There have been major doubts about Robert Sanchez as a player since he joined Chelsea – and we won’t deny we’ve been firmly in that camp.
This team has been crying out for a top class goalkeeper for a long time, and it seemed a bizarre sideways move when they got rid of the flawed Edouard Mendy for the equally flawed Sanchez.
Things didn’t go well in his first season at the club either – let’s not forget he lost his first team place when injured and didn’t regain it. It took a change of manager and the departure of Djordje Petrovic on loan to restore Sanchez as number one.
But to be fair to him, he’s made a good start to the season, and in speaking to the club’s official website, revealed he felt he was in the form of his life.
Confident Sanchez stands up to the critics
“I’m feeling the best that I’ve ever felt and after two clean sheets we just need to keep this going. It feels amazing because it’s the fittest I’ve felt in the last two years. Two years ago I didn’t have a pre-season, and last year I didn’t have a pre-season.
“I signed for Chelsea, trained for three days and then played against Liverpool. I wasn’t at my best and played week in, week out, feeling I was at 60 per cent or 70 per cent of what I know I’m capable of. Then the injury happened. But this pre-season I came back two or three weeks before everybody else just to get my knee strong. Now the knee feels like I’ve never had an injury there and I’m just focused on training because I want to give my best.”
It’s interesting to hear him blame his struggles last season on injury and fitness – it’s not often a goalkeeper talks about being at 60 or 70% like an outfield player.
But whatever the cause, he certainly looks full of confidence and much improved this season, and the whole team ahead of him is playing well and keeping the pressure off.
