#13 | Zack Steffen - 2021/22 Performances

[Petetheblu]

The lad need more games, he's just a bit rusty, but will come food with regular games.

Way to much being made about his mistakes today.

Keep your chin up Zack,.

 

[SWP's back]

You can't say he shouldn't have played, we have a cup keeper, that's how we operate and how we will always operate. Pep is a man of Honour and will never screw his number 2 keeper over, ever. Liverpool did, they benefitted today but their backup keeper won't hang around long with that kind of treatment.

The problem is either, Pep has asked a player that isn't Ederson and isn't capable of being Ederson to be Ederson, against the best pressing team we could possibly face too no less, In which case its on Pep for not adapting our game knowing a player isn't capable of doing the usual things we do. Or, Steffen has taken it upon himself to try and imitate Ederson and doesn't recognise his limitations, in which case its on him to understand what he can and can't do and the mistakes are entirely on him.

None of us have ears inside the dressing room so we won't know which is the case but simply saying Pep should have played Ederson is just a garbage comment, that's never happening under him.

As for claims about him not being good enough, what are your expectations of our backup keeper? Everytime we concede a goal when Edersons in net, there's a dozen posts claiming Steffens a better shotstopper, and now he's not fit to wear the backup shirt? Who is good enough? Any backup keeper you can suggest that's better than him isn't content at their club as a backup. Our backup keeper is always going to be especially susceptible to messing up badly in our style, it doesn't excuse major fuck ups like his today, nothing does but he fits the bill, he's adequate he's just had a complete howler.

I don’t want our number 2 to “hang around long” if it’s Steffan to be honest. Not good enough.

 

[Big-P]

Baffling how many people are ok with how piss poor he was today. Cost us the tie, and that’s that. If you’re crap at your job expect to be called out.

 

[CatMan]

I feel for the lad and sadly he is the victim of the eternal quandary of protecting your 1st choice keeper from being injured in Cup games against being punished for having an out of form 2nd keeper!

Fundamentally he got caught out attempting to do what 99.9% of normal keepers would never attempt and he did so because he was trying to be an Ederson clone. If Ederson is so vital to our play, and we must concede he is, then we have to accept he plays every game and we take the chance that he may get injured in a Cup game.

As a goalkeeper I think he's pretty decent and yesterday he was more a victim of circumstances than incompetence.

As I said in the post match thread yesterday, if Pep was so prepared to casually sacrifice yesterday's game then he should have rested absolutely everyone and played the complete U23 team. The mish mash that was fielded and the subsequent performance that followed is 100% Guardiola's responsibility and not that of any player.

 

[jamesha]

I think much of the problem is that so many out of practice players were played together. Zinc and Dinho looked rusty and we lacked our customary control in midfield. If Zack had started behind a team that included Walker, Laporte and Rodri then things might have gone better but it is inarguable that he made a howler for the second goal and that his distribution was not good.

I think the lack of competitive game time is a factor in Zack's level of performance. In the olden days the second choice keeper would start all the reserve games but the reserve league has been effectively replaced by Premier League 2 which is intended for development players of 23 years or age or less.

That competition does have a rule that states "Each team can field a goalkeeper over the age limit and up to three "over-age" outfield players in every match"

Maybe the club should consider playing the second choice keeper and some over 23 fringe players in this competition to give them competitive football? The obvious downside to that is that it would reduce opportunities for our youngsters.

 

[Revolver]

Made a bad mistake but it can happen to the best of keepers. With City’s style of play these things will happen. Being reserve keeper is not easy in many ways as opportunities are few. However no reason he can’t come back from yesterday.

 

[SWP's back]

Not sure why so many now just accept that a second keeper takes over in both domestic cups.

Schmeichel, Van der sar, Cech all used to play PL, CL and FA Cup matches. Alison also being played yesterday.

It’s an FA Cup semi final for crying out loud, play your best team. If you have to give a second keeper games then do it in early rounds or the league cup. Pep has lost 4 of 5 FA Cup semi finals, it’s because he doesn’t particularly care about it as reflected in his team selection.

I also really have no interest in people replying with “that is what Pep does, he won’t change” - I’m patently and painfully aware of that, that’s why I’m fucking moaning.

I don’t feel remotely sorry for Steffen, he’s a profession being paid a shit ton of money to do a job and he was woefully crap at that job yesterday. If he wants to be able to do a crap job on any given day and suffer no jabs then he can freely work out of the public eye and get his £28k per year.

 

[Bluesince1979]

Ok, we can say he was rusty. We can say thats not his fault and thats probably right.

the problem in having a ‘cup keeper’ is exactly that, bringing him in from the cold to start big games like that is never gonna work.

years ago he’d have been playing for the reserves in the week so wouldnt be so match unready.

its a daft idea bring a goaly in for such games and needs fucking off

 

[GaudinoMotors]

Not sure why so many now just accept that a second keeper takes over in both domestic cups.

Schmeichel, Van der sar, Cech all used to play PL, CL and FA Cup matches. Alison also being played yesterday.

It’s an FA Cup semi final for crying out loud, play your best team. If you have to give a second keeper games then do it in early rounds or the league cup. Pep has lost 4 of 5 FA Cup semi finals, it’s because he doesn’t particularly care about it as reflected in his team selection.

I also really have no interest in people replying with “that is what Pep does, he won’t change” - I’m patently and painfully aware of that, that’s why I’m fucking moaning.

I don’t feel remotely sorry for Steffen, he’s a profession being paid a shit ton of money to do a job and he was woefully crap at that job yesterday. If he wants to be able to do a crap job on any given day and suffer no jabs then he can freely work out of the public eye and get his £28k per year.

Bang on.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

The lad need more games, he's just a bit rusty, but will come food with regular games.

Way to much being made about his mistakes today.

Keep your chin up Zack,.

I admire your generosity but the brutal reality is that Zack has failed badlly on the big stage at Wembley in the last two seasons and is not likely to get a third chance. I beieve he will make a decent player but not at the elite level for City. In career terms yesterday was a disaster for Zack. It's sad but that is the way things work in modern football.