Blues believe the Ice Man can stand the heat

Giant Chelsea keeper Ed de Goey is known throughout his native Holland as the Ice Man.

That's because, whether playing for his old club Feyenoord or his country, he has always appeared to be nerveless between the posts.

Now some fans of FA Cup holders Chelsea are worried that de Goey may be starting to melt in the heat of Premiership action.

De Goey keeps goal live on Sky at Barnsley today with questions - inspired by his uncertain performances in the Charity Shield against Manchester United and an opening League defeat at Coventry - still swirling around.

But last night Graham Rix, Chelsea's first-team coach, said: "Ed has played top-class football for many years, Ruud Gullit knows him very well and we have no doubt about his ability.

"He's very intelligent and works very hard and - with four trophies to go for - he has given us greater strength in that department."

De Goey, for the first time in a 18-year pro career, is starting a season without his experienced mentor Pib Doesburg at his side. Doesburg is the goalkeeping coach of Holland and Feyenoord who discovered de Goey as a 12-year-old kid in local football, and the pair have been inseparable since.

Doesburg says: "Ed won't let Ruud down. He has the most natural talent I have ever come across in a keeper."

Chelsea were stunned by losing their opening game 3-2 to a hat- trick from Coventry's Dion Dublin and have conducted a far- reaching inquest into a match they believed was theirs. Rix added: "A lot of our play was outstanding, but obviously that is no good if you end up with such a disappointing result.

"I watched Barnsley beat Crystal Palace the other day, and they proved what a good job Danny Wilson has done for them.

"We cannot afford to make the kind of mistakes we made at Coventry."

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