Zalukas - Time and Time Again - Lets us Down (Merged Threads)

[Sweethunny]

haven't bothered to read anything in this thread but what i will say is that arse of a centre half of ours needs punted as soon as.

 

sold the run up to the opening goal at tannadice a couple of weeks ago and sold us down the river again today.

 

get tae feck zaliukas

[prisoner]

Zal was playing well today until his push. It was a penalty but never a sending off.

 

I would like someone to explain how the hobo was meant to get a touch goalwards on it.

 

Oh dear.

 

Take of your maroon glasses.

 

It was both a red card & a penalty.

 

We were coasting until this and had to settle for a draw.

 

Cheers Zal for costing us 2 points.

[Sweethunny]

to keep things short and succinct, get him punted asap. liability, limited ability, better players at the club, ideas above his station. erse.

[Clerry Jambo]

I think Zal is a top man and, at this level, a quality player.

 

Shaun, I find that statement truly remarkable for such an intelligent guy like yourself

 

Hearts as a team where marvellous today but the quicker this clown is emptied the better.

[Juan Rom?n Riquelme]

It was a poor decision to bring the boy down but this is Big Zal's first ****** up on this scale for years. I can remember him doing crazy shenanigans like this every few games even a couple of years ago. Good player but he has some lapses in concentration now and again. I guess you have to take the rough with the smooth though.

[portobellojambo1]

I don't though. Not anymore. I'm actually quite comfortable watching Zaliuaks now as his mistakes are much more seldom.

And I think he can play well with Webster. They just need time to play together to work out which of them should be stepping out to win balls and who should be covering. Remember they've hardly played together, in time I think they could go on to be the best defensive partnership in the league.

 

It could possibly work next season RITG, if during the pre season the club could get Marius playing a more traditional centre half role. I was thinking more of the here and now, as priority at the moment is ensuring we put enough points on the board to secure a European spot this season. As you say they haven't played much together so short term if one has to be sacrificed I'd prefer to keep Webster in the side.

 

However, as I said, I have a strong feeling Marius won't be here next season. As far as I'm aware he signed up with us short term, when sort of pushed into it, and I think he still sees his future away from Tynecastle (nothing wrong with that, it is all part and parcel of the game).

 

If he stays, and if we can get him playing a more traditional/orthodox/old fashioned (call it what you will) type centre half role I would have no objections. As you say Zaliukas doesn't make as many mistakes now (and it may well be a case that such thoughts stick from thinking back too far). Although he was at fault recently for one of the goals we conceded at Tannadice, game against St Mirren a stupid pass either did or almost led to a goal (trying to remember what happened in lead up to 1st goal, or if it was the incident where Webster had to put in a late tackle and concede a corner) and then there was today (maybe in present time they only come in small batches, hopefully, rather than each week, but mud tends to stick)

[Beats]

I'd say it was a penalty but not a red although I'd be screaming for it at the other end.

 

I wouldn't lose any sleep if he was punted in the summer.Never captain material either.

[portobellojambo1]

I'd say it was a penalty but not a red although I'd be screaming for it at the other end.

 

I wouldn't lose any sleep if he was punted in the summer.Never captain material either.

 

He was the last man VKM. Although Brines was pretty honking (as always) he did get that decision correct.

[Beats]

He was the last man VKM. Although Brines was pretty honking (as always) he did get that decision correct.

 

 

As I said I'd be screaming for it at the other end but I thought a booking would have been correct.The Hibs player wasn't even looking at the ball.

 

Daft challenge.

[Mr Romanov Saviour of HMFC]

I'd say it was a penalty but not a red although I'd be screaming for it at the other end.

 

I wouldn't lose any sleep if he was punted in the summer.Never captain material either.

 

Thought it was harsh as well. Didn't really look like he was going to score.

 

Think Webster and Zal are too similar and if one had to be punted it would be Zaliukas. Thought Bouzid was great today.

[jamboruss]

Zal or Plug?

 

I know who I prefer!

 

A mistake from a nothing hoof towards our box. Zal, however was waiting (as I was) for Jamie claiming it . He then saw Jamie wasn't coming, shoulder charged that huddie Sodje (The thin Christian Nade) and that was about it. No way it was a goal scoring opportunity as that puddin Sodje was nae where near it. Brines couldn't wait to red card his mate Zaliukas which says more about him than Zal. At worst a penalty and a yellow but compared to 2T's being booted by Hanlon (I think) at the other end, a very, soft one. Erseholes like Brines are trying to change our game into a non contact sport!

 

A moral victory to the JT's!

[ramrod]

This, although I accept you have to make spur of the moment decisions. However as a defender and given his previous history with today's referee (and also taking into account some of the woeful attempts they'd already had) his decision on this occasion should have been to let play run. The worst that could have happened was they would have scored, it would have been 1-1 and the game would have restarted with 11 Hearts players still on the park. By making the wrong decision he got sent off, they scored and we restarted with 10 men, and had to give up a lot of possession to them 2nd half. McDonald has to accept part of the blame though as he stayed put on his line and could have intercepted the through ball if he had reacted quicker.

 

I think the situation we have in central defence is that we have two players in Andy Webster and Marius Zaliukas who I'd class as sweepers, rather than a centre half and sweeper. When on the park they are too similar. After Zaliukas was sent off Webster went on to both command and organise the defence, so much so that he came out for the 2nd half with the captain's armband, and throughout produced an absolutely superb performance.

 

After Jason Thomson came on Ismael Bouzid moved into central defence, and with a traditional centre half/sweeper combination we looked solid, and Bouzid also did very well.

 

Going forward we need to maintain the centre half/sweeper combination and in terms of choice it is between Zaliukas and Webster for the sweeper position. Today proved again it is a no contest, Andy Webster was and still is a better central defender than Marius Zaliukas will ever be, plus he is a much better organiser of the back line (something I suspect he learned from playing alongside Steven Pressley). If we can find a better centre half already at the club or bring in one better than Bouzid that would be a further boost

 

Zaliukas has done not a bad job for us, he has improved a great deal since arriving, but it is an undeniable fact that in virtually every game you sit waiting on a moment of lunacy, and if sacrificing him benefits the team then so be it (although I suspect he will leave in the Summer anyway so there may be no decisions that have to be made).

 

 

spoken like a man who understands the game of football,no agenda just fact...............

 

you've summed up the big man up,strong solid with the capability to self destruct at any moment.there are people on here peddling the mith that his mistakes are few and far between.big zal will never change its a bit like bouzid and his rashness,its in the dna.........

 

he's solid enough,with a tendancy to self destruct in the blink of an eye,doesn't make him a bad person just a bit of a bo

mbscare.

[prisoner]

...shoulder charged that huddie Sodje (The thin Christian Nade) and that was about it. No way it was a goal scoring opportunity as that puddin Sodje was nae where near it...

 

If the hibby wasn't anywhere near it then why did he have to go in like an elephant?

[Beats]

Thought it was harsh as well. Didn't really look like he was going to score.

 

Think Webster and Zal are too similar and if one had to be punted it would be Zaliukas. Thought Bouzid was great today.

 

 

Bouzid and Webster were solid today.

[jamboozy]

I think we should lay off the guy, he had a split-second decision to make and got it wrong, but remember folks, forwards & mid/f's have the luxury of- most times getting away with this & most times are forgiven, but defenders have a huge responsability especialy one that is club captain also.

[Seymour M Hersh]

He was the last man VKM. Although Brines was pretty honking (as always) he did get that decision correct.

 

But it's not last man anymore. Clear goal scoring chance which, imo, it certainly was not.

[Thunderstruck]

spoken like a man who understands the game of football,no agenda just fact...............

 

you've summed up the big man up,strong solid with the capability to self destruct at any moment.there are people on here peddling the mith that his mistakes are few and far between.big zal will never change its a bit like bouzid and his rashness,its in the dna.........

 

he's solid enough,with a tendancy to self destruct in the blink of an eye,doesn't make him a bad person just a bit of a bo

mbscare.

 

Go on, indulge us and give us the definitive list of his screw ups for this season. While you are at it, list the culprits for all of the 30 league goals we have lost this season. That should make interesting reading.

[ramrod]

Go on, indulge us and give us the definitive list of his screw ups for this season. While you are at it, list the culprits for all of the 30 league goals we have lost this season. That should make interesting reading.

 

oh dear

[Bert Le Clos]

to keep things short and succinct, get him punted asap. liability, limited ability, better players at the club, ideas above his station. erse.

 

I think we got the point you were making from your first post. For what it's worth, I disagree. This post is as shit as your earlier one.

 

Have your previous seven been equally shit, if so, I smell a

 

Out of interest, can you list me the several occasions this season when he has cost us games? And the centre halves you think are better than him in the SPL or better ones we can sign on our budget?

 

Bouzid lost Eremenko against Killie at Tynecastle and cost a goal. Should we bin him too? In fact, if Elliott had put away the chance from 1 yard today, we might have won the game. Burn him at the stake also?

 

Players make mistakes, get over it.

[Napoleon Wilson]

This is one of the dumbest posts in one of the dumbest threads I've seen for a while.

How exactly is it an over-reaction a'la kickback? We have 5'000 active members and one of them chooses to start a disaster of a thread and is mostly ridiculed for it but yet this represents all of kickback? How does that work?

 

As for the thread, get a grip mate. I can only assume it was a spur of the moment outburst while you were feeling emotional. Zal has been excellent this season and is doing a fine job as captain. His discipline has been fine and he's scored the odd goal. He's come on leaps and bounds especially with his on-field behaviour and he was playing superbly alongside Andy Webster until the penalty moment.

 

These things happen in football so it's best not to get all hysterical and start threads as bad as this one.

 

I was simply countering one of the massive knee jerk reaction THREADS during the matches that we have had to suffer in x amount of years. Get over yourelf. People are entitled to there opinions, as shite as they may be and i am simply offering mine

[Jambos1983]

Zal is prone to a shocker in most games whether it be a pass trying to shield the ball out like against Celtic at home or just sheer stupid rash challenges. People need to get the maroon tinted glasses off it was a definite red

[prisoner]

Out of interest, can you list me the several occasions this season when he has cost us games?

 

Why do you need several occasions?

 

He cost us 2 points today.

 

Deal with it.

[jamboruss]

If the hibby wasn't anywhere near it then why did he have to go in like an elephant?

 

 

he didn't "have to", he unfortunately did!

[Father Tiresias]

There was nothing cynical or pre-meditated about it: he just got caught for, as I said, half a second.

 

Watch the incident again and you'll see that Zaliukas was watching the Hibs player, he was actually looking at him while the ball was in the air. He knew exactly what he was doing and I call the pre-meditated.

 

Perhaps if he had been watching the ball instead, the incident may never have happened.

[Le Chat]

Zaliukas made an absolute James Hunt of it again today, and I for one am absolutely sick of it.

 

He's a competant centre half who's liable to do something crazy every now and then (once a game on average ?) and today was one crazy moment too far for me.

 

I think that a straight red was a bit harsh as Sodje didn't have control of the ball (and there's no way of telling if he would have got a strike in) but that was yet another monumental feck up from Z today.

 

Sell him in the summer.

[Jambos1983]

Watch the incident again and you'll see that Zaliukas was watching the Hibs player, he was actually looking at him while the ball was in the air. He knew exactly what he was doing and I call the pre-meditated.

 

Perhaps if he had been watching the ball instead, the incident may never have happened.

that's just it they showed the replay at half time where not once did zal look at the ball. You can't argue with the decision really. You can however say throughout Brines was a disgrace

[Craig-Section Z]

Perhaps if the keeper had bothered to come and do something about the ball over the top then Zaliukas wouldnt have had to do what he did, silly decision to foul but the situation wouldn't have have happened had MacDonald dealt with it and taken charge. Similar situation for the the 2nd Hibs goal, keeper didn't take charge of the situation.

 

Not blaming MacDonald, he saved us on other occasions, just like Zaliukas has in other games.

 

If both were perfect footballers, neither would be with Hearts. One mistake today, a split second decision which am sure we may have made ourselves in the same situation. Did the same player not make the right decision against Dundee United a few weeks ago to time his run perfectly to header the ball in the goal and win us the game or was this just a bomb scare moment???

[Father Tiresias]

that's just it they showed the replay at half time where not once did zal look at the ball. You can't argue with the decision really. You can however say throughout Brines was a disgrace

 

Dead right, Brines couldn't wait to send him off, we all knew immediately what was going to happen. However, why did Zaliukas give Brines a decision to make in the first place?

[Cupar Jambo]

was wondering how long it would take for someone to want our best defender to get to feck, it is a split second decision and he made the wrong choice, but he is far from being a "passenger"

I have said it often on here it is about opinions but to say Zal is our best defender puzzles me, he is 2 or 3 rungs down the ladder from Webster

[john brownlee]

Utter nonsense.

 

It was only 35 minutes into the game and we were by far the better team. Losing a goal would not have been a complete disaster.

 

 

sorry drylaw missed the UN in unnecessary makes your reply nonsense, now go to bed

but I have to agree losing a goal then would not have been as bad as losing a player of Zal's calibre,

[Thunderstruck]

oh dear

 

How's the list coming along? Don't rush though - you probably have an extensive record and you'll want to make sure they are real belters.

[Bert Le Clos]

Why do you need several occasions?

 

He cost us 2 points today.

 

Deal with it.

 

Because several people on this thread are making out he constantly costs us points. I'm just looking for proof of this.

 

As I've said Elliott arguably cost us 2 points today as well. Nobody is calling for his head.

[Tommy Wiseau]

Not a red card IMO.

 

Vidic got booked for a similar type of effort yesterday, and it should have been a yellow and a pen.

 

Just made that Elliott goal all the sweeter though.

[Only a Game]

Nonsense thread. Zal is one of the best defenders in the league but has always shown he will take the option of a professional foul. I would rather he just let Sodje have the chance, he would probably miss.

 

My thoughts exactly. He should have left it and let the boy do the hard part. Even if the boy scores, and it wasnt easy, we are 1-1, all fecking over them apart from one hopeful long ball theyve scored with and an hour still to go.

 

Poor poor decision making, which he is prone to now and again IMO but yes, still one of the best defenders in the league

[Clerry Jambo]

My thoughts exactly. He should have left it and let the boy do the hard part. Even if the boy scores, and it wasnt easy, we are 1-1, all fecking over them apart from one hopeful long ball theyve scored with and an hour still to go.

 

Poor poor decision making, which he is prone to now and again IMO but yes, still one of the best defenders in the league

 

Not often I disagree with you OAG but that is just nonsense

[Tommy Wiseau]

Not often I disagree with you OAG but that is just nonsense

 

 

 

It's not.

[Clerry Jambo]

 

It's not.

 

Charlie what's your point bud

[Tommy Wiseau]

Charlie what's your point bud

 

 

My point - he is one of the best defenders in the league. I'm surprised that's even up for debate.

[Only a Game]

Not often I disagree with you OAG but that is just nonsense

 

Okay for the sake of argument, list 5 central defenders in the SPL that you'd rather have. I'll start you off with Bougherra and I think Webster is a better player, after that I'm a bit stuck.

[Gigolo-Aunt]

Brines could not wait to get the card out. That said, Zali was caught the wrong side.

 

Expect better from him - he is not a young lad now, needs to keep himself switched on.

[Craigieboy]

The fact remains that most SPL teams in the top half of the league and also probobly hibs would have Zal starting every single game.

 

Factomondo.

[Beats]

My point - he is one of the best defenders in the league. I'm surprised that's even up for debate.

 

3rd best Centre Half at Hearts

 

Maybe 4th if Obua gets his chance.

[Coco]

Brines could not wait to get the card out. That said, Zali was caught the wrong side.

 

Expect better from him - he is not a young lad now, needs to keep himself switched on.

 

That is his big failing as a player and one he has never sorted out.

 

He has sorted out some of his other faults as a player - his discipline and passing are much better than they were. As a result he's having the best season he's had at Hearts. But he has a very annoying fault in his game where he gets on the wrong side of the striker. He doesn't have the pace to recover from those situations either.

 

I posted a couple of weeks ago that our best centre back pairing is likely to be Bouzid-Webster - one to go for the ball and the other to sweep. They looked okay as a pairing today.

[Clerry Jambo]

Okay for the sake of argument, list 5 central defenders in the SPL that you'd rather have. I'll start you off with Bougherra and I think Webster is a better player, after that I'm a bit stuck.

 

OAG, I could mention several players in the SPL who are more consistent and more importantly dependable than "bombscare" but we would be debating all night whether I'm right or wrong.

 

The important factor for me is how many times do we have a Zal thread were he has had a "blond moment" ( no disrespect to blondes ) where he has either lost us a goal or got himself an early bath - it happens all too often. I really can't see where the Zal luv in comes from, my god Webby was hung out to dry after albeit a poor performance v St Mirren.

[Only a Game]

OAG, I could mention several players in the SPL who are more consistent and more importantly dependable than "bombscare" but we would be debating all night whether I'm right or wrong.

 

 

 

Go on , name a couple of names. Name a couple who are consistent and dependable and who dont have bombscare moments. I promise not to debate them.

 

I think this is Zal's first red card this season. Thats not bad for a centre half in this league and I cant think of any other real bombscare moments this season where he's cost us the game

 

Dont get me wrong. What he did today, decision wise, was damn stupid but it doesnt totally cancel out how good he has been overall this season. Lets not forget how fecking poor we were defensively until we brought him back in

[cosanostra]

I was simply countering one of the massive knee jerk reaction THREADS during the matches that we have had to suffer in x amount of years. Get over yourelf. People are entitled to there opinions, as shite as they may be and i am simply offering mine

 

Yeah but you implied that one terrible thread was indicative of the entire range of opinion on KB.

As I said, we have 5000 active members so how does that work?

[Jamhammer]

For some reason it looks like he's struggling to play alongside Webster. Made a mistake. Was punished for it. For me stonewall pen and straight red. I'd have been looking for that at the other end. End of.

[Groatallar]

Nonsense thread. Zal is one of the best defenders in the league but has always shown he will take the option of a professional foul. I would rather he just let Sodje have the chance, he would probably miss.

This

 

He has been great this season but showed today he can be a total clown. That Hibs fecker probably wouldn't have got it too.

 

A good put up the arse from Jefferies is in order. Hope he's not out for too many games as our best centre back partnership is him and Webster easily.

[Bert Le Clos]

he sold the first goal at tannadice a couple of weeks ago, and as i would imagine you weren't there i'll inform you, by playing a dreadful pass to wallace which wallace then had to chase back for and end up fouling the arab which led to the free kick from which they scored.

 

he has no compusure, lacks awareness and his skill levels are lower than they should be for a centre half of hearts fc. this has been demonstrated throughout his career at the club which has been littered with indiscipline(pittodrie, falkirk in the cup 2009). today's rash challenge(being kind) left us chasing a game we should have won comfortably. compare him to webster and it's like night and day(webster setting up our second goal only serving to qualify my point).

 

if i had my way bouzid would be punted too, which seems to be the opinion of jj since he's been out the side since webster signed and is only in the team as johnnson is suspended. the two of them aren't good enough but coincidentally both think they are good enough to play at a higher level, which they are not.

 

as for your 'smelling a hobo' inference then you are more of a tit than you make yourself out to be.

 

Finally, something constructive from you. At least it's better than simply pitching up and announcing he should be emptied.

 

You're right, I wasn't at Tannadice as I don't go to away games. I have commitments on Saturday mornings which mean I can't make most away fixtures. I'll have to take your word on that goal, although it sounds though there was a lot went on between his pass and the goal (Wallace's foul, not defending the free kick).

 

I've never denied that he makes mistakes, but nowhere near as many as people make out. And a lot of the good he does is overlooked (I see no mention of his winning goal against Utd at Tynecastle).

 

Like other people have said, if there was better out there within our budget I'm sure we would sign them. As yet nobody has been forthcoming on this thread with players that fit that bill. So what's your plan if we ship out Zaliukas and Bouzid? JJ sees more of McGowan than you or I do, if he was good enough he would be playing.

 

Apologies if my Hobo comments pissed you off, but coming out with what you did with only a few posts after the derby is exactly the sort of thing a Hobo wind up merchant would do.

[Radioactive Mince]

I think Zal is a top man and, at this level, a quality player. I also think he had about half a second to react earlier: anyone who thinks that's easy should try it sometime. There was nothing cynical or pre-meditated about it: he just got caught for, as I said, half a second.

 

All game long, I felt the bounce of the ball just wasn't with us. Chances missed, a pen not given, Zal off (rightly) for something more unlucky than anything else, Vaz Te with a poor first touch but beating MacDonald by a split second. Yet still we got a result - and that's a great tribute to the spirit and resolve of the team.

 

Mistakes happen. They're part of the game. This constant need to find an individual scapegoat whenever we don't win does my head in. Football is about heart, gut, fight, and how a team responds to adversity; and today, we did so superbly well. That's why we're where we are; and they're where they are. And on today's evidence, that ain't going to change any time soon.

Great post, Lawson.

 

Encapsulates my feelings on the game perfectly.