Time to drop Fraser

[dead_ball_specialist]

Saturdays performance was the last straw, Donnatis goal was an absolute joke. Some of the others were also pretty soft. The back four has been ropey since Dodds left, Frasers dodgey positioning, lack of command of his penalty box, and inability to save bread and butter efforts on goal has compounded the situation. He's even worse than Les Fridge.

The Polish boy was brought in to provide competition for the jersey, he deserves a chance - even Ally Ridgers (a much better shot stopper) is worth a shout despite his inexperience.

[Kind of Blue]

Although I think he should have done better on a number of occasions, it's a bit harsh to single Mike out when the defence has not given him sufficient cover.  Having said that, we cannot continue to leak  goals and Brewster must manage the situation in order to regain the solid defensive form that was the foundation of ICT for the past 3 seasons.

[CaleyD]

DBS, I couldn't agree with you less.  As for your comparison to Les Fridge...that did give me a wee laugh (at you, not with you).

And are you referring to Ally Ridgers the great shot stopper who allowed Arbroath to ship 4 past him in his first appearance for Elgin the other week?  :015:

Fraser has made a couple of mistakes, but he's also saved us on more occasions than I can remember.

Your not the only one looking for a scapegoat to justify our poor start to the season, but it's a team game and there's only so much one person can do.  Mike Fraser is saving a fair number of the opponents shots on target and the back four have to work a little harder to whittle that number down before we can start laying blame at his feet.

[Guest eliza]

Dead Ball - you seem to be on your own for this one - going by the votes cast so far after the Celtic game - check it out. :32:to you.

The whole defence misses Dods, but that topic has been done to death before now so let's not go there again. 

[chris123]

Fraser has the potential to be the best keeper ever to turn out for caley

[alimci]

No complaints about Fraser whatsoever. And I'd rather play my one-legged granny than Malkowski. The Dods hole is the problem, not the keeping.

[+Wanderer]

No complaints about Fraser whatsoever. And I'd rather play my one-legged granny than Malkowski. The Dods hole is the problem, not the keeping.

Agree with most of that. I'd like to take a look at your granny before endorsing it all though!

[Yngwie]

I'd like to take a look at your granny

Aye, hoping she looks like Nora Batty.

We used to have one of the best keepers in ther SPL, now have 2 keepers who are bottom 6 standard, at best. That's just something we have to live with this season. Calls for Fraser to be dropped are unjustified, but I think Zibby is a better keeper than most people appear to believe and I won't be surprised if he stakes his claim to the jersey and earns it on merit.

[Joonya]

I think perhaps it is time for a change between the sticks. Fraser has not been strong in command of his box this season and he should have saved at least 50% of the goals he has conceeded. Dundee Utd's first springs to mind here (and yes, caff was also at fault, but even so, fraser should have been there to cover his a55)

I never really rated dods i must admit, but the basics of his play worked - such as getting the ball away from danger just so the players can regain position. That boy Watt seemed to impress me in the cup and i think may be able, in time, to cover that void.

[The Mantis]

Remember Broonie was a very experienced keeper at Rangers and Well before he came to us.

I've no doubt Mikey will be a top-class keeper but when Broonie left I said that CC was making a mistake in picking him every week at that age (mind you we were probably screwed by the transfer window).

One advantage with young players like Mikey is they're not yet old enough to realise what pressure is...

[Scotty]

CC was making a mistake in picking him every week at that age

He's 23, and will be 24 next month .... not exactly "that age". To me "that age" is anyone under 20, once you hit there, age stops being an excuse.

[RichieKass]

No complaints about Fraser whatsoever. And I'd rather play my one-legged granny than Malkowski. The Dods hole is the problem, not the keeping.

Agree with most of that. I'd like to take a look at your granny before endorsing it all though!

Seconded - Fraser has showed on many occaisions he is worthy of the jersey and I agree it is more down to poor defense and to an extent lack of confidance. Malkowski played some shockers for hibs and i'd be seriously worried with him in goals

[alimci]

Possibly Malkowski has his moments, but I think a lot of our victories over Hibs were helped by him. The game where he passed the ball out to Dargo was a classic  :015:

[Kingsmills]

Fraser may not be the best 'keeper in the land but he's competent and doesn't tend to make too many howlers.

Malkowski, on the other hand, can be brilliant but is dreadfully inconsistent.

On that basis Mikey has my vote.

[Guest WynessLegend]

I would like to see Malkowski start against Hearts.

He has a lot to prove - and I am confident he will take the opportunity to do so.

We should not lose sight of the fact that there are very few goalkeepers of real quality in the SPL (particularly since Gordon's move south) and that we were, perhaps, spoiled by having a keeper of Brown's quality for a number of years.

[RiG]

[quote author=alimci link=topic=4820.msg75150#msg75150 date=1190025299]

Possibly Malkowski has his moments, but I think a lot of our victories over Hibs were helped by him. The game where he passed the ball out to Dargo was a classic  :015:

Was that where he kicked the ground before the ball which then trickled out to Dargo?

[Caley Fish]

Fraser may not be the best 'keeper in the land but he's competent and doesn't tend to make too many howlers.

It's for that reason that Fraser won't be dropped, he has done nothing terribly wrong to justify him being left out of the team. Although he makes some good saves I don't feel he inspires confidence in the defense, this was demonstrated on Saturday as every time we went up the pitch you expected Boruc to save it whereas every time Celtic got close I expected a goal and this rubs off on the defense. The fact the defense is lacking organisation is down to Mikey, it's the keepers to organise the defense. Yes we have a big Dods shaped whole in the middle of the defense but a good keeper should make up for it.

Although having said that our only alternative is Malkowski who is prone to mistakes and unless he can prove himself error free he shouldn't be given a chance in the first team. Also the points that I made can be overcome with more experience.

[Mrs Pauliebee]

I'd like to think Brewster has the foresight to keep Fraser, he's a very good Keeper that should be nutured..not blamed for our shambles of a defence! 

We were spoilt with Brown, but at the same time he had absolute howlers too - which some folks seem to have forgotten - remember the feeling on conceeding a penalty when he was in goal! :029:

Dods was an absolute machine, that frequently covered folks mistakes, tracking back to save the day.  We've been exposed without him!

We need to show faith in Mikey - he's pulled of some great reactive saves - the lad will come good - he's already earned that jersey IMHO - and will fight hard to keep it!

[CaleyD]

I'd like to think Brewster has the foresight to keep Fraser, he's a very good Keeper that should be nutured

I think cutting of his bollocks is a bit severe.  :015:

[Mrs Pauliebee]

:blah01:

Might work? :015:

[SMEE]

I am not a big fan of Fraser. IMHO, he has looked suspect lots of times since he was installed as keeper....not sure we have anything better to replace him with tho

[A96]

Jimmy Calder ? are you free?

We need you to take a turn for us between the sticks (or maybe even on them  :004:)!!

[The Mantis]

Nuturing is the new boonigging 

[Guest TinCanFan]

Jimmy Calder ? are you free?

We need you to take a turn for us between the sticks (or maybe even on them  :004:)!!

Agree with that 100%!  But I think he has recently signed a 6 month deal with Rothes but I would pay good money to him if ICT were to put him back in goal.

I've said it once and I'll say it again why on Earth didn't CC (when he was in charge) sign Tony Bullock?  He was excellent in the pre-season game between ICT and County and IMO is wasting his talent playing in the 2nd Division.

[absent friend]

When we were playing at Pittodrie the very same feelings were being aired, on here, at Brown (I'm not sure if he was nutered at the time.!)

''Cannot command his box - Defence unsure due to his lack of confidence - does not speak to his defence - won't come off his line....''

Whilst it is difficult to make comparisons between the keepers, I suppose the manager, at training, is in the best position to judge, I do however feel that the defence problem must be a factor in the goals against and not just the keeper.