For
new Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, sorting out the goalkeeper situation was
not objective No 1, but it was high up on the list.
"For sure, the way we want to play, the goalkeeper is very, very important,"
said the Italian after Chelsea's first pre-season game of the season, a 2-2
draw with Wrexham. "It is one of the main positions."
Normally when a new manager comes in, he brings in players he wants through
the transfer market. And Chelsea have indeed acted by signing Villarreal's
Filip Jorgensen.
But Jorgensen does not appear to be the solution, yet. Despite the money
invested in a new face, it is understood Robert Sanchez is set to begin the
new season as Chelsea's No 1 goalkeeper. Chelsea want Jorgensen to come in
as a backup but with the expectation that he can rival Sanchez.
From the outset, sticking with Sanchez seems a surprise. The Spaniard had a
tough first season at Stamford Bridge last term, looking unconvincing at the
beginning of the season before his campaign succumbed to injury.
The injury woe, plus the impressive displays of stand-in Djordje Petrovic,
meant Sanchez's final appearance of last season came in early December. But
because of the new manager, he's back as first choice, for now.
Maresca's specific goalkeeping style is not that of a traditional
goalkeeper. If anything, it is more like outfield player.
The best way to look at what Maresca wants is through his time at Leicester
last season. Maresca signed Mads Hermansen as his first-choice goalkeeper -
and wanted him at Chelsea this summer only for the Foxes to price the Blues
out of a move.
Hermansen is not a shot stopper who solely plays between the sticks. Last
season, he would be tasked with stepping into the back four and acting as
another defender in the build-up. The Danish goalkeeper would effectively
move out of his net and temporarily act as an outfield player.
Chelsea did not have that option last season given how deep and traditional
Petrovic was. It could explain why the Serbian is deemed surplus to
requirements at Stamford Bridge ahead of the new season.
The same, however, could not be said for Sanchez, who fits the mould of a
Maresca goalkeeper due to his profile.
Even in his injury-hit season, the 26-year-old made more touches, passes and
fewer errors than team-mate Petrovic - he seemed a little more comfortable
on the ball.
The Spaniard also played just that little bit higher than Petrovic last
season, albeit marginally. But those margins could have been key in the new
Chelsea manager's decision-making.
Even then, Sanchez has always played as an 'advanced goalkeeper' since his
youth days. When Brighton's then-head of recruitment Mark Anderson travelled
over to Spain to scout him, it was one of the first things he spotted.
"He was 100 per cent like that extra centre-back and extra defender,"
Anderson tells Sky Sports. "People sometimes forget that they're one of the
only players who sees the other 21 players in front of them. The others
don't see that.
"Robert plays properly - a big percentage of his game is playing with his
feet. The modern-day goalkeepers very rarely touch the ball with their
hands, unless it's coming from crosses or shot-stopping, but even then they
will stop it with any part of their body.
"He plays with a centre-back's mentality, or even that of a right-back or
left-back. He can go either way: right left, centre, long or short. He's
versatile and he can adjust to that."
And even Sanchez himself recognises why he's Maresca's first choice for the
moment. "It's a different style. The goalkeeper here needs to 'have a pair'
and show a bit of personality. I think I am the right guy for that," he told
talkSPORT this month.
"[It's about] just being a bit different to what a normal goalkeeper is
like, you need to have a bit of arrogance, hold the ball, show a bit, and
like I said 'have a pair' and show a bit of quality."
"I've seen Robert put the ball on a penny, and he reads the play really
early," adds Anderson. "But while he's still developing, like any
goalkeeper, he does have a mistake in him." And there is the main concern
with this style of play.
Any mistake in playing out of the back will likely go punished. Sanchez
himself knows that full well. Last October, his sloppy pass out against
Arsenal was intercepted by Declan Rice who swept home, as the Gunners came
from 2-0 to claim a 2-2 draw back at Chelsea last season.
That mistake was his only error leading to a goal last season, but then
again the same goalkeeper was dropped by Roberto de Zerbi at Brighton
because Jason Steele was better at passing under pressure. Other nervy
moments, including a few in the 4-1 loss to Celtic, have been clipped up on
social media.
This could be where new signing Jorgensen comes in. The 22-year-old, who
ranked third among LaLiga goalkeepers for completed passes, may be lined up
as back-up in case Sanchez's misgivings return.
But while Sanchez is aware of the ball-playing risks, so is Maresca. His
Chelsea side gifted two goals to Wrexham via playing out the back in his
first pre-season match in charge, but the Italian was bullish about his
philosophy.
"It is one of the risks that you have trying to build from behind," he said
when asked about the goals Chelsea conceded. "I think you are going to
concede in different ways, so you need to decide in which way you need to
concede a goal.
"Sometimes teams that try to build from the back concede goals but I think
you are going to score more than you concede."
And even then, Sanchez is not the only player getting to grips with a
Maresca-style set-up, given last week the Italian accused his entire team of
being "confused" as they try and get up to speed with the philosophy.
Like most modern managers, Maresca is preparing Chelsea to play with 11
outfield players, not 10 - with Sanchez set to be just as involved in his
team putting the ball in one net as he is keeping it out of the other.
Actually saving the ball is secondary to the ability to play effectively
with your feet. After all, Jorgensen arrives at Stamford Bridge having made
more saves than any LaLiga goalkeeper. Even then, he faced the most shots,
and Sanchez's saving numbers are at a similar level.
Goalkeepers start the plan of attack from the back - and it could explain
why the recent Premier League success stories have all started when the No 1
situation is sorted.
Manchester City won titles under Pep Guardiola once Ederson was signed in
2017, Liverpool came a major force as soon as Alisson Becker came through
the door a year later. Arsenal's progression sky-rocketed following the
arrival of Aaron Ramsdale, then David Raya.
So it is no surprise Maresca is tackling this issue as he begins his Chelsea
revolution.
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