caughtoffside
·13 December 2024
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·13 December 2024
Enzo Maresca has made an incredible start to life at Chelsea but there is one decision fans and pundits continue to question.
The Italian coach was brought to Stamford Bridge this summer to replace Mauricio Pochettino and the former Leicester boss currently has the Blues sitting second in the Premier League and top of the Europa Conference League.
Maresca has found a way to get his young group of players at Chelsea to perform but one decision the 44-year-old made before a ball was kicked this season is still being questioned by many in the football world.
The Blues boss decided to make Robert Sanchez his number-one goalkeeper for the season, despite the London club signing talented 22-year-old Filip Jorgensen from Villarreal during the summer.
Sanchez is a liability between the Chelsea sticks as the Spanish shot-stopper is an average goalkeeper, who is not good with the ball at his feet and is prone to making errors that lead to goals.
Despite this, Maresca has faith in the 27-year-old having started him in all but one Premier League match during the first half of the season – which Jamie Carragher thinks will cost Chelsea this season.
That will not be changing anytime soon, which the 44-year-old made the press aware of on Friday.
Is Robert Sanchez good enough for Chelsea? (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Speaking to the press on Friday ahead of Chelsea’s match with Brentford, Maresca stated that Sanchez will not be removed from his role anytime soon.
“The idea is not to change, we trust Robert,” the Italian coach said via Fabrizio Romano. “But also in that case, we have two keepers who are both good. Until they maintain the same level, we are happy with that.”
This is a decision Maresca will live and die by as the season goes on as it is a choice that could end up having a big impact on Chelsea’s season further down the line.