Tim Howard

Eric Djemba-Djemba · February 19, 2016

This should have happened a year ago.

Carlito · February 19, 2016

Not quite as definitive as the title suggests, but it's a positive step.

Darth Vader · February 19, 2016

riddick · February 19, 2016

Eric Djemba-Djemba said:
This should have happened a year ago.

Minimum

zirc · February 19, 2016

RAFUH said:
Have I just missed where this is posted??

http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/sto...ond-choice-goalkeeper-roberto-martinez-021916

Everton manager Roberto Martinez confirmed United States goalkeeper Tim Howard is expected to serve as the backup to Joel Robles moving forward.

Robles stepped into the starting XI earlier this month after Howard missed the 3-0 victory over Newcastle on Feb. 3 with a knee complaint. The former Wigan goalkeeper retained his place for the 3-0 victory over Stoke City on Feb. 6 and the 1-0 defeat to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday

Martinez planned to start Robles in the FA Cup anyway, but the manager faced a decision about whether to retain him for Premier League matches after Robles made an error on Salomon Rondon’s goal last weekend and Howard returned to full fitness.

The Toffees manager outlined his support for Robles ahead of the FA Cup fifth-round tie against Bournemouth on Saturday (live, 12:00p.m. ET, FS2, FOX Sports GO) and said the Spanish goalkeeper is now his first-choice in the position.

“It's been a really good, consistent period for him and the back four,” Martinez told reporters in a press conference on Friday. “I think defensively, you look at the performance against West Brom and it's exactly what we expected. We only conceded one corner, one shot on target, and unfortunately that went in. To have three clean sheets before that is something we can build on and carry on those lines.

"That's when you are in a strong position, when you've got football making the decisions,” Martinez continued. “It's important that you give continuity and at the moment, Joel is doing really well. But Tim Howard has been injured and he hasn't been able to fight for his place back. We'll benefit from the competition for places and that's the way I want to see it."

The decision places Howard in a reserve role for the first time since joining Everton ahead of the 2006/07 season. The 36-year-old goalkeeper came in for withering criticism earlier in the season, but he returned to form with a sterling display against Manchester City in the Christmas period before picking up the knee complaint.
Howard’s murky future with the club -- including a potential return to MLS this summer -- does not factor into the consideration at the moment, according to Martinez.

“All I'm focusing on is making sure that Tim gets back to his best level and being able to finish the season strong,” Martinez said. “Whatever happens in the future, I don't think it's the right moment to speak about it now.”

Martinez’s verdict complicates the considerations for U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann prior to a pair of World Cup qualifiers against Guatemala next month.

Howard and Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan are the two primary options in goal. Klinsmann said last year he planned to rotate matches between Guzan and Howard to keep them engaged at the international level.

Both players, however, are now out of their respective teams for the foreseeable future. Klinsmann told the Washington Post this week that he planned to monitor their situations carefully and weigh the potential fallout from those selection decisions as the qualifiers approached.

“Obviously, the good thing with both Brad and Tim is that they have a tremendous amount of experience,” Klinsmann told the Post. “Do they want to play week in and week out and be sharp as much as possible? Yes, but if they come off the bench, they know how to play the game. Helpful there is experience, so the level of concern we have is then not that big because they know how to handle that situation.”

Feel like this news deserves its own thread. He's been first choice keeper for us for how long? It's pretty big news honestly.

davek · February 19, 2016

Oh look, Martinez sacked Howard off - just like some of us were saying about two weeks ago to widespread ridicule and cynicism.

Funny that.

mmmmsnouts · February 19, 2016

zirc said:
Feel like this news deserves its own thread. He's been first choice keeper for us for how long? It's pretty big news honestly.

Just short of 10 years isn't it?

Curious to know how Howard's last few months compare to the mood the couple of times Neville Southall was dropped at the end of his career. (Not saying their careers were on the same level, just their respective ends.)

Ehrlin · February 19, 2016

Didn't hear Martinez saying anything about the future, just that for now Joel is his first choice. After 2 or more conceded goals in a game he will choose Howard next week.

EFCPaul · February 20, 2016

Should have happened 6 months ago or more. Howard is going to leave the club on a very low note and Martinez has already lost the fans on this issue so he's not getting any praise from anyone for this.

DanEFC92 · February 20, 2016

Inabit.

Zatara · February 20, 2016

Ehrlin said:
Didn't hear Martinez saying anything about the future, just that for now Joel is his first choice. After 2 or more conceded goals in a game he will choose Howard next week.

Hes hardly going to state Howard will never play again is he? What happens if Joel gets injured...morale would decrease anyway by making such a statement.

as @davek wrote, alot of us said Howard will be dropped a couple of weeks back. Now he has been theres still anti-Martinez sentiment...seems he can do no right.

ilikecheese · February 20, 2016

Zatara said:
Hes hardly going to state Howard will never play again is he? What happens if Joel gets injured...morale would decrease anyway by making such a statement.

as @davek wrote, alot of us said Howard will be dropped a couple of weeks back. Now he has been theres still anti-Martinez sentiment...seems he can do no right.

It really is sad. He's doing exactly what the boo birds and moaners want with the keeper at yet they still moan.

oldblue · February 20, 2016

ilikecheese said:
It really is sad. He's doing exactly what the boo birds and moaners want with the keeper at yet they still moan.

It's noticeable that the Kone thread is booming now. You got to assume that if we had a title winning squad then there would be people spending most of their time moaning that we'd have won it sooner without Howard.

davek · February 20, 2016

ilikecheese said:
It really is sad. He's doing exactly what the boo birds and moaners want with the keeper at yet they still moan.

There's no logic to these people's words. That's pretty much why they represent an echo chamber confined to forums and post match phone ins - people who hang onto every word of a crackpot footy pundit when it's a criticism of Martinez and ignore the deafening sound of silence from the sensible majority. No decision maker even hears them.

They go away after every decent result and return like a bad penny when we dont get one.

The decision to drop Howard and the 180 degree turn on it underlines what they are at base: contrarians.