I WANT MENDY Busy Chelsea keeper sparks TO HAVE IT EASY
THOMAS TUCHEL admits Edouard Mendy’s superb form in the Chelsea goal is a cause for concern. Not because the Blues boss would prefer his Senegalese keeper to be chucking them in rather than keeping them out.
As if. No, his gripe is that
Mendy making four or five spectacular stops every 90 minutes is simply too many for a top defence like Chelsea’s.
The ex-rennes ace has conceded just twice during the Champions League holders’ six-game unbeaten start to the new campaign.
However, ahead of today’s trip totottenham,tuchel claimed the fact Mendy has been so busy of late is bad news.
The German, whose team were second on goal difference coming into the weekend, said: “I don’t like it too much when he is in the spotlight.
“I like it more when he gets the praise from us for, like, one-and-ahalf saves, and for being concentrated, pushing the line up high and clearing some situations as a sweeper.
“And maybe to the spectators in the stadium he’s more or less invisible! Then I’m super happy.then I know we did not allow many chances.
“On the one hand, once your goalkeeper is too much in the spotlight, as he was in the last games, it’s not the most satisfying of feelings for a coach. On the other hand it is, because we can rely on him.
“With him, I’m super happy. He’s an outstanding guy, a fantastic personality, super humble, super calm.
“His development from the first day is simply outstanding. Every top team needs a top goalkeeper and we have one.”
With Harry Kane – who Tuchel rates as among world’s deadliest finishers – leading the Spurs line this afternoon, Mendy will have to be at his best to secure a fifth shut-out this term.
“We have to accept at the moment things are not too easy,” added the Blues supremo. “I even like this because it sharpens our mentality in being relentless and fighting.
“I like these tough matches and moments. It’s a good part of the season to struggle.
“It’s better than having everything in place and then suddenly, in November, December not knowing what’s going on.”
If still a little too suspect at the back for taskmaster Tuchel’s liking, surely watching Chelsea smash in TEN goals in the last five matches has impressed.
After all, in their final five outings of 2020-21 – before striker Romelu
Lukaku’s
£97.8million summer arrival from Inter Milan – they scored just four times.
Well, Tuchel is reasonably content with the figures up front, although he would like Mason Mount, Kai Havertz (left) and his other playmakers to support the prolific Belgium hitman by finding the target more frequently.
The ex-paris Saint-germain boss went on: “Absolutely.we want them in positions to constantly score.
“But the energy we want from them means they can never rest… to calm down and finish properly.
“The last game that we lost – against Villa – we had many, many chances but a lack of composure.
But we were a very intense team to play against last season – high pressure, high counter-pressing and high numbers of intensive runs.
“Then, once they arrive in the box, you want them to be super calm.
“You want everything but you can’t always have everything.”