We've got a new Kepa

[coco]

42 minutes ago, Davey Baby said:

 

If these stats are correct, they're pretty damning. Even worse, they don't factor in the fact he can't claim a cross to save his life, thereby putting our defence under unnecessary pressure. He needs to up his game because I have no doubt Frank and Petr will strengthen if they think they can. Remember, Kepa arrived before Frank and Petr's appointments, so they won't have any qualms about getting in their own man. Kepa needs to impress them if he wants to stay, and right now, I doubt very much he's doing that. He needs to up his game. On his day, he's quality, as we saw in Ajax, but this season he has been pretty average for the most part. Even worse than average judging by those stats.

Here is the full 'shots per game' table to inspect....

[big blue]

I really want to like kepa, but im starting to struggle. I could take his in ability to come for any cross, if he was making up for it with fantastic saves, but he isnt a fantastoc shot stopper either. He is decent, and he us excellent on the ball, but for the money spent, he needs to improve. 

He is still young, especially for a keeper, so im willing to cut him some slack, but i think he is a major reason why the defence is struggles with set pieces, because he never comes out, not even to get a punch on it. 

Im not sure his positives outweigh his negatives at the moment.

[robdog]

18 hours ago, RIP Mourinho said:

De Gea was much worse in his first 2/3 seasons at Utd. Kepa has also now replaced De Gea in the national team.

funny that you mention this fact. Checkout the data from last season. I believe it's strictly based on League performances

[Crapbag]

7 hours ago, Vagabond said:

Thing is, who is going to give us 70m for him?

Madrid? Courtouis has been poor and their fans can't stand him. Won't recoup our money though, if we can get 40m i say take it and run - the caveat being only if we have identified who we want to replace him with 

[mwblue10]

13 hours ago, Davey Baby said:

 

If these stats are correct, they're pretty damning. Even worse, they don't factor in the fact he can't claim a cross to save his life, thereby putting our defence under unnecessary pressure. He needs to up his game because I have no doubt Frank and Petr will strengthen if they think they can. Remember, Kepa arrived before Frank and Petr's appointments, so they won't have any qualms about getting in their own man. Kepa needs to impress them if he wants to stay, and right now, I doubt very much he's doing that. He needs to up his game. On his day, he's quality, as we saw in Ajax, but this season he has been pretty average for the most part. Even worse than average judging by those stats.

Stats like this one doesn’t always tell the full story.  You could have a whole bunch of top bin, on target, un-savable shots and this list would make you look really bad.  I know that’s not the case, but just making a point.

Sure, Kepa needs to up his game for sure, but stats like this one aren’t the way to prove it.

[Deino]

11 hours ago, big blue said:

I really want to like kepa, but im starting to struggle. I could take his in ability to come for any cross, if he was making up for it with fantastic saves, but he isnt a fantastoc shot stopper either. He is decent, and he us excellent on the ball, but for the money spent, he needs to improve. 

He is still young, especially for a keeper, so im willing to cut him some slack, but i think he is a major reason why the defence is struggles with set pieces, because he never comes out, not even to get a punch on it. 

Im not sure his positives outweigh his negatives at the moment.

This is half true. Most of the corners we concede from set pieces is usually due to lack of concentration from the defence. How can he claim crosses and such when it's targeted at the near post. We don't really concede headers from the far post

[Spiller86]

1 hour ago, Deino said:

This is half true. Most of the corners we concede from set pieces is usually due to lack of concentration from the defence. How can he claim crosses and such when it's targeted at the near post. We don't really concede headers from the far post

I wouldn't discount the value of a strong keeper who really dominates his box aerially. Pete and particularly Tibo were strong in this area. It makes a massive difference to know your keeper will come and claim if it close to him. 

Kepa is unfortunately too short to do that and is often left a sitting duck when opponents do get a head to the ball. 

I'm on the record as saying he isn't big enough to be effective in the PL over the long term. No doubt he is a decent shot stopper and a good distributor but for mine I don't think he has fully filled the hole left by Courtois (whatever we may think of his douchey behaviour he was still a great keeper).

[DannyVblue]

I think he's a really good keeper. He's 6ft 1 - hardly small.

If we're giving opponents free headers in our box, that's not on him. Also, not much any goalkeeper can do if a player puts in the top bin with pace.

I can't think of a single howler he's made since joining - I'm personally happy with him as our goalkeeper. Much prefer him to Tibo.

Edited November 8, 2019 by DannyVblue

[big blue]

41 minutes ago, DannyVblue said:

I think he's a really good keeper. He's 6ft 1 - hardly small.

If we're giving opponents free headers in our box, that's not on him. Also, not much any goalkeeper can do if a player puts in the top bin with pace.

I can't think of a single howler he's made since joining - I'm personally happy with him as our goalkeeper. Much prefer him to Tibo.

I just think it puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the defensive set up at set pieces, when kepa never claims any cross. We have quite a small team as it is, so in my opinion kepa should be more aggressive. If you look at the goals conceded against ndidi, firmino, and osimneh, all 3 were headed in from 6 yards out, centre of the goal, surely that is an area that kepa should dominating, and at least getting a strong fist to. There is no benefit to have him stay on the line, because any header from that range is going in regardless. 

I dont know whether it is a tactical ploy by lamps to set us up like that, i cant remember it being as much of an issue last season, but i think kepa needs to start dominating his area more. 

[Nibs]

2 hours ago, DannyVblue said:

I think he's a really good keeper. He's 6ft 1 - hardly small.

If we're giving opponents free headers in our box, that's not on him. Also, not much any goalkeeper can do if a player puts in the top bin with pace.

I can't think of a single howler he's made since joining - I'm personally happy with him as our goalkeeper. Much prefer him to Tibo.

I have never been convinced with Kepa. I like him and he is decent but he is nowhere near a TOP £70M rated keeper IMO.

When we first signed him and I saw him for the first time I thought he looked small and made a "jokey" post on here that we haven't got a lot for all that money! 6ft 1, isn't small but it's not big either for keepers these days and to be honest, I'd be surprised if he actually was 6ft 1.

You say keepers can't do much if a player puts it in the top bin and that's fair enough but with Kepa it doesn't have to be top bin. He gets beaten by high, long range shots and that is down to his size and you don't pay £70M for that happen.

And I haven't kept a record of his mistakes / howlers but there have been a few. He has been pelted for the Ajax goal this week that went in off his face. Okay, it could be argued that was unlucky but you would expect that not to happen to a top keeper who would have got a hand or fist on the ball before it hit the post. I do also recall the goal against Wolves last season. A game we were bossing and 1-0 up when Jimenez hit a shot and it went straight at Kepa but went through him and we went onto lose 2-1.

Just feel, same as others, that he DOES need to up his game and if we had a better no.2, his position would be under threat. We should never have sold the academy keeper Bulka - now he DID look likely to become a top keeper.

 

[DannyVblue]

1 hour ago, Nibs said:

I have never been convinced with Kepa. I like him and he is decent but he is nowhere near a TOP £70M rated keeper IMO.

When we first signed him and I saw him for the first time I thought he looked small and made a "jokey" post on here that we haven't got a lot for all that money! 6ft 1, isn't small but it's not big either for keepers these days and to be honest, I'd be surprised if he actually was 6ft 1.

You say keepers can't do much if a player puts it in the top bin and that's fair enough but with Kepa it doesn't have to be top bin. He gets beaten by high, long range shots and that is down to his size and you don't pay £70M for that happen.

And I haven't kept a record of his mistakes / howlers but there have been a few. He has been pelted for the Ajax goal this week that went in off his face. Okay, it could be argued that was unlucky but you would expect that not to happen to a top keeper who would have got a hand or fist on the ball before it hit the post. I do also recall the goal against Wolves last season. A game we were bossing and 1-0 up when Jimenez hit a shot and it went straight at Kepa but went through him and we went onto lose 2-1.

Just feel, same as others, that he DOES need to up his game and if we had a better no.2, his position would be under threat. We should never have sold the academy keeper Bulka - now he DID look likely to become a top keeper.

 

That Ziyech free-kick was not Kepa's fault - it was very unlucky. Ziyech whipped it in so fast with a lot of dip and it hit the top of the post. That beats any keeper in the world, an extra few inches height wouldn't have made a difference.

I don't recall the other mistakes that you mentioned, but I'm sure there are instances where he maybe could have done better. He's shown weak wrists a couple of times, I appreciate that. He has also pulled off last minute saves which have won us points against Ajax and Watford which he seems to be getting little credit for.

I know he's not as dominant in the air as Courtois, that's definitely his weakest area, but I think he more than makes up for it in agility. Courtois struggled to save anything low because he was so tall and it took him an eternity to get down. Courtois' performance away against Barca a couple of years ago was the worst goalkeeping performance I can remember from a Chelsea goalie. Kepa hasn't performed close to that badly for us.

Yeah, he cost £70 million, but that's not his fault. The club decided to spend the money becuase they thought it was a good investment for a goalkeeper who is likely to be with us for the next 10 years and who is on considerably less wages than Courtois and is locked into a 7 year contract. People shouldn't use his price as a stick to beat him with. He's one of the lowest paid players in our squad.

Also, goalkeepers generally don't hit their peak until their late 20's. I feel like the criticism he receives is a bit harsh. I'm generally happy with him, although know he's not perfect. 

[DannyVblue]

2 hours ago, big blue said:

I just think it puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the defensive set up at set pieces, when kepa never claims any cross. We have quite a small team as it is, so in my opinion kepa should be more aggressive. If you look at the goals conceded against ndidi, firmino, and osimneh, all 3 were headed in from 6 yards out, centre of the goal, surely that is an area that kepa should dominating, and at least getting a strong fist to. There is no benefit to have him stay on the line, because any header from that range is going in regardless. 

I dont know whether it is a tactical ploy by lamps to set us up like that, i cant remember it being as much of an issue last season, but i think kepa needs to start dominating his area more. 

Yeah I agree that being dominant in the air is his weakest area, but I think this seasons troubles with set-pieces have been down to a combination of things - mainly getting used to zonal marking. The deliveries into the box for all of the goals you mentioned were excellent. I think it's unfair to put all of the blame on Kepa.

[Argo]

I think one problem may be lack of competition which has (probably subconsciously) made him rest on his laurels a bit.

Caballero is a decent keeper but he's not realistic competition for Kepa, unless he goes full 2016 Claudio Bravo his place isn't in danger. If we can pull off a quality number two next summer like United did with Romero then Kepa will know that he will have to keep performing or he's out of the side.

A keeper like Sirigu or Sergio Rico will be ideal for that role.

[Munkunku]

8 hours ago, DannyVblue said:

That Ziyech free-kick was not Kepa's fault - it was very unlucky. Ziyech whipped it in so fast with a lot of dip and it hit the top of the post. That beats any keeper in the world, an extra few inches height wouldn't have made a difference.

I don't recall the other mistakes that you mentioned, but I'm sure there are instances where he maybe could have done better. He's shown weak wrists a couple of times, I appreciate that. He has also pulled off last minute saves which have won us points against Ajax and Watford which he seems to be getting little credit for.

I know he's not as dominant in the air as Courtois, that's definitely his weakest area, but I think he more than makes up for it in agility. Courtois struggled to save anything low because he was so tall and it took him an eternity to get down. Courtois' performance away against Barca a couple of years ago was the worst goalkeeping performance I can remember from a Chelsea goalie. Kepa hasn't performed close to that badly for us.

Yeah, he cost £70 million, but that's not his fault. The club decided to spend the money becuase they thought it was a good investment for a goalkeeper who is likely to be with us for the next 10 years and who is on considerably less wages than Courtois and is locked into a 7 year contract. People shouldn't use his price as a stick to beat him with. He's one of the lowest paid players in our squad.

Also, goalkeepers generally don't hit their peak until their late 20's. I feel like the criticism he receives is a bit harsh. I'm generally happy with him, although know he's not perfect. 

If Tibo was in goal for that free kick would have come off the post and megged him. 
 

If it had hit him in the face at least the ball would stick on his nose and deflate. 

[coco]

9 hours ago, Nibs said:

We should never have sold the academy keeper Bulka - now he DID look likely to become a top keeper.

 

Agreed, Have we got a buy back ?

[Spiller86]

11 hours ago, DannyVblue said:

Yeah I agree that being dominant in the air is his weakest area, but I think this seasons troubles with set-pieces have been down to a combination of things - mainly getting used to zonal marking. The deliveries into the box for all of the goals you mentioned were excellent. I think it's unfair to put all of the blame on Kepa.

Don't think anyone is placing all the blame on him. But his height is a factor when you consider he is half a foot shorter than Pete and Tibo. Not sure how that translates in arm length but it makes a difference as does the lack of height in our backline. When you compare JT, Cahill and Branna all 190 plus, plus Cech or Tibo to our current lineup you can see why set pieces are such an issue. I'll say in England that is worth probably 6 points over a season. It's defintely cost us that many so far this year.

3 hours ago, coco said:

Agreed, Have we got a buy back ?

I dont think so. It might have even been a free transfer. Shame because he was a great young player.

Edited November 9, 2019 by Spiller86

[Slojo]

I still have a dislike of Kepa for what he did in the cup final, I can't get that out of my head about him, some things just stick. I think he's still a very good GK though, the stats are bit worrying I must admit but if you judged Zouma and Tomori on stats you could make a case of how they're awful CB's. 

[DannyVblue]

10 hours ago, Munkworth said:

If Tibo was in goal for that free kick would have come off the post and megged him. 
 

If it had hit him in the face at least the ball would stick on his nose and deflate. 

😂😂😂

[Droopy]

I don't care about stats regarding the keepers, I just don't feel it when it comes down to some real-ass goalkeeping which, to me, against all the meanings of the modern football, is saving the damn ball. He is just not that great at the very foundations of his position. I don't think he is bad at crossing, he is also commanding the defense pretty damn well, especially when try to pass the ball on the feet, miles ahead of Courtois, but he needs more pure saves like the one against Foster. I'm afraid that's the only time he's saved us the points in the League or Europe. Simply not enough. 

Having a keeper that doesn't make key saves is like having a forward  that doesn't score goals. Don't get me wrong, everybody loves Giroud, but if you've got the chance to replace him with Abraham, there wouldn't be a second thought. Kepa needs to consider that. 

Edited November 9, 2019 by Droopy

[Crapbag]

32 minutes ago, Droopy said:

I don't think he is bad at crossing, he is also commanding the defense pretty damn well

Good grief 

[dansubrosa]

How long are you guys willing to give him?

Perhaps abit harsh to be asking questions like that, but he doesn’t fill me with confidence and I’m not sure he’ll ever get there. Yup, he’s still very young, and he’s already very good, but I don’t trust him to be saving us points week in week out.

I think if he hasn’t improved by, let’s say 2 years time, it may be time to start looking at replacements. I really hope he proves me wrong.

Maybe I am being too harsh because we are fking terrible at defending set pieces!

[strider6004]

If the story about Shay Given is true it would make sense as we cannot do anything in the transfer market just now.

[Deino]

37 minutes ago, dansubrosa said:

How long are you guys willing to give him?

Perhaps abit harsh to be asking questions like that, but he doesn’t fill me with confidence and I’m not sure he’ll ever get there. Yup, he’s still very young, and he’s already very good, but I don’t trust him to be saving us points week in week out.

I think if he hasn’t improved by, let’s say 2 years time, it may be time to start looking at replacements. I really hope he proves me wrong.

Maybe I am being too harsh because we are fking terrible at defending set pieces!

 

On 09/11/2019 at 19:18, Droopy said:

I don't care about stats regarding the keepers, I just don't feel it when it comes down to some real-ass goalkeeping which, to me, against all the meanings of the modern football, is saving the damn ball. He is just not that great at the very foundations of his position. I don't think he is bad at crossing, he is also commanding the defense pretty damn well, especially when try to pass the ball on the feet, miles ahead of Courtois, but he needs more pure saves like the one against Foster. I'm afraid that's the only time he's saved us the points in the League or Europe. Simply not enough. 

Having a keeper that doesn't make key saves is like having a forward  that doesn't score goals. Don't get me wrong, everybody loves Giroud, but if you've got the chance to replace him with Abraham, there wouldn't be a second thought. Kepa needs to consider that. 

Harsh words there. Don't forget Kepa made the save against plenty of teams last season and even spared us a couple of blushes this season. This is just a minor blip in form and he'll get better with the right coaching and guidance.

Have a bit of faith. It's not that he's completely useless like Bakayoko or Drinkwater

[robdog]

 

[Davey Baby]

16 hours ago, robdog said:

 

 

Just a shame Moreno's no longer manager.