While visiting Stamford Bridge this afternoon for his punditry responsibilities with BBC Sport, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink spares no criticism of a certain player.
Mauricio Pochettino rationalized Robert Sanchez’s inclusion in today’s lineup by saying, “competitive minutes,” before kickoff.
That first half utterly destroyed whatever hope he had of regaining his starting position. He was caught red-handed numerous times because he dallied with the ball, which has become his signature.
“He hasn’t played for a long time,” Jimmy says, his jaw dropping in disbelief. On a regular basis, he doesn’t play. When the ball eventually finds him, he takes his sweet time. His troubles never end. His performance is inadequate. He is too daring. “He’s fortunate,” the ex-striker said.
Sanchez tends to move slowly and attempt to appear cool when he’s nervous. Thus, additional issues arise. It’s an unusual quality in any athlete, but especially a goalie. We have been fortunate enough to avoid any losses thus far, but as Hasselbaink points out, that is entirely attributable to chance.