I must say now, I am basing my opinion on Courtois from a few highlights and the game I saw him play, every time the camera focused on him, he was barking out orders to his defence. Now for a 19 year-old who has just moved to a different country with a different language, that is impressive and a good sign for the future. Courtois is also an excellent shot stopper; he made several classy saves to keep Atletico Madrid in the lead and looked commanding in the air.
Like every goalkeeper though, Courtois has his weaknesses, primarily in distribution. During the game he kicked several balls out of play and hit hopeless kicks up front for the lone striker to chase, that is something over time and with experience and extra training he should improve on and become better at.
Obviously, comparisons with David De Gea are going to happen, De Gea has struggled with adapting to the style of the Premier League and has been found wanting on a number of occasions. Chelsea’s initial plan was to let Courtois have another season in Madrid before bringing him back to England for a year on loan in the Premiership, so he can learn at the expense of another club. It would be a mistake to rush him back to England while he is still young and learning; any mistakes in England would be crucified by the press and would put a huge dent in his confidence, and Chelsea fans confidence in him.
Courtois is undoubtedly a great prospect for the future, and is showing signs of being a world class goalkeeper, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves and keep our expectations in check. It’s going to be a long wait until our new number one arrives to take over from Cech, but my guess is, it’ll be worth it.
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