Zander Clark

[All roads lead to Gorgie]

Clark has performed well enough, behind a very suspect defence remember, since coming in for Gordon and yesterday was a blip. I will say as soon as a hamstring or groin goes a player needs subbed immediately so the decision to keep him on ultimately cost us for the second goal. I think Zander thought he needed to go for the ball as he had no confidence in our sleepy defence.

[Hashimoto]

Clark is just one of many in this team who have had sub par performances all season........Goallie mistakes are always highlighted by goals against.............I think the bigger issue is hair weave Bob in the dug out.....10/10 for arm waving and pointing 0/10 for coaching and motivation........Clark is least of our problems just now.

[alicante jambo]

I like zander. Yesterday was just a bad day at the office but he has done well since he came in no need to hammer him.

[ToadKiller Dog]

A very good keeper, He is allowed a bad day given many of our outfield players have had a lot more than one .

There was plenty of time left in the game plus the red to cancel out the errors but the team didn't have the energy or effort .

 

[DS98]

To be honest these were coming. He’s fumbled a few catches and came for crosses he shouldn’t have quite a few times without being punished. Luck ran out yesterday. He’s still a very decent keeper but let’s put to bed the CG comparisons now. 
 

He would’ve been hoping his team mates could dig him out a hole yesterday. Was never happening.

[LochcarronJambo]

2 hours ago, All roads lead to Gorgie said:

Clark has performed well enough, behind a very suspect defence remember, since coming in for Gordon and yesterday was a blip. I will say as soon as a hamstring or groin goes a player needs subbed immediately so the decision to keep him on ultimately cost us for the second goal. I think Zander thought he needed to go for the ball as he had no confidence in our sleepy defence.

I think you are right, but his performance was alarming nonetheless

[1971fozzy]

He’s a very good keeper. Just had an off day but lucky to have him

[Deevers]

He’s a good keeper, but as my St Johnstone pal said when we signed him -   “ not the best with crosses and always has a mistake in him”.  He wasn’t the only reason we lost yesterday. The lacklustre display by most of them out on the pitch was the real reason. 

[soonbe110]

19 minutes ago, Deevers said:

He’s a good keeper, but as my St Johnstone pal said when we signed him -   “ not the best with crosses and always has a mistake in him”.  He wasn’t the only reason we lost yesterday. The lacklustre display by most of them out on the pitch was the real reason. 

Agree he wasn’t the only reason but gifting them two goals makes him clearly the biggest reason we lost yesterday for me. They never really looked like scoring other than their two goals. 

[bigmack]

Any news on the injury?

[jock _turd]

2 hours ago, soonbe110 said:

Agree he wasn’t the only reason but gifting them two goals makes him clearly the biggest reason we lost yesterday for me. They never really looked like scoring other than their two goals. 

 

This ! In contrast, and it has not be adequately highlighted IMO their goal keeper saved them yesterday . In summary a tale of two keepers.

[queensferryjambo]

18 hours ago, RustyRightPeg said:

Who’s next for a thread? Threads, threads for everybody, even the chief exec. 

 

To be fair after Clark's performance I was surprised he wasn't the first player thread to be posted up. 

[sirwalter]

4 hours ago, DS98 said:

To be honest these were coming. He’s fumbled a few catches and came for crosses he shouldn’t have quite a few times without being punished. Luck ran out yesterday. He’s still a very decent keeper but let’s put to bed the CG comparisons now. 
 

He would’ve been hoping his team mates could dig him out a hole yesterday. Was never happening.

To me that appears a fair and balanced assessment.

[pettigrewsstylist]

18 hours ago, Thomaso said:

Zander has been fantastic for us when he stepped in after Gordon was injured. He had an off day that cost us the game but let’s not crucify the guy!

100%. 

[Francis Albert]

3 hours ago, soonbe110 said:

Agree he wasn’t the only reason but gifting them two goals makes him clearly the biggest reason we lost yesterday for me. They never really looked like scoring other than their two goals. 

Neither did we after the first goal. 

Despite playing against 10 men for about 37 minutes.

Edited April 2, 2023 by Francis Albert

[Ked]

19 hours ago, jack D and coke said:

No wonder Steve Clarke wanted Angus Gunn. 
He’s rank imo. 

He really isn't.

He has been pretty solid .

Yesterday was rotten though .

 

[jack D and coke]

4 minutes ago, Ked said:

He really isn't.

He has been pretty solid .

Yesterday was rotten though .

 

I haven’t been impressed I have to admit. 
He looks like a st Johnstone level keeper. 
That’s not lower than us atm in all honesty but I’ve just not taken to him tbh. 
A day like yesterday has been coming imo. Absolute howlers. 

[Ked]

Just now, jack D and coke said:

I haven’t been impressed I have to admit. 
He looks like a st Johnstone level keeper. 
That’s not lower than us atm in all honesty but I’ve just not taken to him tbh. 
A day like yesterday has been coming imo. Absolute howlers. 

I disagree mate.

Love big Craig but I felt Zander was as steady a replacement as we could have hoped.

And suited the way we played from the back more than Gordon.

Where I agree although I won't blame him is a nervousness at tge back coinciding with Kingsley being back.

 

It's pish the now though buddy and Zander if anyone deserves a wee pass.

 

 

[jack D and coke]

2 minutes ago, Ked said:

I disagree mate.

Love big Craig but I felt Zander was as steady a replacement as we could have hoped.

And suited the way we played from the back more than Gordon.

Where I agree although I won't blame him is a nervousness at tge back coinciding with Kingsley being back.

 

It's pish the now though buddy and Zander if anyone deserves a wee pass.

 

 

Aye he’s not the only one playing like a *****. 

[Ked]

Just now, jack D and coke said:

Aye he’s not the only one playing like a *****. 

He was shit yesterday mate but he's more than decent imo.

Stick in mate

[jock _turd]

Single handedly the reason we lost yesterday! He has played some good games but if he had done his job well yesterday we would not be having all the threads as to how we get rid of and employ managers .

[Ronald Villiers]

I hope he recovers quickly as I don't have a lot of trust in Stewart, especially with the importance of our next few matches.  He's surely not as bad as poppadom hands was.

[Rods]

Clark had one of those days it happens. 

[Batistuta87]

21 hours ago, jack D and coke said:

No wonder Steve Clarke wanted Angus Gunn. 
He’s rank imo. 

Get a grip man FFS

[Thomaso]

2 hours ago, jack D and coke said:

I haven’t been impressed I have to admit. 
He looks like a st Johnstone level keeper. 
That’s not lower than us atm in all honesty but I’ve just not taken to him tbh. 
A day like yesterday has been coming imo. Absolute howlers. 

You haven’t been impressed? Have you gone to Hearts games! Until yesterday he has been tremendous for us!

[AC Mallin_51]

I don’t think he is the sole reason we lost yesterday. His 2 mistakes were costly but 2-1 down to a rotten killie team that go a man down with half an hour to go, we shouldn’t lose. That’s not on zander

[Japan Jambo]

7 hours ago, 1971fozzy said:

He’s a very good keeper. Just had an off day but lucky to have him

 

Not sure what other team in Scotland (uglies aside) have an international keeper as their backup. We are lucky to have him, surely no one here has forgotten about poppadom hands already?

[Deevers]

4 hours ago, jock _turd said:

 

This ! In contrast, and it has not be adequately highlighted IMO their goal keeper saved them yesterday . In summary a tale of two keepers.

He definitely did. He had a fair amount of luck going his way.  Two bad mistakes from Zander cost us. No doubt about that.  The others out on the park have their fair share of the blame.  Most of them were lacklustre at best and some really showed no appetite for the fight. That, I find disappointing and unacceptable.

[GavK1012]

Without jumping on a bandwagon and being OTT, we have been blessed beyond belief having CG with us these last couple of years, he is an absolute God, ZC for us is a great No.2, and steady 'keeper at this level, but nothing really more...better and  more experienced than 'Cheesy' so good addition from that PoV but nowhere near the ballpark CG is in, and tbf, not many are! 

[The Fat Controller]

I agree with post that says he should have been hooked after injury .Who`s to blame ? Zander or Robbie ? 

 This Kilmarnock are a number 1 bogey and have been for 60 odd years .Only luck we ever had against them was the `62 LC Final .Since then bogey ,no more than `65 last day of season .Saying that we should beat them .

          If it was me i`d ban these astro turf pitches .It`s plain wrong to risk injury playing on them . 

[Forrest]

14 hours ago, Ronald Villiers said:

I hope he recovers quickly as I don't have a lot of trust in Stewart, especially with the importance of our next few matches.  He's surely not as bad as poppadom hands was.

His last game for us was pretty decent, tbf (Celtic away just before Zurich?). 

[Shooter McGavin]

He’s been a very solid keeper for us, let’s just hope the morons don’t crucify him for having an off day.

It happens, move on.

[Clerry Jambo]

15 hours ago, jock _turd said:

Single handedly the reason we lost yesterday! He has played some good games but if he had done his job well yesterday we would not be having all the threads as to how we get rid of and employ managers .

Harsh it was up to his mates in front of him to turn it around and they failed miserably 

[TheBigO]

On 01/04/2023 at 20:47, Thomaso said:

Zander has been fantastic for us when he stepped in after Gordon was injured. He had an off day that cost us the game but let’s not crucify the guy!

This.  Let's wait until he makes another mistake!

 

Only joking, Zander has been great, had a mare.  First one is a firece shot, should have done better - in a way if it had been a yard either side he probably pushes it away and all is good.  I think that incident and his injury probably in his head for the second.

 

Of course, this led to our defeat, but a bit like when we blame a ref, what really did was our complete lack of chances created.  Our inability to be forcefully positive on the ball.

 

A team rallies and doubles down to make up for their teammate's error.

[Bozi]

To be fair to him, since standing in for Super Craig he has been excellent, made some really big saves and was probably the stand out keeper in the league... Saturday was an absolute disaster though, hopefully his injury isn't too bad and he can get this game out of his system because having Stewart in goals gives me the fear

[RustyRightPeg]

9 minutes ago, TheBigO said:

This.  Let's wait until he makes another mistake!

 

Only joking, Zander has been great, had a mare.  First one is a firece shot, should have done better - in a way if it had been a yard either side he probably pushes it away and all is good.  I think that incident and his injury probably in his head for the second.

 

Of course, this led to our defeat, but a bit like when we blame a ref, what really did was our complete lack of chances created.  Our inability to be forcefully positive on the ball.

 

A team rallies and doubles down to make up for their teammate's error.

All comes full circle back to lack of confidence, ideas and players being restricted by a slow and deliberate style of play. 
 

Let’s add to that, the goal we scored was assisted by the Killie left back - that's how little we created. 

[TheBigO]

14 minutes ago, RustyRightPeg said:

All comes full circle back to lack of confidence, ideas and players being restricted by a slow and deliberate style of play. 
 

Let’s add to that, the goal we scored was assisted by the Killie left back - that's how little we created. 

Yup.  We're so deliberate.  Other teams dribble.  Their players get the ball and DRIBBLE!  Imagine!  It's overcoaching as far as I'm concerned

 

Never wanted rid of Robbie (OK, Brora aside and I think he was lucky to stay but been proven imo it was correct he did) but this is massively worrying.  We've to an extent got away with it all season, but we're more pedestrian than ever.

 

We're missing every leader we have in the squad at present.  Craigy, Halks, Haring, Boycie and Beni in his attitude (Dev on Sat too).  But I can't have that as an excuse for our players, more than capable, simply not being direct on the ball.  A guy like Gino should be racing away and terrifying defenders.  The first - coached - instinct is look for a pass.  I mean, Snoddy, 20 yards out, 5 yards of space, easy touch on to his left, curve ball in to top corner.... his complete lack of urgency on the ball meant this easy by his standard chance meant he passed the ball backwards.  We're so negative in outlook that we don't even grab a chance when it falls in our laps (Shanks aside).  

 

Toby showed what he can do charging out of defence too - but only did it once.  Why?

[DETTY29]

Intriguingly Clarke has made a mess of a few crosses and required treatment on a couple of occasions too but I thought 'well, it's never costs us a goal, maybe it's better to come and cause carnage than stay like Craig does'

 

Typical.

[RustyRightPeg]

13 minutes ago, TheBigO said:

Yup.  We're so deliberate.  Other teams dribble.  Their players get the ball and DRIBBLE!  Imagine!  It's overcoaching as far as I'm concerned

 

Never wanted rid of Robbie (OK, Brora aside and I think he was lucky to stay but been proven imo it was correct he did) but this is massively worrying.  We've to an extent got away with it all season, but we're more pedestrian than ever.

 

We're missing every leader we have in the squad at present.  Craigy, Halks, Haring, Boycie and Beni in his attitude (Dev on Sat too).  But I can't have that as an excuse for our players, more than capable, simply not being direct on the ball.  A guy like Gino should be racing away and terrifying defenders.  The first - coached - instinct is look for a pass.  I mean, Snoddy, 20 yards out, 5 yards of space, easy touch on to his left, curve ball in to top corner.... his complete lack of urgency on the ball meant this easy by his standard chance meant he passed the ball backwards.  We're so negative in outlook that we don't even grab a chance when it falls in our laps (Shanks aside).  

 

Toby showed what he can do charging out of defence too - but only did it once.  Why?

Passing the ball safely is passing the buck essentially, hoping someone else will do it. That’s where we’re at right now as a squad. 
 

It’s a very vicious cycle - and anyone who’s played football knows it’s very difficult to get out of such a state without some sort of change whether that is the voice you hear from the side or personnel.

In our case, if we’re serious about getting some sort of bounce, we’re only in a position to change manager due to our injury situation. We don’t have a deep enough squad at the moment to rotate personnel hoping it’ll change the tone.

[TheBigO]

33 minutes ago, RustyRightPeg said:

Passing the ball safely is passing the buck essentially, hoping someone else will do it. That’s where we’re at right now as a squad. 
 

It’s a very vicious cycle - and anyone who’s played football knows it’s very difficult to get out of such a state without some sort of change whether that is the voice you hear from the side or personnel.

In our case, if we’re serious about getting some sort of bounce, we’re only in a position to change manager due to our injury situation. We don’t have a deep enough squad at the moment to rotate personnel hoping it’ll change the tone.

No.  You're right.  Although I don't know, I think guys like Kingsley, Snoddy, Shanks, Smith even Gino should be grabbing a game by the scruff of the bloody neck no matter what is said from the side.  You drive your team through a game like this and I expect better from these boys.  But I do get how confidence affects any player and how rot can set in.

 

Not sure the answer, but it feels like we're sleep walking at present.  The derby is huge imo, could make or break the season and Robbie's entire tenure, frankly.

[Thomaso]

1 hour ago, TheBigO said:

This.  Let's wait until he makes another mistake!

 

Only joking, Zander has been great, had a mare.  First one is a firece shot, should have done better - in a way if it had been a yard either side he probably pushes it away and all is good.  I think that incident and his injury probably in his head for the second.

 

Of course, this led to our defeat, but a bit like when we blame a ref, what really did was our complete lack of chances created.  Our inability to be forcefully positive on the ball.

 

A team rallies and doubles down to make up for their teammate's error.

Well said 👍

[19/5HMFC12]

It's been clear to see since his first game that he is not comfortable coming for crosses. The number of times he's come for a cross or corner and flapped at it, it was only a matter of time until he cost us a goal. His kicking is also poor and it's maybe why we end up passing it out from the back all the time. The one good part to his game is shot stopping but then who knows what he was doing at the first goal. He's nowhere near Gordon's level, but tbf no one is.  

[Balaclava]

Hearing rumours he’s out for the season?

[King prawn]

On 01/04/2023 at 21:47, Thomaso said:

Zander has been fantastic for us when he stepped in after Gordon was injured. He had an off day that cost us the game but let’s not crucify the guy!

  calls for him to be dropped ffs - for who?? Stewart? 
 

And if anyone mentions Harry Stone  

[jambocub]

9 minutes ago, Balaclava said:

Hearing rumours he’s out for the season?

Heard the same earlier, hopefully it's not true 

[Harry Potter]

On 02/04/2023 at 09:20, All roads lead to Gorgie said:

Clark has performed well enough, behind a very suspect defence remember, since coming in for Gordon and yesterday was a blip. I will say as soon as a hamstring or groin goes a player needs subbed immediately so the decision to keep him on ultimately cost us for the second goal. I think Zander thought he needed to go for the ball as he had no confidence in our sleepy defence.

Spot on, Again the defence dont deal with a ball in to the box, too slow to act , leaving the keeper

to do it all.

[Thunder and Lightning]

On 02/04/2023 at 10:56, DS98 said:

To be honest these were coming. He’s fumbled a few catches and came for crosses he shouldn’t have quite a few times without being punished. Luck ran out yesterday. He’s still a very decent keeper but let’s put to bed the CG comparisons now. 
 

He would’ve been hoping his team mates could dig him out a hole yesterday. Was never happening.

 

Why, has Craig never made any errors?

[Dennis Reynolds]

If he's out for the season we really are ****ed having to rely on cheesy. Lovely guy but there's a reason he was third choice at Livi.

[Cruickie's Moustache]

2 hours ago, RustyRightPeg said:

Passing the ball safely is passing the buck essentially, hoping someone else will do it. That’s where we’re at right now as a squad. 
 

It’s a very vicious cycle - and anyone who’s played football knows it’s very difficult to get out of such a state without some sort of change whether that is the voice you hear from the side or personnel.

In our case, if we’re serious about getting some sort of bounce, we’re only in a position to change manager due to our injury situation. We don’t have a deep enough squad at the moment to rotate personnel hoping it’ll change the tone.

Zander is fine BTW, just had an off day.

 

The issue is the slow laboured passing.

Passing is fine if you have movement from those around you to advance up the park.

Dribbling is also fine if the one with the ball breaks through or draws people to him then offloads to players who are free.

 

It struck me on Saturday when they were down to 10 that McKay had a few decent runs but nobody was there to take the pass when he was getting closed down. Result is he looks greedy while also losing possession. Sometimes I just think he can't see anyone  to take an offload.

 

We do not attack with pace and with adequate support. The result is that out ball carriers stop then invariably pass sideways or backwards. Great possession stats but no results in terms of shots on target etc.

Edited April 3, 2023 by Cruickie's Moustache

[jock _turd]

4 hours ago, Clerry Jambo said:

Harsh it was up to his mates in front of him to turn it around and they failed miserably 

 

Harsh?! A professional footballer makes two howlers like that and you think saying he was the root cause of the defeat is harsh? Let us not beat about the bush at a time when the manager is being blamed for nearly all that is wrong with our team a well paid goal keeper cannot catch a simple ball straight at him? There were two goal keepers at the start of the game one of the two saved his team the other sold them out with two howlers ... but his team mates are supposed to repair his F ups ? He was the reason we lost that game other than those two balls ups there was never another shot to be saved ! By cons their goalkeeper made good saves from our forwards ,Shanks close in effort goes in we are winning that game but their goalkeeper made an excellent save .