Gary Cahill has reached a crossroads with Robert Sanchez, praising the Spaniard’s shot-stopping ability while warning that his recurring lapses in concentration are actively sabotaging Chelsea’s season.
Robert Sanchez’s season has gone from a comeback story to a recurring defensive nightmare, with the Spaniard now arguably the most scrutinised player in Liam Rosenior’s squad.
Despite early-season claims that he had matured, the statistics tell a story of regression; following the 3-0 defeat at Everton, Chelsea have now remarkably gone 15 consecutive games without a clean sheet.
The goalkeeper allowed a tame effort from Beto to squirm through his legs.
While Gary Cahill and Rosenior have both publicly backed his personality and shot-stopping, his league-high tally for errors leading to goals has become an unsustainable burden.
Should Chelsea sack Liam Rosenior? Or are the players to blame?🤔
Everton v Chelsea - Premier League
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Gary Cahill is starting to have doubts about Robert Sanchez
As a former Chelsea player, Cahill still has a big place in his heart.
Speaking on Sky Sports, the former defender urged Sanchez to improve after previously backing him up until this point at Chelsea.
“Sanchez? I backed him; I’ve been the one who backed him. I think he’s got personality; he can play out from the back, and at times he’s a great shot stopper. I’m willing him to stop making these mistakes, and the mistakes are obviously costly at the moment.
“He’ll be disappointed, he knows, you know he’s a professional goalkeeper. He’ll know in these moments he has to do better.”
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Everton v Chelsea - Premier League
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What Chelsea needs to do with Robert Sanchez moving forward
Chelsea’s path forward is a gamble between internal development and another expensive dip into the market. In the immediate term, Robert Sanchez remains the default starter following Filip Jorgensen’s recent groin surgery, though his errors has exhausted most of his remaining credit.
The club’s long-term X-factor is Mike Penders, currently impressing on loan at Strasbourg with eight clean sheets; however, there are doubts about whether a 20-year-old is ready for Stamford Bridge.
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