It’s easy to forget now, given how bad our struggles in goal have been in the last year, but Chelsea was once a byword for top goalkeepers.
Carlo Cudicini, Petr Cech and then Thibaut Courtois held down the number one spot for more than a decade between them, and after two tough years of Kepa trying to fill their shoes, the Blues have moved on to a new man – Edouard Mendy.
He’s had his first proper interview today, with Goal.com publishing his quotes on what it’s like to play at a club with such a strong history of players in his position:
“I am aware of the expectations surrounding the goalkeeper position at Chelsea,” the keeper assured his interviewer.
“I am not going to put any pressure or compare myself to [Cech and Cudicini] because they are both legends here. They have played at a very, very high level for many years.
“I have only just arrived here so my aim is to carry on progressing and make sure that I am there for the team and settle.
“So that’s my objective right now and not to think about what Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini achieve here. They are legends and different to me.”
That’s the right attitude really. He doesn’t have to play at the level of peak Cech to make a difference this season, he just has to be better than Kepa has been for the last 12 months, which isn’t saying much.
A clean sheet this weekend against Manchester United would be a superb start.
