I think it's safe to say that we both agree that the wall was set up wrong. Surely Howard has to take some blame for that being the goalkeeper though? How has he allowed the wall to be stood in front of an area that isn't covering the goal?
Regarding where Howard should be stood, you say i'm wrong, but this is the third freekick I can think of this season where Howard has been beaten at the near post. The Wolfsburg freekick was unstoppable so I don't blame him for that, but the Gerrard one and particularly Larsson the other day weren't great freekicks.
It's easier to move over to the far post than the near one as well as the ball has to travel further and it would take a great freekick to beat him on that post. Not the fairly average ones by Larsson and Gerrard.