Watching Robert Sanchez as Chelsea’s primary goalkeeper each week is turning into quite the ordeal. It’s hard to stomach that we picked him up from Brighton as a backup, maybe even third choice. Reflecting on the world-class keepers we’ve had over the years, seeing Sanchez now just doesn’t sit right.
In our recent loss to Arsenal, Sanchez lived up to his reputation. It started early when he nearly handed them a goal by misplacing his passes—not once, but twice. We got a bit fortunate there.
Then, on Arsenal’s goal, as Wayne Rooney pointed out on Match of the Day 2, Sanchez was caught flat-footed and could have done more to stop it. Rooney broke it down saying, “If you watch the goalie, he’s too caught up with the other players. He steps back, so he can’t get that jump he needs to stop the ball. If he had given himself some space and stayed on his toes, he might have saved it.”
Rooney’s critique is pretty spot-on.
Sanchez seems to make questionable decisions and mishaps every game. Enzo Maresca, our head coach, claimed Sanchez was his number one. Then a few weeks later, suddenly Jorgensen was his go-to. Now, it’s back to Sanchez. What’s going on?
Apparently, Sanchez needed a break to regain confidence and sort himself out. As fans, it’s hardly reassuring to hear that, right? It’s a real head-scratcher.
Don’t get me wrong, saving is what Sanchez is supposed to do, but he’ll likely make more blunders than key stops. Even without goals from his errors, these mistakes create unnecessary pressure on the team.
According to WhoScored, Sanchez leads the Premier League this season in errors resulting in a shot, with eight such mistakes. That’s just madness.
How can Chelsea’s top brass not see what seems obvious to the rest of us? If we’re expected to support this project, then they need to sign a new goalkeeper and find a new path with Sanchez.
As for Maresca, if he wants our support as head coach, he needs to reconsider playing Sanchez. His comments post-game about being happy with Sanchez boggle the mind and contribute to my frustrations with him right now. If he’s seeking fan backing, he’s missing the mark.
I posted on X last night: For anyone at Chelsea backing Sanchez and expecting us to take them seriously, there’s no chance. Prioritize the goalkeeper situation; it’s crucial. That’s genuinely how I feel, and I believe 95% of the fan base shares this view.
It’s unrealistic to expect solid defense when there’s chaos at the back. You get the mess we saw against Arsenal because defenders need confidence in the keeper behind them. How can they be confident when Sanchez himself needed time off to find his own confidence?
