Xabi Alonso has been praised for taking the ruthless decision to axe Robert Sanchez and sanctioning the signing of an 'incredible upgrade'. The new Chelsea manager had previously declared himself happy with his new club's goalkeeping options, despite Sanchez's less than convincing track record and the inexperience of his understudy Mike Penders.
Sanchez's two errors in Monday night's win over Fulham prompted a dramatic shift in Alonso's thinking, however, and the Blues moved swiftly to agree a cut-price £7.5million deal to recruit Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa. The experienced Argentina international has shown signs of wear and tear over the last 18 months.
Statistics vs. Presence: The Goalkeeper Debate
Indeed, statistics from last season would appear to suggest there is little to choose between Martinez and the man he is set to replace, but former Premier League goalkeeper Shaka Hislop passionately argued against the numbers. He told ESPNFC: 'You need somebody with a presence and Emi Martinez without question has that. He's very good with the ball at his feet and I think he ticks a lot of boxes for Chelsea.'
'Emi Martinez is an upgrade on Sanchez, those numbers cover up the cracks and the truth. Emi Martinez is a far better goalkeeper. You have Emi Martinez, even at this stage of his career, ten times out of ten over Sanchez. It's not even a discussion.'
Defenders' Trust: A Key Factor
Ex-Chelsea defender Frank Lebouef, meanwhile, argued that Sanchez's erratic style of goalkeeping has had a negative impact on the various defenders he has played behind over the last three years and that Martinez's authoritative manner will be of huge benefit to the likes of Levi Colwill and Maxence Lacroix.
He said: 'The numbers we saw they mean nothing. You have to put the percentage of trust defenders had last season in Martinez and the trust centre backs had in Sanchez. That I will give you a right number. I'm pretty sure Aston Villa had 100% trust in Emi Martinez and I give you 10% confidence of any centre back that played for Chelsea.'
'Those are the right numbers. You know it's crucial that if you have a goalkeeper that you trust behind you, you can give 100%. If you don't trust you are going to have to be alert to everything and hesitate on every single decision you have to make.'
Alonso's Response and Next Steps
Following Thursday's Carabao Cup win over Luton, Alonso was asked why, when the club had previously indicated they were happy with their goalkeeping options, they had now moved to bring in Martinez. The Chelsea boss said: 'We are happy with the squad we have. But I have always said we need to be aware of situations. There is still this period where we can make decisions.'
The deal for Martinez, valued at £7.5million, represents a significant shift in Chelsea's approach, with the club now set to finalise the transfer before the deadline. The move is expected to be completed imminently, with Martinez set to join his new teammates ahead of the upcoming fixtures.
