Courtois conceded five goals twice in three weeks
The 26-year-old keeper was presented as Madrid's new goalkeeper back in August and the club showed a four-minute video of some of his best saves before he came forward to accept his shirt from the club president.
There were obviously none from his time at Real Madrid's rivals Atletico Madrid, but they were plenty in a Chelsea shirt – including a penalty stop from James Morrison – and for Belgium including several saves against Brazil at the World Cup.A video of his first season highlights so far at Real Madrid would not make for such impressive viewing. The five goals that went past him in the Clasico at the Nou Camp and the five goals that went past him against Switzerland on Sunday night would be hard for him to watch.
And any video dedicated to his best stops this season would be a short showreel. He was excellent in the Madrid derby against his former club Atletico. And he has played his part Real Madrid's last two league wins against Valladolid and Celta Vigo. But overall it's been a difficult start.
If Courtois's last season at Chelsea was his worst since he became one of the world's top keepers, then his first at Madrid is so far showing only small signs of improvement.
Some supporters have suggested one of Zinedine Zidane's only errors in the job was to block the signing of Kepa Arrizabalaga last January. Madrid could have taken the Athletic Bilbao rookie for €20million. Now he's worth €80m, is close to becoming Spain's No 1 ahead of David de Gea, and belongs to Chelsea.Zidane's rejection of the Kepa deal was based on a loyalty to Navas that highlights another of Courtois' problem. The Costa Rican is a veteran of three Champions Leagues and a domestic title in the last three seasons. There are supporters who believe he has been badly treated since Courtois' arrival.
'Keylor is a gentleman. I admire him as a player and I respect him as a man,' said new Madrid coach Santiago Solari, almost apologetically, after he had relegated Navas to the bench in the Champions League.
The arguments for Courtois replacing Navas were that he would bring greater stability and security. Nobody has seen it yet.
The Barcelona goals in the Clasico were not his mistakes but that old aura seems to be temporarily absent. He is only 26 and Solari making him the first choice keeper in the Champions League and La Liga is bound to help him settle.
Next week could be huge for him as he goes to the Olympic Stadium to face Roma in the match that will surely decide whether or not Real Madrid top their Champions League group.He ticked all the boxes in his presentation three months ago calling Madrid: 'The best club in the world,' and saying he had, 'dreamed about this day since I was a kid', but now it's time to fill that Bernabeu goal.
The only consolation for him as he gets back to training in the Spanish capital after such a disappointing international break is that almost all his club team-mates are in a similar position – Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric, Marco Asensio and Isco also failed to make the Nations League final four.
And De Gea - so often placed alongside Courtois as the world's other No 1 stopper - has lost his place in the Spain team. Kepa, his replacement, kept a clean sheet and may well keep the job.
Courtois won the battle with De Gea to be Real Madrid's No 1 a long time ago. He also landed the job ahead of Kepa and Navas.
He needs to start demonstrating that Madrid made the right choice. Rome next week and the Club World Cup next month will be the perfect chance to do that.
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