Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has hit back at critics following questions over his footwork.
The former Chelsea man who joined the Los Blancos in the summer has been questioned early in the season, with his footwork being questioned. However, on Saturday, he had his best performance as his side registered a goalless draw in Madrid derby against Atletico. Courtois dismissed claims that he is poor when it comes to footwork.
“I’m not bad with my feet. I may not be among the best, but I’m certainly not bad either. Sometimes I miss a long ball but I dare to play with my feet,” said Courtois.
“The last ball on which [Nikola] Kalinic put pressure was given to [Raphael] Varane with my right. Many goalkeepers would have cleared that ball. Sometimes I give a bad ball, yes, but I know more goalkeepers who are, so to speak, phenomenal with their feet making more mistakes than me,” he said.
In the 0-0 draw, both keepers had a busy night with Courtois making three saves while Atletico’s Jan Oblak finished the match with six saves.
The Belgian could be in action tonight when his side takes on CSKA Moscow in the Champions League Group D second match.
He was rated 8/10 during the 0-0 draw against Atletico Madrid. He made a decent save from Saul at the start and rejected Antoine Griezmann in a one-on-one in the same half. Did the same on Diego Costa shortly after. His best performance in a Real Madrid shirt to date. Had little to do in the second half, but his first-half shift was enough to prove any doubters wrong.
Though his the transfer dragged on for longer than was necessary, there was never any doubt that it was going to happen.The Belgian expressed his desire to move back to Madrid long ago in order to be with his children, and the only issue for Chelsea was to find a suitable replacement.
Taking what appeared to be ‘strike action’ in order to speed the process up has left a sour taste in the mouth, however, looking at things from a human aspect, it’s entirely correct that the giant stopper be allowed that freedom of movement.
One question still remains though. Why did Real Madrid feel that they needed him in the first place?
Keylor Navas has proved to be a bargain capture from Levante and is a fully paid-up member of the Champions League-winning squads.
There have been occasions when the Costa Rican has made the most basic of errors, but he’s almost always gone on to redeem himself with incredible saves and performances in the latter stages of Europe’s best competition.
Cometh the hour, cometh the man and all that.
At 31, there’s no real question of age being a concern because goalkeepers can last a good few years longer than their outfield counterparts.
Even the suggestion that he’s not tall enough doesn’t hold water either, though Courtois’ extra inches may prove beneficial in certain circumstances.