Former Caley Thistle goalkeeper Michael Fraser reckons Mark Ridgers will still have a massive role to play this season – despite being subbed at the break against Morton.
The experienced shot-stopper was taken off after 45 minutes in Friday’s Championship loss at Cappielow after the Ton raced into a 3-0 lead.
A mistake from Ridgers led to Robbie Muirhead opening the scoring then, after Ridgers saved Grant Gillespie’s penalty, the midfielder slammed in the rebound to make it 2-0.
David Carson’s own goal made matters worse and Dodds pitched Cammy Mackay into battle for the start of the second half.
Cameron Blues’ well-worked team goal rounded off a thumping 4-0 defeat for Inverness after the break before head coach Billy Dodds confirmed the keeper switch was not due to injury at full-time.
He also told BBC Scotland afterwards the reasons behind the decision to swap out his goalie would “remain private”.
While speculation is rife about what really happened behind the scenes, Fraser has sympathy for Ridgers, whose 76 clean sheets is a club record.
And Fraser, who played for ICT from 2002-2009, explained the strong relationship between Ridgers and Mackay will be vital moving forward.
He said: “I’m sure there will be a way back for Mark. I hope there’s no background noise, because that makes it harder for the guy coming in to play.
“It is weird because everyone seems to be against keepers. The goalies stick together because sometimes it can feel like, whether you’re right or wrong, you’re under pressure.
“Your best mate at the club is the one guy who is keeping you out of the team, so it’s a strange dynamic – that’s when you really stick together.
“If it is the case that Cammy is going to play against Arbroath, Mark will back him all the way.”
Keepers often get blamed for goals
Fraser feels keepers, generally, get the blame all too often for goals being conceded, but insists the passions at play within the sport will often lead to disagreements in the dressing room.
He added: “Being subbed at half-time doesn’t happen often. Outfield players might say: ‘why shouldn’t it? We get taken off’.
“It’s not ideal for a goalkeeper, but from what I saw Mark didn’t have a particularly poor game.
“Yes, he made a mistake for Morton’s first goal, but he saved a penalty, too.
“If there has been a fall-out, there will only be one winner. But nearly every player has a falling out with their manager at some point.
“Goalkeepers often get blamed directly for goals. You will know fine well it’s not your fault.
“Managers, generally, over-react to goalkeepers, who are also partial to shouting back (during games).
“When I played for Derek Adams at Ross County, he thought every shot should be saved.
“But I don’t think people should read too much into it. Mark will still have a big role to play – look at how often he’s made important stops this season.
“Football is an emotional sport, or it should be. You can’t ask people to go out and play football, then get upset when tempers at times get frayed. It happens.”
One error in 5-0 Rangers’ rout
While never being taken off due to a bad match, 39-year-old Fraser recalled a torrid 5-0 trouncing at Ibrox where goals rained in which made him want to be kept off the pitch after the break.
He said: “I haven’t been subbed during my career, but I recall a game when I was hoping to be subbed.
“Playing for Caley Thistle, we were 5-0 down to Rangers at half-time at Ibrox (in 2008 in the Premiership). Kris Boyd got a hat-trick and Nacho Novo and Kenny Miller scored.
“I spilled a free-kick really early on and Kris Boyd smashed the ball in and it came back off my chest and Nacho Novo followed in to score.
“I don’t really remember the other goals, but I don’t think they were my fault after the first one.
“As a team, we were like rabbits in the headlights, as can happen against Rangers or Celtic. We were overrun.
“At half-time, I was thinking: ‘If Rangers keep playing like this, we could be looking at a 10, 11 or 12-goal record defeat’.
“You don’t want to go out there for the second half. There was no shouting in the dressing room, it was more a case of not wanting to be in the record books, but we didn’t concede another thankfully.”
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