Carlo Ancelotti’s body language said it all. The fixed glare straight ahead. The purse of the lips. Arms folded. He did not need to utter a single word.
Ross Turnbull’s second howler in the space of 21 minutes in the Amsterdam Arena had surely blown any chance he might have had of replacing the injured Petr Cech in Chelsea’s Premier League curtain-raiser against West Bromwich Albion.
While Turnbull’s sixth-minute own goal owed something to ill fortune, the second was an error of judgement so colossal that it will be a shock if it has not inked Henrique Hilario’s name into the starting XI for the kick-off at Stamford Bridge on August 14.
The first goal Chelsea conceded in pre-season was not quite of Robert Green's 'Aunties-Bloomers' proportions. However, after Ajax’s Rasmus Lindgren was allowed too much time to send over a right-wing cross, Turnbull, distracted by team-mate Jeffrey Bruma, could only watch in horror as the ball deflected off his arm and into the net.
Yet the stand-in 'keeper’s second blunder, shortly after Daniel Sturridge had thundered in a deserved equalizer, was a sign of a goalkeeper whose confidence and decision-making was shot to pieces.
A simple goal-kick by Holland's first-choice shot-stopper Maarten Stekelenburg seemingly offered no threat to the 25-year-old’s goal. Turnbull, keen to keep the game moving, raced to the right-hand side of his penalty box, misjudged the bounce and his momentum took him out of the area as he slipped on the turf.
Rather than being penalized for handball, he released his grip and Siem de Jong was composed enough to delay his laughter before tapping the ball into the unguarded net.
Turnbull looked at the heavens, waved his arms helplessly and knew his chances of standing in for Cech, who has been ruled out for at least at month by the club’s medical staff after tearing his right calf muscle in training, are about as good as Green patrolling the England goal for the unwanted friendly against Hungary next month.
Thereafter, Turnbull was inevitably jeered by the Ajax supporters who filled most of the bottom tier of the stadium whenever he touched the ball, or had to fulfill the most basic of keeping duties.
He was hauled off at half-time and replaced by Hilario, but Ancelotti had, in any case, planned beforehand to split the keeping duties between the two reserves.
Although the Portuguese produced a far more assured display after the break, and his seniority would probably have won him the nod for the Premier League curtain-raiser even without Turnbull's horror-show, the Chelsea manager did not go overboard in his vote of confidence for the back-up pair.
“We just have to hope [Petr] Cech recovers quickly. But we have two other goalkeepers and have to keep faith with them,” said the Italian.
“Everyone could see Turnbull didn't have a good performance but that can happen to any young 'keeper and I still trust him.”
Although Cech is not perhaps the 'uber-safe' guardian he was in Jose Mourinho’s two Premier League winning teams, he would still walk into most top European sides. Chelsea fans will not need reminding that his sporadic absences through injury over the last four years have often coincided with defenders getting the jitters.
Only last season, Chelsea suffered a rare home defeat when Cech was 'hors de combat' as Manchester City were kings of the bridge with a 4-2 win.
Although 34-year-old Hilaro made his international debut in March, he has never suggested cast-iron surety when he has stepped in for Cech and is prone to rather-too-frequent-for-comfort lapses of concentration.
The first chink in Chelsea’s title defence has been opened.
Ross Turnbull’s second howler in the space of 21 minutes in the Amsterdam Arena had surely blown any chance he might have had of replacing the injured Petr Cech in Chelsea’s Premier League curtain-raiser against West Bromwich Albion.
While Turnbull’s sixth-minute own goal owed something to ill fortune, the second was an error of judgement so colossal that it will be a shock if it has not inked Henrique Hilario’s name into the starting XI for the kick-off at Stamford Bridge on August 14.
The first goal Chelsea conceded in pre-season was not quite of Robert Green's 'Aunties-Bloomers' proportions. However, after Ajax’s Rasmus Lindgren was allowed too much time to send over a right-wing cross, Turnbull, distracted by team-mate Jeffrey Bruma, could only watch in horror as the ball deflected off his arm and into the net.
Yet the stand-in 'keeper’s second blunder, shortly after Daniel Sturridge had thundered in a deserved equalizer, was a sign of a goalkeeper whose confidence and decision-making was shot to pieces.
A simple goal-kick by Holland's first-choice shot-stopper Maarten Stekelenburg seemingly offered no threat to the 25-year-old’s goal. Turnbull, keen to keep the game moving, raced to the right-hand side of his penalty box, misjudged the bounce and his momentum took him out of the area as he slipped on the turf.
Rather than being penalized for handball, he released his grip and Siem de Jong was composed enough to delay his laughter before tapping the ball into the unguarded net.
Turnbull looked at the heavens, waved his arms helplessly and knew his chances of standing in for Cech, who has been ruled out for at least at month by the club’s medical staff after tearing his right calf muscle in training, are about as good as Green patrolling the England goal for the unwanted friendly against Hungary next month.
Thereafter, Turnbull was inevitably jeered by the Ajax supporters who filled most of the bottom tier of the stadium whenever he touched the ball, or had to fulfill the most basic of keeping duties.
He was hauled off at half-time and replaced by Hilario, but Ancelotti had, in any case, planned beforehand to split the keeping duties between the two reserves.
Although the Portuguese produced a far more assured display after the break, and his seniority would probably have won him the nod for the Premier League curtain-raiser even without Turnbull's horror-show, the Chelsea manager did not go overboard in his vote of confidence for the back-up pair.
“We just have to hope [Petr] Cech recovers quickly. But we have two other goalkeepers and have to keep faith with them,” said the Italian.
“Everyone could see Turnbull didn't have a good performance but that can happen to any young 'keeper and I still trust him.”
Although Cech is not perhaps the 'uber-safe' guardian he was in Jose Mourinho’s two Premier League winning teams, he would still walk into most top European sides. Chelsea fans will not need reminding that his sporadic absences through injury over the last four years have often coincided with defenders getting the jitters.
Only last season, Chelsea suffered a rare home defeat when Cech was 'hors de combat' as Manchester City were kings of the bridge with a 4-2 win.
Although 34-year-old Hilaro made his international debut in March, he has never suggested cast-iron surety when he has stepped in for Cech and is prone to rather-too-frequent-for-comfort lapses of concentration.
The first chink in Chelsea’s title defence has been opened.
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