IT'S HARD to know what worries Chelsea fans more.
That their error-prone goalkeeper Robert Sanchez is fighting for his reputation after dropping another blow at a key moment.
Or that the club remains loyal to him and has no concrete plans to bring in a replacement during the January transfer period.
Chelsea's owners have spent more than £1 billion on players to fill every position that doesn't require gloves, and the feeling is that they are slowly getting there despite recent setbacks.
Wingers come and go like London Underground trains. Midfielders too. The defense has been rearranged more times than a deck of cards in a West End casino.
But the goalkeeper conundrum remains at Stamford Bridge, despite several changes of manager and even ownership.
Sánchez is directly responsible for four mistakes this season that have led directly to goals.
Two came in one game – against Brighton in September. The fans in the Matthew Harding Stand behind him are just catching their breath.
That puts him in second place behind Arijanet Muric from struggling Ipswich in the Premier League relegation zone.
Chelsea bought Sánchez at the last minute for £25 million 18 months ago, to fill the gap between the posts when Kepa Arrizabalaga announced a one-year loan to Real Madrid.
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They stand by him – at least for now. But there are many expectations on the shoulders of teenager Mike Penders, who is loaned out to Genk until the summer.
Sanchez was signed on the recommendation of CEO Ben Roberts, head of the global goalkeeping department. The pair previously worked together at Brighton.
Sources at Stamford Bridge say Sánchez has talent but is too 'proactive'. That he wants to play the match while a goalkeeper has to let it come to him.
Serbian Djordje Petrovic arrived shortly before Sánchez in the summer of '23. He has since been loaned to Chelsea's sister club Strasbourg.
The Dane Filip Jorgensen is Sánchez's substitute, but can be erratic. Kepa is now on loan at Bournemouth, but wants to stay permanently.
Since Thibaut Courtois and Petr Cech, Chelsea have not found a solid performer who can fill the posts long-term and prevent the punters from having a heart attack.
But as they have looked outward at the transfer market, they have parted ways with several homegrown goalkeepers who may have done just that.
Jamie Cumming was on the bench the night Chelsea won the Europa League by beating Arsenal in 2019.
Jamal Blackman played for England up to under-19 level. He was on the bench for a Premier League match in 2011 and won the FA Youth Cup. but he hit a ceiling after another ten years of trying to impress and left.
Pole Marcin Bulka is doing well with Nice, who are fifth in the French Ligue 1. Between 2016 and 2019, he tried to break through at Stamford Bridge for three years before leaving on a free transfer to find a new path.
Nathan Baxter, 26, is chasing promotion with Bolton Wanderers in League One. He was loaned out seven times to prove himself, but hit a glass ceiling and left a year and a half ago.
There is no guarantee that any of these goalkeepers would have been better than Sánchez, Petrovic or Jorgensen. The point is that Chelsea isn't willing to try.
And the issue is not limited to the current ownership at Chelsea. It is a historic problem caused by the unstable way of life at Stamford Bridge.
A Blues insider said: “Why would managers at Chelsea be under so much pressure, why would they take a risk with a goalkeeper?
“With midfielders, strikers and defenders you can bring in a kid from the academy, give them a chance and see how they do.
“You can't put a young goalkeeper on for twenty minutes and then take him away again.
It's just not that kind of role.
“And if you make a mistake and it results in a goal, the manager is fired after three or four games.”
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