Tim Howard

[Stikapos]

Timmy hasn't been good in the two Team USA losses to date.....

 

[Chang Elephant]

Timmy hasn't been good in the two Team USA losses to date.....

Tim hates Americans, Evertonians, and himself. Therefore he takes the conscious decision to be crap.

 

[Bigloco]

Timmy hasn't been good in the two Team USA losses to date.....

It was tough to tell in the Mexico match since the camera really didn't show him while he was sitting on the bench. He did actually start and play in the 0-1 loss to Costa Rica where he played well enough that Klinsmann has stated that he and Guzan will now rotate was starters.

He hasn't played in another match this year.

I thought he was fine in the Costa Rica game, no chance on the goal and no problem with his positioning.

 

[Stikapos]

It was tough to tell in the Mexico match since the camera really didn't show him while he was sitting on the bench. He did actually start and play in the 0-1 loss to Costa Rica where he played well enough that Klinsmann has stated that he and Guzan will now rotate was starters.

He hasn't played in another match this year.

I thought he was fine in the Costa Rica game, no chance on the goal and no problem with his positioning.

Got me on that one! Old age and all that. I have been waiting for the replay of the CR match, but didn't the CR game include a goal where he kinda sat in the net instead of punching or catching (or was that the LFC game) ?

 

[Dithering Dougie]

Classic case of short young goal keeper with great reflexes who didn't need good positioning. See Given and (to less of an extent) Casillas. They pull off wonder saves in their youth with great reflexes that leave people thinking 'wow what a keeper'. As they get older the reflexes go and you're left with a keeper who has never needed to learn the art of positioning or commanding their area so cannot make up for the fact they can't keep shots out as well as they used to. You then start to see erratic decision making because they don't trust themselves to stay on their line and pull off a worldie, or you see them staying on their line thinking they can still pull off a worldie from a point blank header a yard away.

Keepers like Van Der Sar, Schmeicel, Southall, Buffon obviously had great stop shorting ability but never relied solely on it, so when their reflexes went they still had the positioning (and physical presence), plus the decision making to remain very very good keepers (if not the world class level they were at their peak). Keepers like Howard and Given, Casillas, probably Vorm, Valdes etc. fall off a cliff performance wise all of a sudden. Howard was a very decent keeper for us in his peak no question. He's gone past that how though (and has been for a few seasons) and in my opinion doesn't have the attributes to keep a top level of performance. No ones saying he was never a good keeper or that he hasn't been a good player for us, but this blind insistence that he's still one of the top keepers in the prem and is beyond reproach is baffling. So are arguments like 'well Joel is no better' 'other players were poor last season too' 'our defensive record is ok'. This is about improving Everton. A glaring massive improvement could be made by changing a keeper who is now past it. There's nothing malicious in saying that.

So you're comparing Howard in a very favourable way to two of the most decorated goalkeepers in history, two keepers who've both played for the vast majority of their careers for the two biggest clubs in the world who have endless riches and ability to attract the worlds elite players any given transfer window. Two keepers who've won everything their us to win domestically, on a European level and also at an international level.

Impressive stuff, all in all. But your usual Howard bashing nonsense with no substance but plenty of words. At least you've missed out the Martinez, Barry and McCarthy bashing though I suppose..

 

[Donald Twain]

So you're comparing Howard in a very favourable way to two of the most decorated goalkeepers in history, two keepers who've both played for the vast majority of their careers for the two biggest clubs in the world who have endless riches and ability to attract the worlds elite players any given transfer window. Two keepers who've won everything their us to win domestically, on a European level and also at an international level.

Impressive stuff, all in all. But your usual Howard bashing nonsense with no substance but plenty of words. At least you've missed out the Martinez, Barry and McCarthy bashing though I suppose..

saucy!

 

[Pittsburgh Footy]

It was tough to tell in the Mexico match since the camera really didn't show him while he was sitting on the bench. He did actually start and play in the 0-1 loss to Costa Rica where he played well enough that Klinsmann has stated that he and Guzan will now rotate was starters.

He hasn't played in another match this year.

I thought he was fine in the Costa Rica game, no chance on the goal and no problem with his positioning.

TH was ok in the Costa Rica game and the U.S. Was dreadful in the second half after klinsmann brought anyone with any experience off the pitch. Tim had non chance on the goal and actually made a very good save approaching the 90th to keep the U.S. in it

 

[bicycleheader]

So you're comparing Howard in a very favourable way to two of the most decorated goalkeepers in history, two keepers who've both played for the vast majority of their careers for the two biggest clubs in the world who have endless riches and ability to attract the worlds elite players any given transfer window. Two keepers who've won everything their us to win domestically, on a European level and also at an international level.

Impressive stuff, all in all. But your usual Howard bashing nonsense with no substance but plenty of words. At least you've missed out the Martinez, Barry and McCarthy bashing though I suppose..

I'm not a big fan of much of what SD has to say, like you it seems, and find him ridiculously over-negative most of the time, however I don't think your response really has much to do with what he actually wrote there.

He is talking about types of goalkeepers, his opinion of course, and backs it up with a few examples of each type. I fail to see what your response and especially the no substance but plenty of words part has to do with this particular post of his.

Shay Given is a great example of what I think is an interesting point by SD. In his prime for Ireland I was going to all the home games and went to a couple of aways. He was very fast to come out and close down one on ones, to the point where you were almost confident he would come out on top...whereas in most cases you assume a goal is coming. He was also an, at times, excellent shot stopper. At the time I didn't pay a huge amount of attention to it, as he was so good in other areas but he was suspect on corners and that general commanding your area aspect....and also had poor positional sense.(IMO)

I think it is a fair point that his quick decline may have been down to the loss of his speed in coming out to close down and the speed of his reflexes to make those amazing saves. This exposed the weak points in his game a lot more, and I definitely don't think it's an argument that's empty or lacking in substance to suggest it is a similar situation to Howards decline.

 

[Dithering Dougie]

I'm not a big fan of much of what SD has to say, like you it seems, and find him ridiculously over-negative most of the time, however I don't think your response really has much to do with what he actually wrote there.

He is talking about types of goalkeepers, his opinion of course, and backs it up with a few examples of each type. I fail to see what your response and especially the no substance but plenty of words part has to do with this particular post of his.

Shay Given is a great example of what I think is an interesting point by SD. In his prime for Ireland I was going to all the home games and went to a couple of aways. He was very fast to come out and close down one on ones, to the point where you were almost confident he would come out on top...whereas in most cases you assume a goal is coming. He was also an, at times, excellent shot stopper. At the time I didn't pay a huge amount of attention to it, as he was so good in other areas but he was suspect on corners and that general commanding your area aspect....and also had poor positional sense.(IMO)

I think it is a fair point that his quick decline may have been down to the loss of his speed in coming out to close down and the speed of his reflexes to make those amazing saves. This exposed the weak points in his game a lot more, and I definitely don't think it's an argument that's empty or lacking in substance to suggest it is a similar situation to Howards decline.

He's saying all players of similar style and ability fall off the cliff at the same time in the same way. Do you really agree with that? There's no proof this happens whatsoever that I've ever seen.

He's also compared Howard to two of the best and most successful goalkeepers ever and suggested they're all finished yet one is at the biggest club in the Premiership and the other is playing for another European giant, not bad for players who are past it like Howard is it?

 

[USABlue]

Timmy hasn't been good in the two Team USA losses to date.....

tim didn't play vs mexico

 

[bicycleheader]

He's saying all players of similar style and ability fall off the cliff at the same time in the same way. Do you really agree with that? There's no proof this happens whatsoever that I've ever seen.

He's also compared Howard to two of the best and most successful goalkeepers ever and suggested they're all finished yet one is at the biggest club in the Premiership and the other is playing for another European giant, not bad for players who are past it like Howard is it?

I would suggest his point is less broad, and more detailed, than your responses

 

[Stikapos]

After rewatching the LFC game and highlights from the CR game, I'll say that I was surprised that Timmy wasn't more aggressive for the ball at the LFC corner goal and despite having a terrible defense in front of him against Costa Rica, the ball was pretty much at him and he was on his heels again. Admittedly, I am no goalkeeper, but doesn't pure physics mandate that you keep your weight under you ? There are examples of older athletes everywhere, more so these days, but isn't the key simply that a) Timmy will be a rock star in the booth, b) he's not getting any younger and c) a transition plan must be undertaken someday (soon ?), so why not start now ? I would rather sell a stock early and lock in gains and fret later about lost gains rather than holding on longer and face potential losses, if that analogy makes any sense.

 

[Saint Domingo]

He's saying all players of similar style and ability fall off the cliff at the same time in the same way. Do you really agree with that? There's no proof this happens whatsoever that I've ever seen.

He's also compared Howard to two of the best and most successful goalkeepers ever and suggested they're all finished yet one is at the biggest club in the Premiership and the other is playing for another European giant, not bad for players who are past it like Howard is it?

Is that what I'm saying, or is that what you would like me to be saying to prove your point? Maybe take a re-read.

 

[Dithering Dougie]

Is that what I'm saying, or is that what you would like me to be saying to prove your point? Maybe take a re-read.

Reading your anti Everton posts once is usually quite enough thanks I'd rather not, it's clear by what you've said and implied in the past that you've no idea about goalkeepers let alone football as a sport.

Stick to your more general rhetoric of if Everton lose its Martinez/Howard/Barry/McCarthy to blame it saves you from the more subtle nuances of football in general.

 

[Saint Domingo]

Reading your anti Everton posts once is usually quite enough thanks I'd rather not, it's clear by what you've said and implied in the past that you've no idea about goalkeepers let alone football as a sport.

Stick to your more general rhetoric of if Everton lose its Martinez/Howard/Barry/McCarthy to blame it saves you from the more subtle nuances of football in general.

Ha ha mate you've been on one tonight.