Čech or Courtois?

Duncan Castles, notably believed to be connected at the hip with Mourinho, has written today that there is presently a divide within the club over the direction it should elect to take concerning next season's goalkeeper situation. He writes:

Chelsea's problem is that they already have one of the game's elite goalkeepers in Petr Cech and cannot reasonably expect to pair the two in one squad. Taking the constraints imposed on the club's transfer and wage budget by UEFA Financial Fair Play regulations into account, Mourinho has reluctantly concluded that the most pragmatic approach is to secure Courtois’ long-term by giving him the starting position while selling the 31-year-old Cech to raise revenue to spend on other areas of the team.

Goalkeeping coach Christophe Lollichon [however] has advised that both players be offered new deals with Courtois to be loaned out for a fourth season. Lollichon's opinion is valued by Chelsea's hierarchy, which retained the Frenchman's services last summer despite Mourinho bringing his own goalkeeping coach, Silvino Louro, back to Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho is understood to have made his discontent with that recommendation clear to Lollichon, who was originally brought to Chelsea on Cech's request.

Disregarding the club's own division delineated above, which can be talked about at length in other threads, I thought it might be interesting to see where all of us officially, as it were, stand on this issue ourselves. It's been talked casually about throughout the season, with the Courtois Watch thread indeed being one of the most active of all of the ones dedicated to loanees this term, but there has, as yet, been no official venue, or even discussion altogether, concerning the direction the club should definitively take.


Now, it goes without saying that in an ideal world, just as many of us have expectedly indicated emphatic assent for ourselves throughout the season and earlier, Courtois would be brought back and Cech retained, free for both to duke it out with one another and raise each others' level trying to better his rival and beat him to a position in the staring XI that week. But let's presume in theory, as is probable in reality, that that scenario will be neither likely to occur, nor possible to implement. It MUST be one or the other. What should we do? Sell a seasoned veteran, one of the cornerstones of our team and pillars of the dressing room in Cech to make way for young blood? Or keep the experienced pair of hands in Big Pete and disperse one of the best goalkeepers in the world out on yet another loan, potentially further distancing him emotionally from the club, while conversely further strengthening his affection for, and connection to, Atlético (both of which are already manifestly quite strong...), and at the end of which he'd have just a year remaining on his Chelsea contract — as well as the possible ancillary ramification of alienating, or even losing altogether, well-liked and very-highly-regarded GK coach Lollichon?


It's a huge conundrum, and one whose clarification and/or resolution is unlikely to come as swiftly and as decisively as it did last season (with Thibaut being confirmed loaned back to them just weeks after the preceding season ended). So, what what are we thinking?

Courtois is good. And I want him as our 1st choice keeper. I wouldn't sell Cech though. I still want him to be there so that he can teach a thing or two to Courtois. That would be the scenario in the perfect world.

If we really need to choose, I'll still give Cech 1 more year, (given that his dislocated shoulder won't affect his performance), and just have Courtois on loan.

I'm just a bit worried because it seems that Courtois is enjoying himself in Madrid.

My choice has always been and will always be, Courtois.

The Lad is the future and with Atleti beating us in the CL, we must now act to secure him long term.

Cech will still fetch a decent sum, as there are a few teams where I can see him going, Monaco, Milan, Napoli, Atleti etc etc.

While Cech is a legend, our best GK ever and one of the best purchases of the Roman era, I think it is time to move on.

With Jose at the helm, our defence will be solid and we won't have to rely on Cech saving us, ala 2010/2011. I think it's time.

Agree. Was probably leaning pro-Cech throughout the season, but the last month or two I've slowly been moving in the other direction. Now, with his injury, I wonder if it's not just about the right time to say goodbye, gutting though it may – will – be.

It'll be as sad as the day Drogba left but I think it has to happen.

I think it's time we keep courtois

José Mourinho to plead with Thibaut Courtois to stay at Chelsea next season:
Chelsea manager José Mourinho will make a personal plea to Thibaut Courtois to stay at the club next season after 3 years on loan at Atlético Madrid
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2623458/Jose-Mourinho-plead-Thibaut-Courtois-stay-Chelsea-season.html


Lol. As if José would ever:


A) "plead" with a player
B) do it with one his club already owns

Asked about his position on this in today's presser...

“I made a decision. But I'm not the club. I'm the manager.”

“I have an opinion. I informed the club about my opinion, not just a simple comment made in a corridor... I like to do things in a proper way, to be committed with my opinions, and I do that written always.”

— via the Fulham Chronicle

Cech — Golden Glove
Courtois — Zamora Trophy

We seriously have two of the best GK's in the world, it's not easy to choose between them.

Petr Cech faces uncertain future at Chelsea amid shoulder surgery whose recovery time could extend into the start of preseason and Mourinho favouring Courtois as his first-choice starting next year:
• Mourinho wants Courtois to return and start preseason as No. 1 keeper while Cech recovers from shoulder surgery
• If Cech is not prepared to play second fiddle to Courtois, then Chelsea will try to sell him or even loan him out and find a new No. 2
• Mourinho and club GK coach Lollichon are split over the issue and Lollichon may also go should it be decided in the Portuguese's favour
• Courtois has been offered a new 5-year contract at around £70,000 per week
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/chelsea/10831871/Petr-Cech-may-leave-Chelsea-as-Thibaut-Courtois-emerges-as-Jose-Mourinhos-first-choice-keeper-at-Stamford-Bridge.html

Interesting. I can't wait to see how this develops.

IIRC Cech replaced Cudicini during his injury and stayed there since

An act of God, this, I tell you

You are correct, Soul.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/27499548

Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois says his future is "unclear" as he prepares to play Real Madrid in Saturday's Champions League final.

The 22-year-old, who is at the end of his third season on loan from Chelsea, added it would not be "the healthiest thing" for him to return to the Blues given Petr Cech's form.

"The two of us want to play everything. Nobody will be happy to play in only the League Cup or FA Cup," he said.

"Things are unclear at the moment."

Courtois added that the high standards set by 32-year-old Cech, who has been at Chelsea for ten years, meant it might be best for both if he continued his career elsewhere.

"I have the biggest respect for Petr Cech. He is one of the best goalkeepers in the world so I think putting him and me in the same team is not the healthiest thing in the world," Courtois added in an interview with BBC Sport.

"We will see in the next week if we can sit together with Chelsea to find something for next year, find out what they want, what my desire is. We will see."

Courtois's comments make it sound like he's expecting Cech to be at Chelsea next season, too. Then again, as he says, he is yet to sit down with the club to discuss his future.

I don't think anyone really knows tbh.

Courtois: ‘I have no emotional attachment to Chelsea’:
Thibaut Courtois, Belgian goalkeeper who is on loan at the newly-crowned La Liga champions from Chelsea, admits he has “no emotional attachment” to the London club
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/may/23/thibaut-courtois-no-emotional-attachment-chelsea-atletico-madrid

“The fans and my team-mates have not seen me as a player being on loan there. I have no emotional attachment to Chelsea. They did sign me for €9m in 2011 but since then I have only been in London for my medical.”

“Chelsea didn’t want to loan me out last summer either. But I wanted to stay in Madrid. And this summer it will go on again and it will be even harder to find a solution.”

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In other news, water is wet, shit stinks, and the Pope is Catholic.

Not surprising at all.

We need Courtois back as our No 1 Keeper.
This is a mandatory not an option if we are serious about our team repairs and improvements.

Courtois to Belgian newspaper La Dernière Heure:

“My future seemed clear but then we played in the Champions League.”

“And yes, Mourinho called me before the [final League] game against Barcelona.”

“What we talked about stays between us. I have a two-year contract with Chelsea, so in principle I will be there for training, then we’ll talk.”

“This isn’t the time to think about a transfer. There’s a World Cup at stake.”

— via MARCA
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Thibaut Courtois looks set for Chelsea return as Atlético Madrid bring in new keeper:
Atlético Madrid have secured the signing of goalkeeper Miguel Moya from local rivals Getafe, increasing speculation Thibaut Courtois will return to Chelsea after a 3-year loan spell in Spain
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/480139/Thibaut-Courtois-set-for-Chelsea-return-as-Atletico-Madrid-bring-in-new-keeper

Chelsea looking to sell Petr Cech as they look to bring Thibaut Courtois back:
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho will make Blues legend Petr Cech available for transfer in a bid to tempt Atletico Madrid loan star Thibaut Courtois back to Stamford Bridge
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/481709/Chelsea-ready-to-SELL-Petr-Cech-as-they-look-to-welcome-Thibaut-Courtois-back
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Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho will make Blues legend Petr Cech available for transfer in a bid to tempt Atletico Madrid loan star Thibaut Courtois back to Stamford Bridge

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Yea, we'd have to offer temptations to lure our own player back to the club.
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God these people are hopeless

Express are on a roll