29
Penalties saved
4
Now on 185 clean sheets - a rate of almost every other game - you would
expect the 200-mark to be reached during the next campaign.
But it's not just consistency that Courtois can learn from Cech, and Given
highlighted another element that the latter has brought to Arsenal.
"Cech is a real leader at the back," Given said. "You could say there was a
lack of leadership at Arsenal but Cech has certainly brought that to
Arsenal.
"Courtois is very young but that will come with the more years he plays."
The point that leadership comes with experience is true to an extent - but
you need only look at Iker Casillas and Gianluigi Buffon to acknowledge that
it's as much nature as it is nurture.
Cech was often handed the armband at national level in the absence of Tomas
Rosicky, while he took on the role at Chelsea too when John Terry and Frank
Lampard were missing.
It's an honour yet to bestow Courtois, but the departure of Terry at the end
of this season or next could well put him in the mix as Chelsea's next
captain. Though he would likely face competition from Gary Cahill and Eden
Hazard, who was chosen to captain Belgium at Euro 2016 with Vincent Kompany
out through injury.
Should Courtois stay in England for the long term, there is no denying he
can become one of the all-time Premier League greats between the posts - and
elevating him to captain could see him mentioned alongside Cech in decades
to come.
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