On 05/02/2022 at 18:35, PloKoon13 said:

It's quite frightening that this isn't the first time this season that we've come out of a match with the reaction 'thank goodness for Kepa, he's the competent and reliable one'.

Great man management job by Tuchel though, not only has he somehow played him into form (despite being a backup to someone totally undroppable) but he's also got him to buy into the completely made-up 'good at penalties' narrative. Then either as a direct result of that (or perhaps as a total fluke) it's actually become true!

It's not completely made up though, TT said statistically Kepa has a better penalty save rate than Mendy. It's not so much a fluke that it's become true, but more like a self fulfilling prophecy. 

It's the ability he's always had he just now has thr confidence to showcase it, just like Rudiger he's gone from being decent to shakey to dependable under the past 3 different coaches.

Well done again Kepa 👏 

 

Does he keep the spot for the final?

9 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

Well done again Kepa 👏 

 

Does he keep the spot for the final?

Yeah some good performances one of our best performing players recently, was another good effort today especially in the second half when Al-Hilal started putting some pressure on, Kepa kept our lead going.

 

It's a credit to his recent performances that the question even exists now on if he could start the final - wouldn't have expected that a year or two ago.

world class save today! 

8 hours ago, axman2526 said:

Well done again Kepa 👏 

 

Does he keep the spot for the final?

Probably yes, 

No point changing things

It's great,we now have 2 top goalkeepers at 1&2 ,Kepa definitely deserves to keep his place in the final.

He's probably been our best and most consistent player since Mendy went to the African Cup. 

No need to change things at the back, play him at the final. He deserves it. One of his saves was even from a long range shot, which he used to let in a few months back.

Happy to see him playing well - he's been very good when he's been called upon this season. His confidence was shot to pieces which must have really affected his performances. He made it easier for the fans to turn on him too with his antics in the league cup final.

4 hours ago, RMH said:

No need to change things at the back, play him at the final. He deserves it. One of his saves was even from a long range shot, which he used to let in a few months back.

For Saturday for sure but at Wembley my instincts after thinking about it properly say we need to be ruthless and recall Edou.

Liverpool are the one team that really take advantage of Kepa's weakness from range and they take a lot of long shots against us even when Mendy is in the nets (even an improved Kepa let's in that Salah shot in the recent game or succumbs to Liverpool's early second half shoot on sight onslaught at Anfield).

1 hour ago, Argo said:

For Saturday for sure but at Wembley my instincts after thinking about it properly say we need to be ruthless and recall Edou.

Liverpool are the one team that really take advantage of Kepa's weakness from range and they take a lot of long shots against us even when Mendy is in the nets (even an improved Kepa let's in that Salah shot in the recent game or succumbs to Liverpool's early second half shoot on sight onslaught at Anfield).

Yes, I meant for the Club World Cup. Regarding the League Cup, I agree that it would be better to play Mendy as it is a different ball game altogether. However, I think that we will see Kepa on goal on the 27th too. I'm not even sure whether Tuchel is going to start playing Mendy so soon after his return even in the Premier League games. We will see against Palace, I suppose.

Can we play with two keepers? I'd happily sacrifice one of our attacking players for it...

I would imagine he’ll want a move in the summer in order to be the #1 somewhere. Wonder if we will get anywhere close to what we paid for him. If we can get 50m that’s a good return.

6 hours ago, mwblue10 said:

I would imagine he’ll want a move in the summer in order to be the #1 somewhere. Wonder if we will get anywhere close to what we paid for him. If we can get 50m that’s a good return.

I imagine only Newcastle would be anywhere near that ... and maybe Manchester United as well if they decide DDG needs replacing and Henderson isn't up to it ... 

PSG have Donnarumma and Navas, so they wouldn't be interested, and I highly doubt any club in Spain or Italy has £50m to spend on a goalkeeper.

More likely £25-30m.

Him leaving in the summer is probably best for all parties. He will want to be a number 1, we get his wages off the books. 
 

we won’t get anywhere near back what we paid for him. Can see the club using him as a make-weight in another transfer or just trying to recoup what we owe the paper bank from the costs being split across his contract. 

I never thought I'd post this that Kepa is playing better now than he ever did, few posters questioning TT's man management and how that correlates into team performances, but nobody can deny he's turned this lad's career around. Next we'll have him in a bidding war but I'd keepa him around, every top- club needs 2 top keepas.

Feel bad for Kepa today - deserved to start.

 

Unlucky not to start after how well he played in the semi final. 

Sometimes you just have a bad day, this was one of those for Kepa... 

A sad end to the completely made-up 'Kepa is good at penalties' narrative

17 minutes ago, PloKoon13 said:

A sad end to the completely made-up 'Kepa is good at penalties' narrative

Indeed. Hopefully today has put that one well and truly to bed!

His approach to pens is mind games, he'll sacrifice a couple just to affect the takers. He doggedly goes to one side then will randomly dive to the other, he caught Kounate out and should saved it.

He clearly didn't practise them himself though, his pen was a bloody goal kick.

There is no blame on Kepa……. If there is anyone to blame it is TT, the game Mendy was having he should have forgone the pen save reputation of Kepa.  Often gut feel has to come on to play and Mendy was having a blinder. 

Edited February 27, 20224 yr by andy

One of those things, penalties are a lottery.

Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t.

Probably time to trust Mendy going forward though IMO.

Kepa was having a decent showing but was left out of the club World Cup final as soon as Mendy came back from AFCON. This balance worked out in the past and now it didn't, if we had lost with Mendy on penalties some would have said Tuchel should have put Kepa for penalties instead so it's just how it is.

Kepa dived to the less obvious side when the Liverpool second keeper took his penalty and then he was going for the same side as his opponent when he was shooting but he probably noticed that the keeper was going the right way and shot too hard and it went over, it happens. He could have saved 3 penalties, even those that went to the middle went right past his legs so this time he wasn't a hero on penalties but this is his role.