On Monday evening in Chelsea’s dressing room, Robert Sanchez was a picture of zen, sitting cross-legged and reading the matchday programme in which he had contributed an interview as the television screen to his left counted down to kick-off with Wolves.
Nothing wrong with that, calmness being a good trait to have in a goalkeeper. Defenders will tell you it is much more desirable than someone contagiously showing their nerves before exiting the tunnel and entering the particle accelerator that is the Premier League.
It is a part of Sanchez’s personality, and why those who know Chelsea’s 6ft 6in keeper are confident he will not get caught up in the chaos of the criticism coming his way.
That included his own supporters cheering ironically whenever he caught the ball in the second half of their 3-1 win over Wolves on Monday, after spilling the catch which saw them concede their equaliser.
Mail Sport quizzed Enzo Maresca on those cheers at yesterday’s press conference and Chelsea’s head coach essentially told his goalkeeper: deal with it.
‘He has to manage that moment,’ Maresca said. ‘He’s getting better, but he’s still far, far, far from where I want him to be.’
Enzo Maresca said that Robert Sanchez is getting better but ‘far’ from where he needs to be
He admitted that Sanchez may not be good enough to play as a guaranteed starter for Chelsea
Sanchez made a blunder against Wolves on Monday, spilling a catch to allow their equaliser
Three uses of the word ‘far’. Asked as a follow-up if the 27-year-old Spaniard can be his goalkeeper for seasons to come, Maresca answered: ‘For this season? No doubt.
‘But then in the future, we don’t know. It is not only about Robert. It is even about me. I’m focused on this moment, this season. Robert is getting better, but he is still far from where I want him to be.’
Make that four uses of ‘far’. Not wishing to crush his confidence, Maresca also sprinkled in a few nice words for Sanchez, saying he is improving and not the only one making mistakes.
But we have been here before in the Premier League. Pep Guardiola defended Claudio Bravo in 2016-17, then Manchester City signed Ederson after the conclusion of that season. Jurgen Klopp defended Loris Karius in 2017-18, then Liverpool signed Alisson for £67million from Roma.
Both were catalysts for those clubs’ successes. We will need to wait to see if Chelsea consider their own summer swoop, that being a conversation for nearer the time.
What is known is they are not actively seeking a January change, with insiders insisting they have faith in Sanchez and his 22-year-old understudy Filip Jorgensen for this season, and that there is optimism for the future with Mike Penders, the 19-year-old Belgium youth international who will arrive from Genk this summer.
Sanchez himself is confident he can prove his worth between now and the Premier League season’s end. He returned earlier than expected in the summer as he sought to learn what Maresca wanted from him, working closely with the club’s new goalkeeping coach Michele de Bernardin – known as ‘Micky’ – and Henrique Hilario – ‘H’, though he has now left to join Thomas Tuchel’s England staff.
There continues to be a daily focus on perfecting Sanchez’s passing at Cobham. Leicester’s Mads Hermansen went on to play more passes than any goalkeeper on record in Championship history last season under Maresca, hence why Sanchez has been told there is an allowance for mistakes made by his manager.
The Blues signed the 27-year-old from Brighton for £25million from Brighton in August 2023
Filip Jorgensen is Chelsea’s back-up keeper but has played just two league games this season
As Chelsea travel to City in the Premier League today, though, it is worth looking back to 2016-17. Guardiola’s first season, Bravo was in goal, and City’s boss backed him heavily, including when his own supporters indulged in ironic cheers after a clanger was committed.
It was in the second half of that season that Guardiola’s defensive words took on a hollowness as he installed Willy Caballero – now Maresca’s assistant at Chelsea – as his new first-choice, and then in the summer when City signed Ederson for £35m from Benfica.
Guardiola never shied from saying that was a game-changer for City, admitting he could ‘not visualise’ winning all that they did without Ederson in between the sticks.
Chelsea have no shortage of goalkeepers on their books. Thirteen, in fact. As well as Sanchez, Jorgensen and the incoming Penders, there is Englishman Marcus Bettinelli, 32, who has made a solitary FA Cup appearance in four years at Stamford Bridge. Finland’s Lucas Bergstrom, 22, has played more for his country (once) than his club.
Djordje Petrovic, 25, is currently on loan with their French sister side Strasbourg, plus Kepa Arrizabalaga, 30, at Bournemouth. Others include Gaga Slonina (20, recently recalled from Barnsley), Eddie Beach (21, recently recalled from Crawley) and Teddy Sharman-Lowe (21, on loan with Doncaster). Ted Curd, Luke Campbell and Hudson Sands are in the academy ranks.
Sanchez is ahead of them all, the best that Chelsea currently have, and someone who Maresca hopes can keep calm and carry on for now if they are to return to the Champions League.