Chelsea should give up on and sell Thibaut Courtois
Chelsea should stop trying to hitch themselves to the Thibaut Courtois wagon and cut the underwhelming Belgian loose.
Rumors around the Chelsea-sphere suggest that the Blues may have buried that hatchet with perennial complainer and over-rated goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. However, Chelsea should cut their losses and sell their goalkeeper rather than hitching their wagon to him for even longer.
Chelsea are supposedly weighing up the prospect of offering Courtois an extended deal. How long until the going gets tough and he decides to jump ship and throw his teammates under the bus like last season? How short are people’s memories? This man is not a leader, a team player nor even good enough at his job to be worth putting up with in the first place.
Some players have awful attitudes but they are worth it. Oliver Kahn was a notorious womanizer and jerk whose career was rocked by multiple sex scandals. He also however was perhaps one of the top-7 goalkeepers of all time. His ability over-compensated for his personal faults.
Courtois simply is not at that level. He does not stack up compared to the elite goalkeeper in every other European big league.
| Thibaut Courtois | Manuel Neuer | Gianluigi Buffon | Hugo Lloris | Keylor Navas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | 36 | 26 | 30 | 34 | 27 |
| Saves per goal | 2.15 | 3.62 | 2.65 | 2.78 | 2.43 |
| Distribution accuracy | 72% | 84% | 81% | 75% | 73% |
| Goals conceded | 28 | 13 | 24 | 24 | 31 |
| Punches | 17 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
Stats via Squawka.
More from The Pride of London
- Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea player ratings: Abysmal, reckless, wasteful
- Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea: 3 Blues talking points
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 1 Blue Mauricio Pochettino should drop
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 3 Blues who must start
- Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Bournemouth: Palmer starts in 4-2-3-1
The stats do not lie. Courtois makes the fewest saves per goal. His distribution accuracy – something he and his supporters would claim is a great strength for him – is also the lowest of the players here. He is close to Keylor Navas and Hugo Lloris in that category but a loser all the same. Oh how glorious.
Shall we continue to champion this man? Why not? Goals conceded: while also keeping the most-clean sheets he conceded more than anyone else except Navas. Nava, by the way, is not elite by any standard. That shows an entirely too predictable lack of concentration.
Finally and most convincing is the number of punches. Punches are not good. They represent a goalkeeper who is on the edge and not in control of his area. They are a last reserve “OMG I MISREAD THAT” moment. You are supposed to catch the ball, not flail about like a newborn calf. Look at the difference between Courtois and the best goalkeeper in Europe (Neuer)!
Next: How Chelsea should actually handle summer business
Can we stop this Thibaut Courtois nonsense now please? Never have I seen a player more emptily celebrated and rewarded than this young man. It is absurd. The goalkeeper he most compares with is Keylor Navas, and even Real Madrid admit that he is not exactly a game winner. It’s time to be honest. Chelsea should transfer Courtois in favor of a legitimate foundation on which to build moving forward.