Danny Murphy believes Chelsea should sack their goalkeeping coach if Kepa Arrizabalaga had cramp in Sunday’s League Cup final.
The Blues lost via penalties to Manchester City after an explosive turn of events nearing the end of extra-time. Kepa started the game despite a hamstring scare and as the match extended to extra-time, the Spanish goalkeeper looked to have aggravated his injury, prompting medical staff to attend to him on the pitch.
Sarri instructed backup goalkeeper Willy Caballero to warm up and prepare to come on for the Spaniard yet as Kepa’s number was raised at the touchline, he refused to be subbed off, prompting Sarri in an explosive fit that saw him march towards the tunnel and disappear although he did return at the touchline.
As a result, many have called for either of the two or even both to be given the sack yet former England midfielder Murphy reckons that an altogether figure should be put to the sword. While Murphy cast doubt on the goalkeeper’s supposed injury, he believes that if Kepa did suffer an injury during the game, Chelsea’s goalkeeping coach should be the one to get the sack.
“I don’t think I’ve ever, ever played in a game where a goalkeeper has had cramp, never,” said the television pundit. “So he’s either got a weak mentality and was looking for a way out or had a different injury than cramp.
“Maybe he was wasting time and it backfired on him, I don’t know. I just cannot understand for the life of me, I’d love to ask him, how the hell do you get cramp as a goalkeeper? There’s a real problem if he’s got cramp.”
“The goalkeeping coach at Chelsea should be sacked if he’s got cramp. I’m not kidding.He’s a professional goalkeeper, they hardly do any kilometres. He can’t have had cramp. I don’t get it. Or he’s got the weakest mentality of a goalkeeper that you could wish to see. I don’t understand this cramp thing in a goalkeeper. I’ve never, ever seen it in a game I’ve played in.”
