Asmir Begovic has one of the worst jobs at Chelsea FC. He also has one of the most important jobs, one that could be the difference between a Premier League title and a mere Champions League berth.
If all goes well for the next few months, Asmir Begovic will lift the Premier League trophy. He will celebrate, dance on the pitch and spray champagne around the locker room. He’ll do all of this, despite possibly not playing a single minute in the Premier League this season.
Begovic is the ultimate backstop, the man you want as your last line of defence. Not only in goal, but on the bench. Begovic gives Chelsea the confidence that they are not dependent on Thibaut Courtois’s health, happiness or discipline.
Begovic’s main role this season is to provide Antonio Conte some peace of mind. Conte does not need to spend any time deciding who will start in goal. But – if not for Begovic – he would need to worry about what would happen if anything happened to Courtois.
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Conte could develop tactics and formations to compensate for any loss of Diego Costa, Eden Hazard or N’Golo Kante. It would not be easy and would not be pretty, but he could do it. There is no such adjustment for the loss of a top goalkeeper, other than replacing him with another top goalkeeper. Chelsea have that luxury, and cannot afford to lose Asmir Begovic mid-season.
Bournemouth reportedly offered Chelsea £10 million to buy Begovic in the winter transfer window. The Blues rejected the bid, potentially because it was not enough and not because Begovic is not for sale. Antonio Conte tap-danced around the question a bit at his pre-match press conference yesterday at Cobham.
"Now me and the club are are evaluating this. The club and the player know my position… It’s important to find the right solution for Asmir, for the club, for me, because I repeat he’s a really important player for me on and off the pitch. It’s important to find the right solution before he goes away. – Evening Standard"
The right solution is to find Begovic the consistent first team playing time he deserves and sorely desires… starting next season. Eduardo is the solution to a problem Chelsea hope to never have.
Thibaut Courtois said that he took the goalkeeping staff onto the pitch during halftime of Chelsea’s destruction of Everton to run him through extra drills. He was so inactive that he wanted to ensure his reflexes were ready if called upon. He has shown several times since that game that, no matter how quiet his night may be, he can unleash a lightning quick save to preserve a win.
That challenge is magnified many times over for Asmir Begovic. He sits on the bench, game in and game out, watching and waiting. He has to stay engaged and sharp enough at all times. If the unthinkable happens, he has to run onto the pitch and play as though it was his 15th match in a row.
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Begovic showed during Courtois’ injuries and suspension last year that Chelsea can dread Courtois’ absence without fearing it. That peace of mind and security is essential for a title chase even if he never has to take off his warmup suit in a game. Chelsea need to keep Begovic until the end of the season, and then reward him handsomely for his service.