He has won keeper of the season and finished the La Liga season with the most clean sheets - about 8 more games than any other keeper. He does not need more time on loan - he is ready NOW. As much as Petr is a great keeper and that we'd really like to hang onto him, there's no denying Courtois is forcing himself into a very strong reckoning here. He's one of the outstanding talents of Europe. Jose must be walk the walk and bring him back to challenge Cech directly for a first team place. Indeed, its high time that Cech faced a strong challenge. May the best man win.
Nothing wrong with them competing with each other, I'd love us to be able to have both available next season.
It's a nice to have problem, but a problem it is, since goal keepers need runs between the sticks. Courtois has himself said he'd prefer to spend a 3rd season on loan at Atletico rather than play understudy to Cech. Well on his kind of form, I don't think either will be an understudy to the other. Cech would probably be choice keeper for the Champs league for the experience, but other than it should be completely up for grabs.
Lets be clear here...Cech is still one of the best in the world, and has big boots. A keeper can only do so much and therefore is reliant on the centre halves a great deal. Our defence has been suspect many times over the last couple of years, but Cech still performs and has miles left in the tank. I've no doubt Courtois is a class act, but I'm not keen on him replacing Cech outright at this stage.
Courtois now needs to be loaned out to a premier/championship team to get him used to the physicality of the English game, he is one of the best young keepers i have ever seen and i wish he was at OT.
No club in world football has 2 top goalkeepers. When a young male lion returning to the pride, it is either chased away or it replaces the king. It is a ticking time bomb! The best Chelsea have had was Cudicini as No.2 to Cech. Spurs is a case apart, because Friedel knows he is coming to the end of his career. For starters, he needs to be recalled from Athletico Madrid because he is getting more attached by the year to them; stick him straight into the PL In reality, if you look at the PL teams with No.1 Keeper spots realistically open and of developmental benefits (discounting the 3 newly promoted teams); these are fairly limited to: Everton, Swansea, Southampton, Newcastle. IMO Everton would be a good match purely down to Martinez playing an attacking brand of football, which has the potential for the defending team to exploit on the counter; something that Courtois probably hasn't had too much experience of in La Liga; given that his team had a rock solid defence and enjoyed as the 3rd best team in La Liga, significant amounts of possession and dominance over the lesser teams.
It would be great to have 2 top quality 'keepers in the squad, however it would be very difficult to manage. I might be imagining this but hasn't Cech got a injury which CFC medical staff are concerned about which may cut short his career? Bit of a rock and hard place situation really: Have them both in the squad - Cech wins the battle for No. 1, Courtois feels unloved and an offer from Barca/Madrid comes in. OR Courtois wins the No. 1 shirt and Cech gives his best years to someone else. Have Courtois on loan - Cech gets injured and we have Turnbull in goal for the rest of the season!! I can see hindsight being the judge of this at the end of the season!! Lets just trust Jose to make the right call!!
