#13 | Zack Steffen - 2021/22 Performances

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People being pretty harsh on Steffen.
Let's get this out the way: he had a shit game yesterday. It's barely even worth stating. Forget the second goal (if it's not in your nightmares — I note with wry humour that Stonesy was pointing like a maniac to where Steffen was supposed to put it, something he never needs to do with Ederson, and wouldn't dare to).
But I'm sort of surprised that he seems to be getting a pass on the first. He surely should have done better there. It doesn't come at him like a thunderbolt, far from it, and it's not at all far from his hand.
Steffen is a good second-string keeper. Good for league and cup games, and if your first-team keeper is injured. But yesterday wasn't a second-string game. It just wasn't – it was against our bitterest current rivals. I don't in the least blame Pep for leaving out KDB. But Ederson should definitely have played this one.
 
ninjamonkey said:
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.
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Why does a backup keeper need to “hang around long“? Is that the person spec we want?

Of course backups need SOME games but not guarantees regardless of circumstances. This was an FA Cup SF against quadruple-chasing rivals, whose morale for the run-in is now higher than ever.

Who else gets guarantees? Palmer? Delap? MacAtee? Why not?

Sentiment and loyalty have their place. But not at the busIness end of major competitions, please.

Pep - bless him - has a winning record beyond almost everyone. Despite that he’s arguably made more strange (and ultimately misguided) decisions late in big competions than most, too. Given his innate talent, his silverware tally could actually be higher than it is.
 
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sir baconface said:
Why does a backup keeper need to “hang around long“? Is that the person spec we want?

Of course backups need SOME games but not guarantees regardless of circumstances. This was an FA Cup SF against quadruple-chasing rivals, whose morale for the run-in is now higher than ever.

Who else gets guarantees? Palmer? Delap? MacAtee? Why not?

Sentiment and loyalty have their place. But not at the busIness end of major competitions, please.

Pep - bless him - has a winning record beyond almost everyone. Despite that he’s arguably made more strange (and ultimately misguided) decisions late in big competions than most, too. Given his innate talent, his silverware tally could actually be higher than it is.
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Well we're constantly hearing how players need 12 months to adapt, that's arguably the most true for our Keeper. the requirements for our keeper over other teams keepers are the most diverse of any position on the pitch, it's very hard to be a keeper for us. We don't need the hassle of having to find replacements constantly and then give them the time to adapt to what we want from them, it would be a constant calamity everytime they were needed. Then there's the Importance of having a tight knit happy group of keepers which doesn't happen if we are changing them constantly and can't keep them satisfied.

People don't have to like it but they do have to accept it. It's nothing new, we've had this situation since peps been here, it's one of peps principles and he doesn't go back on them. Comment after comment about playing ederson when it's never happening is pointless
 
He’s not Ederson , no one in world football is to be fair

hes obviously trying to give off the same air of calmness when pressed but Eddie pulls this off time after time when everyones screaming at home to welly it

we need to accept this and tweak our build up if Steffen plays , we obvoulsy need to play out where we can but when pressed in our six yard box it should be no risk and twat it downfield
 
ninjamonkey said:
Well we're constantly hearing how players need 12 months to adapt, that's arguably the most true for our Keeper. the requirements for our keeper over other teams keepers are the most diverse of any position on the pitch, it's very hard to be a keeper for us. We don't need the hassle of having to find replacements constantly and then give them the time to adapt to what we want from them, it would be a constant calamity everytime they were needed. Then there's the Importance of having a tight knit happy group of keepers which doesn't happen if we are changing them constantly and can't keep them satisfied.

People don't have to like it but they do have to accept it. It's nothing new, we've had this situation since peps been here, it's one of peps principles and he doesn't go back on them. Comment after comment about playing ederson when it's never happening is pointless
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Nobody, not even Pep, is beyond adjusting tactics/policies over time.

Purely hypothetical but if we were to end up winning nothing this year, while the gurning one lords it, surely everything gets reviewed. By the whole hierarchy, not just Pep. Life is about learning.

Besides, it’s a forum so people will always comment and rightly so.
 
Remember when Ederson made mistakes in the game against Liverpool a couple of years ago?

It happens.

Steffen was devestated after the game, got to support him.
 
sir baconface said:
Nobody, not even Pep, is beyond adjusting tactics/policies over time.

Purely hypothetical but if we were to end up winning nothing this year, while the gurning one lords it, surely everything gets reviewed. By the whole hierarchy, not just Pep. Life is about learning.

Besides, it’s a forum so people will always comment and rightly so.
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It's a principe he's always had and there's no indication he will ever change it. He feels the benefits to the squad outweighs the cons and 4 league cups and an FA cup win during his time here would suggest its not as calamitous of a policy as many on here have decided it is over the last 24 hours.

If we end up with nothing at the end of the season, it won't be the FA cup and his decision to use his squad in it we will be looking back at and pinpointing, it will be how we've thrown away a comfortable lead in the league and done a Spurs.
 
It really was a shocking game for Steffen not playing regular not up to match speed. But to get caught by Mane when taking a age to pass the ball or hoof it up the field is not on. IF your shit with the ball at your feet against Liverpool if there pressing like that launch it. I thought he could of done better with all of the goals myself just wasnt his day yesterday.

As for next season and if Zack be number 2 I think the goal keeping coaches and Pep will have a lot of talking to do. Bazunu looks good playing regular and is a first choice Irish international at such a young age hes doing well. Will he want to go back to the club as back up. IF he does I see Steffen being sold. IF Bazunu wants to play week in week out again and we can get him a good team be it championship higher end or even a team in Europe and he plays well there we got the potential in him in having a great 2nd choice keeper. Hes been 1 of Irelands stand out players over the past season. Looks composed and mature in goal keeping terms for a 20 year old he has his head screwed on.
 
Lovebitesandeveryfing said:
People being pretty harsh on Steffen.
Let's get this out the way: he had a shit game yesterday. It's barely even worth stating. Forget the second goal (if it's not in your nightmares — I note with wry humour that Stonesy was pointing like a maniac to where Steffen was supposed to put it, something he never needs to do with Ederson, and wouldn't dare to).
But I'm sort of surprised that he seems to be getting a pass on the first. He surely should have done better there. It doesn't come at him like a thunderbolt, far from it, and it's not at all far from his hand.
Steffen is a good second-string keeper. Good for league and cup games, and if your first-team keeper is injured. But yesterday wasn't a second-string game. It just wasn't – it was against our bitterest current rivals. I don't in the least blame Pep for leaving out KDB. But Ederson should definitely have played this one.
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He doesn't even straighten his arm or jump towards the balls trajectory. Shocking goalkeeping. A little hop and a wave as the ball passes over him.
 
alexmcity said:
Naturally, people are frustrated, Steffen had a terrible game. Shit happens, though. He looked a broken man. I feel for him. We're human beings before we are fans.
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Exactly. He's not our number 1, and he probably never will be, we shouldn't hammer him because he had one very poor game, Shi happens. He'll definitely learn from this.
 
Deserves another shot next season. Has proved that is he is a capable keeper
 
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I was concerned about the ability of Zack from the start. He looked shaky to me. But he performed well enough in subsequent outings. Only to have a nightmare performance when it most mattered.

Every player has an off game - and perhaps this is Zack at his worst... or not.

I'm now back to my initial assessment of Zack - shaky in goal.
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Aside as an American

Zack's performance is especially worrisome given the upcoming World Cup. I don't follow team USA closely these days, but apparently Matt Turner is a possible number 1 in goal.

Outside the keeper position, I really like the USA squad - this is the most talented squad we've fielded in 20+ years. USA is 2nd rate still - no way we're winning the World Cup - I'd like to at least make it out of the group stage and luck permitting win our first knockout match. I'd be much more confident of this outcome if we had a quality keeper in goal. Our best current crop of keepers aren't even first choice in the P/L.
 
BlueMoonAcrossThePond said:
I was concerned about the ability of Zack from the start. He looked shaky to me. But he performed well enough in subsequent outings. Only to have a nightmare performance when it most mattered.

Every player has an off game - and perhaps this is Zack at his worst... or not.

I'm now back to my initial assessment of Zack - shaky in goal.
===
Aside as an American

Zack's performance is especially worrisome given the upcoming World Cup. I don't follow team USA closely these days, but apparently Matt Turner is a possible number 1 in goal.

Outside the keeper position, I really like the USA squad - this is the most talented squad we've fielded in 20+ years. USA is 2nd rate still - no way we're winning the World Cup - I'd like to at least make it out of the group stage and luck permitting win our first knockout match. I'd be much more confident of this outcome if we had a quality keeper in goal. Our best current crop of keepers aren't even first choice in the P/L.
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Of the group games I most fear you guys.
 
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