Has
Kepa Arrizabalaga got a Chelsea future after being dropped by Frank Lampard
for last weekend's 2-2 draw with Leicester? The Sunday Supplement panel
discussed the Spaniard's future in the latest edition of the show...
The 25-year-old, who joined Chelsea for £71.6m in the summer of 2018 as the
world's most expensive goalkeeper, has come in for criticism following a
number of below-par displays so far this season and he paid the price with
his place in Lampard's starting line-up against Leicester on Saturday.
Willy Caballero got the nod to replace Kepa and it has left question marks
over the Spaniard's future at Stamford Bridge, with reports suggesting
Lampard wants to sign a new goalkeeper in the summer.
However, the Sunday Supplement panel, which featured
Daily Mail
football correspondent Craig Hope, chief football writer at the
Times,
Henry Winter, and
Telegraph football reporter Mike McGrath,
suggested Kepa's dropping is a message from Lampard, who will be expecting a
response from his goalkeeper.
'Kepa like a young De Gea without the
saves'
The
Daily Mail's Craig Hope likened Kepa to David de Gea at the
start of his Manchester United career but suggests Lampard will be hoping
the Spaniard can raise his game with Caballero not a viable long-term option
for the starting jersey.
"I wasn't surprised [he was dropped]," Hope said. "I saw Kepa up at
Newcastle a couple of weeks ago when Newcastle somehow stole a 94th-minute
winner. The only thing he had to do all afternoon was save what was a fairly
routine header and it flew past him.
"You look at Kepa and he reminds me of David de Gea in the early years at
Manchester United, only minus the saves. Now, that's a pretty big thing to
say about a goalkeeper but he just doesn't get near enough really.
"He doesn't make enough saves and he doesn't look like a modern-day
goalkeeper in that, if you look at your Alissons and your Edersons, you need
a goalkeeper now to dominate, not just the penalty area but also the final
third. He looks like that little boy, coming back to David de Gea in the
early years at Manchester United.
"But then you see Willy Caballero come in against Leicester and you
understand why they have persevered with Kepa for so long. I know the first
goal takes a deflection, but it looks like he's trying to catch a crisp
packet. The second goal it looks like he's trying to catch a bus where he's
going chasing the player outside the penalty area.
"I know Frank came out and defended him after the game but when the
alternative is Caballero you can see why they've kept Kepa in the team.
There's a reason why Caballero has bounced around a few clubs now as sub
goalkeeper and has never really made a number one position his own.
"You'd like to think Frank is trying to send a message to Kepa to come back
in and raise his game because what we've seen in recent weeks has probably
undermined the progress elsewhere on the pitch for Chelsea."
'Sympathy for dropped Kepa'
The
Times' Henry Winter thinks Kepa deserves some sympathy because
of the rotation of Chelsea's centre-backs this season but he still thinks
Lampard made the right call in dropping the Spain international.
"You've got to have some sympathy for Kepa in terms of the rotation and the
changes of the centre-halves in front of him," he added.
"It must be much better for a goalkeeper if you have built up that triangle
with the two centre-halves or three centre-halves.
"I've got some sympathy there but what this also shows is the decisiveness
of Lampard. We've all talked to him, he's got this image as a nice,
intelligent, personable individual but what this shows is Lampard has got
this ruthless side.
"Dropping Kepa was a big call and probably the right one if it focuses Kepa
a little bit."
Biggest call of Frank's managerial career
- Merson
Paul Merson: "If you had asked me five weeks ago if Chelsea had a problem
with their goalkeeper, I would have said no, I thought Kepa was good. He has
had a bad time.
"I thought he made a big decision, I think that is one of his biggest
decisions since he became a manager in football if I am being honest.
"Willy Caballero made a mistake, which can happen when you change the
goalies, but he is a decent person to come in. I know he made a mistake, he
is probably too keen and he has not played for a while."
'Kepa will return stronger'
Finally,
The Telegraph's Mike McGrath thinks Kepa lacks presence in
his penalty area but has backed him to return to Chelsea's starting line-up
stronger.
"Kepa was just slow on to the Newcastle goal and the Hector Bellerin one
against Arsenal. I didn't think it was terminal. I didn't think that he was
a bad goalkeeper," McGrath said.
"I thought it was to do with sharpness, which can be improved upon.
"Do I think he is the world's best goalkeeper because he's the world's most
expensive goalkeeper? No, I don't think so. At Old Trafford on Saturday,
Peter Schmeichel came into the press room and you just felt presence there.
He's even got a presence in a room long since he hung his gloves up.
"A presence in and around the box comes with time. De Gea didn't have it at
the start of his Old Trafford career because it comes with time. I don't
think its terminal for him but it's good man-management. He'll be stronger
for it."
top