Howard: relegation was never realistic

, 16 April, 72comments  |  Jump to most recent
Tim Howard says that talk of Everton being in danger of being relegated was "a bunch of garbage".

The American was similarly dismissive of the threat of the drop a few weeks ago and, now that the Blues are almost certainly safe he has reiterated his stance.

Asked if he thought relegation was an option for Roberto Martinez's side this season, Howard said: "I never felt that way. I tried to remind the other players that it was a bunch of garbage.

"For us that was never realistic."

Three wins in four games have proved the 36-year-old correct and he remains hopeful of a top-half finish.

"There's a few teams above us and we need them to drop points and we need to keep going," Howard continued. "We feel like we can do it."

He believes that the Blues' home support can help spur the team on that goal.

“That home support always helps us," Howard told evertonfc.com. "Being at home with the Goodison faithful and having them push us on and creating chaos for the other team is something we try to play on.

“We are focused only on our remaining games. We are working hard and we do feel like we are in a good run of form and we want to keep that up.

"The performances recently have been good, the work rate has been there and it has been nice to be back to our usual selves."

Quotes sourced from Daily Star



Reader Comments (72)

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Brian Cleveland
1 Posted 16/04/2015 at 07:04:21
ThereÂ’s a great difference between confidence and complacency...

Looks like when things were getting embarrassing they finally decided it was time to pull their fingers out and put in a bit of effort?

Stamp out the complacency, give others on the fringe a chance to show they are hungrier...

Peter McHugh
2 Posted 16/04/2015 at 07:15:57
Even Mr Positive stopped talking about 2nd half surge and instead talked about 40 points. Whilst it was unlikely, a relegation threat was well and truly there.
Jim Bennings
3 Posted 16/04/2015 at 07:14:54
Easy to say now, Tim, but you and the boys might just have started shitting yourselves had the likes of Burnley or one of the others put a mini run together when we were having our worst spell.

As it is, we have won a meagre 9 matches all season; teams have been relegated in the past with 9 wins, so you can see just how close really we have come to a potential disaster. We basically got off the hook because there are three sides just slightly worse than us.

This season can never be repeated again and we MUST hit the ground running in August with no more complaints. It's imperative that we learn how to win more football matches again and you would think that Everton Football Club desperately needs to do well in at least one, if not both the domestic Cup competitions next term.

We need to win back the fans and to generate some interest in this club once more, a trip to Wembley is a much needed boost for long suffering fans.

The Cups are something we simply have to take serious next season especially the League Cup which represents our best chance of silverware. For a club like ourselves who canÂ’t win the biggest competitions, the League Cup should be a priority.

Paul Tran
4 Posted 16/04/2015 at 07:35:46
It was bollocks, manufactured hysteria by people who were desperate to go way beyond the simple rational case for MartinezÂ’s dismissal. But hey, IÂ’m Â’deludedÂ’ arenÂ’t I? And slightly better off for putting my money where my mouth is.

DoesnÂ’t alter the fact that he needs replacing in the summer.

Eric Myles
5 Posted 16/04/2015 at 07:49:00
"I tried to remind the other players that it was a bunch of garbage."

So what youÂ’re saying Tim is that there were players that thought relegation looked a possibility.

How many? Your wording suggests all? Otherwise Â’some of the other playersÂ’ would have been more appropriate.

Ian Jones
6 Posted 16/04/2015 at 07:52:00
Whilst I couldnÂ’t see Everton getting relegated, the football being played was not pretty. As for comments about not being relegated because of there being 3 teams just slightly worse than us. A look at the table surely suggests there are currently more than 3 slightly worse than us.

As has been said by many on other threads, it will be interesting to see how we get on without the Europa League next season.

Personally I would prefer to be in Europe every year as it means the team have been Â’successfulÂ’ either through league position or winning a cup etc.

Jim Bennings
7 Posted 16/04/2015 at 08:03:26
ItÂ’s really hard to go into next season with any kind of optimism and I think it would take a few top quality "proven finished article" signings for me to believe I will see much different next time around from the dross witnessed this season.

The scary thought is that Martinez could quite easily still go with same same dire static midfield combinations he has stuck with all season; would it surprise anyone if we start the new season at home to West Brom or Bournemouth with two defensive holding midfielders? It will be the same tried and tested failures and the same failed formation that never looks likely to produce a team fluent in attack.

If somebody offered me a top 8 or 9 finish with finally winning a trophy, then IÂ’d snap their hand off right now. ThereÂ’s no way we can challenge the top four again without spending considerable money on proven match-winning talents, we donÂ’t need another season where all we hear is "it will take time for him to bed in or acclimatize to the league". We heard that all season with Atsu.
The reality is we donÂ’t have time and Martinez certainly doesnÂ’t have it, we need to be MUCH BETTER next season.

Mark Andersson
8 Posted 16/04/2015 at 08:14:04
Oh dear, Timmy, you have just started another debate; some might echo your words, not many.

I think it proved that too many of the senior players where sulking, because of the guy in charge. So nothing has changed – Martinez is still calling the shots but the players have reminded him they play for themselves.

I have no respect for this bunch as itÂ’s clear they donÂ’t have any respect for us, the fans. Without us there is no Everton FC.

Phil Sammon
9 Posted 16/04/2015 at 08:35:14
I feel like Howard, just like Martinez, has refused to accept how bad we have been this season. ItÂ’s as if heÂ’s having a go at the fans for airing their (rightful) disgruntlement.

ItÂ’s so hard to dream of improvement when people at the club seemingly have no problem with the status quo.

Trevor Peers
10 Posted 16/04/2015 at 08:26:17
Howard was brave or stupid enough to come out and say relegation was never on at a crucial time of the season. HeÂ’s been proved right; personally, I think he showed some balls when others were saying nothing. Indeed BK still hasnÂ’t commented on our appalling season.

The only way it will improve is now in Roberto's hands: the summer signings will determine next seasonÂ’s fortunes. WeÂ’ll see if heÂ’s up to the job.

Andy Meighan
11 Posted 16/04/2015 at 08:47:47
Funny how he never came out with that line in December and early January when we really were struggling.

The whole season has been a complete and utter mess – apart from a couple of performances in the Europa League, this shower have give us nothing to shout about. The only Premier League game that’s thrilled me was the derby at Anfield. The performance was shit but obviously the injury time equaliser made it feel like it was a win. That apart, I’ve been totally underwhelmed by every single league performance.

And someone needs to tell this arrogant git Howard we still haven’t got 40 points and it's the middle of April. In every single interview these players give not one of them have the decency to apologise for the shambles this season. It’s all about themselves – never a mention of us mugs who pay for the privilege of watching it every week.

James Marshall
12 Posted 16/04/2015 at 08:56:41
I agree with him entirely – the fanbase on here freaked out in its usual knee-jerk fashion about nothing. It was never going to happen. Never.
James Marshall
13 Posted 16/04/2015 at 08:57:51
"Indeed BK still hasn't commented on our appalling season."

Why would he and why should he? What is this weird obsession with Everton supporters on here needing to hear BK speak all the time? What difference would it make to anything? On any subject?

Pointless waffle from Uncle Bill wonÂ’t make you feel any different about this season, the manager, the players or the club.

I donÂ’t get it. ItÂ’s pretty rare for board members to say anything at any club, and when they do itÂ’s usually to either promote or sack a manager, and thatÂ’s about the only time you hear from them. I wish people would drop it.

Eddie Dunn
14 Posted 16/04/2015 at 09:01:35
What Tim has showed with these comments, and his improvement in form, is that the team were suffering from complacency. They have often found it easier to get up for a big game, but not for a game that they really should win.

I think the threat of being sucked-in to a scrap at the bottom refocussed the team into trying harder. He may well have thought we would never go down, but he wouldnÂ’t be the first player in that situation to learn the hard way.

Patrick Murphy
15 Posted 16/04/2015 at 09:00:41
James,

ItÂ’s very easy to say it was never going to happen; it was perhaps unlikely but it wasnÂ’t a foregone conclusion that we would get the necessary points from the last 10 matches. The three wins on the trot were very welcome but before those games many fans couldnÂ’t see where our next point was coming from.

BTW, we still havenÂ’t reached the magic 40 points mark despite taking over a quarter of our seasonÂ’s points tally in those previous four matches. Technically we are still not assured of our PL status although even I will admit that we are safe.

Trevor Peers
16 Posted 16/04/2015 at 09:02:45
James, we were in a crisis situation and personally I expect leadership there was none... just silence... shhhhh.
Tony Hill
17 Posted 16/04/2015 at 09:04:04
Of course it was a serious threat. We were appalling from December onwards and it was clear that the players had also lost faith. The WBA game was the nadir and we were mighty fortunate to get the crucial away win at Palace.

To say that those who worried about relegation were foolish is to view the position with complacent hindsight. I accept entirely that people here said we could never be relegated but that could only ever have been mere opinion when we were playing so dreadfully and looked capable of losing to anyone.

Things have – just – turned out okay because the players, despite Howard’s words, realised they were heading over the cliff. It may very well have turned out differently and the risk was obvious.

Jim Bennings
18 Posted 16/04/2015 at 09:15:36
Knee-jerk reaction despite falling from 5th to even discussing the subject of relegation inside less than 12 months?? No other club's fans like Spurs or Liverpool would accept such mediocrity and itÂ’s that kind of "anything will do" attitude which keeps Kenwright and his buffoons at this club.

A club that has become ingrained in heroic failure and deems near misses and "oh we nearly did itÂ’s" as success. Until Everton Football Club changes the mentality and learns how to "win at all costs" then it will continue to hit the buffers.

Same next season, I donÂ’t want to hear of distractions or excuses preventing our league form being good, we can quite easily go all out to win the League Cup (you only play two rounds before the end of October) and still perform to a high standard in the Premier League.

No more excuses for shite Everton and no more excuses for sitting through months and months of no entertainment. The lack of entertainment and atmosphere at this club over the last 8 months has been "phenomenal".

James Marshall
19 Posted 16/04/2015 at 09:28:05
Rubbish, we were never really getting relegated. We flirted with it briefly but in reality it was never (and won’t ever) going to happen. People on here spent weeks going nuts about it, but personally I never felt the threat as we were always going to come good – and we have, yet here we are still debating it. Errr......

It’s about time some people on TW started backing the players, and stopped constantly giving them a hard time when they speak – or giving people at the club a hard time when they don’t speak.

You canÂ’t have it both ways. Damned if they do, damned if they donÂ’t.

Trevor Peers
20 Posted 16/04/2015 at 09:35:40
It was only the change in tactics brought on by a mutiny amongst the senior players and the crowd reaction that saved us from relegation. ThatÂ’s how close we came; to suggest otherwise is childish.
Richard Reeves
21 Posted 16/04/2015 at 09:43:16
Never realistic? Hmmm.... Tell that to my pacemaker and my completely sealed butthole!
James Marshall
22 Posted 16/04/2015 at 09:49:05
WeÂ’ve been playing the same way, apart from the Newcastle (I think) game when things got nasty at GP. Apart from that, I havenÂ’t seen much tactical change at all, we just play a bit quicker again.

ItÂ’s not childish, itÂ’s about points, and weÂ’re not going to get relegated as I said all along (with a small band of others).

We didnÂ’t come Â’closeÂ’ to it, the season isnÂ’t over and 40 points wonÂ’t be needed IMO anyway. It was always a non-issue to my mind.

Trevor Peers
23 Posted 16/04/2015 at 09:56:22
Even MotD pundits recognize our change in tactics. Captain Phil did an in depth analysis into were we had gone wrong this season.

Some people are incurable optimists, most of us prefer to live in the real world, James. ItÂ’s a forum; your entitled to your view.

Shane Corcoran
24 Posted 16/04/2015 at 10:31:20
What does "it was never going to happen" mean? Had we gotten what we deserved against QPR, would this line still apply?

Maybe Tim spilled some of his blue blood he was going on about and foresaw the future and decided to under-perform in the knowledge that everything was going to work out.

Dave Abrahams
25 Posted 16/04/2015 at 10:36:26
Relegation was always possible with Howard in goal. The team won three matches against very poor opposition and are not playing much better now than they were earlier in the season. They will continue to struggle with this manager and his tactics(?) – nothing will change, the team will still bore us to tears for the rest of the season.
Paul Burns
26 Posted 16/04/2015 at 10:54:32
Everton are garbage, everything about the club stinks and now the malaise has spread to so-called supporters who settle for the unprofessional rubbish we endured this season and deem any complaints as "knee-jerk", whatever thatÂ’s supposed to mean.
Everton fans were famous for being fanatical, even the great Harry Catterick was attacked for dropping Alex Young.
>Once the supporters of this club start accepting the bullshit and inertia that is killing Everton as the way it should be, we are well and truly finished and, reading some of the posts on here, we arenÂ’t that far away.

Heartbreaking!

Denis Richardson
27 Posted 16/04/2015 at 10:19:29
People saying that fans were ’freaking out’ or ’going nuts’ at the relegation possibility are exaggerating. Many people were extremely concerned that our FORM was that of a relegation team and that, should it carry on, we would 100% go down. However, we were provided some insurance by the fact that at least 3 teams were worse than us – scant comfort.

For Howard to say they were never concerned at all I find a bit strange. ThereÂ’s having belief in yourself but when youÂ’re just 4 points off the drop zone well into the second half of the season and one of the worst form teams then I would hope players were VERY concerned, inwardly if not publicly. Luckily we had a gimme game at home to Newcastle in March to take the pressure off.

People now saying it was never in doubt have very short memories. Between end of Nov and until before the Newcastle game in mid March (3.5 months later) our league record read:

P16 W2 D5 L9(!)

11 points from a possible 48, that is about as bad as it gets and if that happened to be the first 16 games of the season IÂ’m pretty sure Martinez would have been long gone by now. Averaging much less than a point a game for almost half the season!

’We feel like we can do it’ – whoopdey-fucking-do, a possible 10th place to aim for IF we win most of our remaining games. Had he come out and said "Relegation was not an issue BUT we’re very disappointed with how the season has gone," then I might have some sympathy but just to grumpily dismiss the notion as though the fans were overreacting, whilst not recognising how utterly fucking shite this season has been, is really annoying.

If he thinks that possibly scraping 10th is somehow an okay result then he really is deluded. The guy is so full of himself and has nothing but contempt for the fans. I canÂ’t wait until heÂ’s gone, along with the manager.

Winston Williamson
28 Posted 16/04/2015 at 11:00:22
It was said at the time by a number of people on here. The very fact that the words Â’EvertonÂ’ and Â’relegationÂ’ were, even remotely, mentioned in the same sentence is disgraceful. Shameful.

The attitude of Tim I-was-never-worried Howard is shameful when compared to Big NevÂ’s coming out at half-time to sit in his goal because his personal high standards were not being met.

How’s this for you Tim? We are a top 6 team. If we are NOT in the top 6 – be worried!! Not about relegation, but about not being in the bloody top 6!! Do you not have high standards? Or is plucky little Everton lucky to have you? Lucky to make the top half of the league?

Pathetic attitude! If he does not deserve to lose his place for a pathetic performance this season, he does for his attitude!

Andrew Ellams
29 Posted 16/04/2015 at 11:20:31
At one point, we were getting to the relegation zone after every game and didnÂ’t look as though we could beat anybody. How close did we actually have to get before it became a realistic proposition?
James Kirrane
30 Posted 16/04/2015 at 11:21:28
’A bunch of garbage’ — that nicely sums up a lot of Tim’s performances this season.
Eddie Dunn
31 Posted 16/04/2015 at 11:20:00
I think Tim is irritated by the carping, which has obviously reached his ears. In the warm-up at Swansea, he was very concentrated, and did a very thorough job, but no interaction with the fans, and at the end of the game, he walked towards the halfway line and clapped in a half-hearted manner as he walked off.

Seems to me the sensitive Mr Howard is sulking – how dare we criticise the National Hero of the USA??? He believes the hype; we mugs need to shut it... what do we know?

Laurie Hartley
32 Posted 16/04/2015 at 11:27:55
Now that I know we were never really in danger of being relegated I have decided that I will never let myself get so anxious about our great football club again. I will just press this button.

Make Everything OK.

Eddie Dunn
33 Posted 16/04/2015 at 12:04:28
Thanks Laurie! Phew!
Harold Matthews
34 Posted 16/04/2015 at 10:14:41
I was okay till the Stoke game when they strolled through us like Real Madrid. That day, it was hard to think of a worse team in the league.

Beating Newcastle was easy because they didnÂ’t turn up but West Ham ran all over us and should have scored four or five. Not a happy few weeks but we stumbled through with defensive heroics against the Saints and a decent performance at Swansea where we even managed to pass the ball around in the final third. Okay, Lukaku and Naismith werenÂ’t playing which helped us keep possession but their ability to score goals is always missed.

Some people thought we might drop into the bottom three. Some didnÂ’t. It doesnÂ’t really matter. We seem to be back on the right track and the future could be very interesting. Roll on.

Jay Wood
35 Posted 16/04/2015 at 12:18:12
EXCELLENT Laurie!

YouÂ’ve put a huge grin on my face for the rest of the day!

Tony J Williams
36 Posted 16/04/2015 at 12:29:15
ItÂ’s all very easy saying it was never going to happen, now we have gained 10 points out of the last 4 games.

I was one who put a brave face on it in work saying, "We wonÂ’t go down, donÂ’t worry," but inside I was thinking, "Shit! We actually could because we are absolutely gash!"

Suggesting that it was a knee-jerk reaction with stats shown above is "rubbish". We were dire for months, the Newcastle game was the first win at Goodison in three months... how is that now considered relegation form?

Luckily we have picked up seemingly enough points, as the ones below us in the relegation zone are starting to get results now too.

Ajay Gopal
37 Posted 16/04/2015 at 12:52:32
Along with the points, I look at the goal difference as an indicator of how good or bad the team is playing. At the end of the Stoke game, I think we were at -8, and I was getting worried. Usually the teams that get relegated end up with -20 and worse. But, we have clawed back the GD to -3 now.

Given the way this season has gone, I will be okay if we finish with a positive GD. Very disappointing overall, but there is always the promise of a new season!

Phil Sammon
38 Posted 16/04/2015 at 13:52:27
Lately I seem to come on here and do nothing but slag off the manager or certain players and IÂ’m actually starting to annoy myself. I never used to be like this. In fact, it drove me mad to see other Â’supportersÂ’ do anything but support the team.

I honestly think a poor season is forgiveable. It has happened to some of the best managers and some of the best players the world has ever seen. At the end of it all, it looks like we might just scrape by without any serious long-term damage to the club.

The thing that grates on me... the thing that keeps dragging me to my keyboard in anger, is that STILL the manager, the players have not come out and held their hands up and said ’sorry’. Worse, they seem completely satisfied with performances and, indeed, Tim here seems bewildered that any fan might raise concern about the shit show we’ve endured – and paid to endure – this season.

I think these comments would be bad enough coming from a player who had performed well this season, but Howard has been one of the worst offenders up until late.

IÂ’m sorry, Tim, but the fans make this club and the moment you show contempt for them, I think itÂ’s time you leave.

Dan Parker
39 Posted 16/04/2015 at 14:13:37
In the same week, Baines stated that Lennon shocked them all into working harder. Sounds like complacency is rife.
Dave Lynch
40 Posted 16/04/2015 at 14:14:04
WOW!

A top half finish! How lucky are we to have such optimism in the team?

Disaster of a season if you ask me...

David Hallwood
41 Posted 16/04/2015 at 14:15:31
Relegation was Â’a bunch of garbageÂ’ is it? Well, IÂ’ll quote another American, Bill Clinton - Â’ArithmeticÂ’, and until a team reaches a point were itÂ’s arithmetically impossible to be relegated, then relegation is possible.

However, it confirms the body language of the side this season that screamed Â’complacentÂ’.

Bill Gall
42 Posted 16/04/2015 at 14:20:52
Did not the manager admit that we were in a relegation battle at one time, and another of his comments were all the remaining games were cup finals? Just happy that at some time someone in the club started to get nervous... But then, as you are an automatic choice, why should you worry?
Ben Dyke
43 Posted 16/04/2015 at 14:28:18
Anyone for Klopp?
Patrick Murphy
44 Posted 16/04/2015 at 14:28:20
I have to agree with Sam, that the disconnect between the players and the supporters would appear to be as wide as it's ever been in the modern era. In the past, we would be happy in the knowledge that the players were giving their maximum effort for the fans – even if the performances weren’t always top notch.

Perhaps they took offence with the minority who booed them during the latter stages of the QPR home game and lost their desire to play for the supporters. But they need to be reminded that they always play for the fans whether that be 400 or 40,000 in the ground, in whatever game they play, at whatever level.

Supporters are a constant, even in modern football; players and coaches are temporary and they should give everything to retain their privileged positions.

James Martin
45 Posted 16/04/2015 at 14:47:01
HowardÂ’s a clown. ItÂ’s exactly this sort of complacency which is the reason heÂ’s not a top keeper and wonÂ’t move on from a club that he knows will guarantee him a starting spot every season. Good teams start from the back and ours is built on sand sadly. We wonÂ’t win anything ever with Howard in goal.
Colin Glassar
46 Posted 16/04/2015 at 15:11:02
I have to agree with the last few comments, Howard is a clown and a disgrace for saying this but IÂ’ve been saying this for a while now: most of our senior players have let everyone down at the club this season with their shit-poor, "DonÂ’t give a fuck" attitude. They should be ashamed of themselves. No wonder Lennon embarrasses them with his effort.
James Martin
47 Posted 16/04/2015 at 15:38:15
Highlights the problems with the current team.

On most recent Everton squads, you had at least one player who knew exactly what it meant to play for Everton. That even if weÂ’re not at the top, weÂ’ll never just settle for mediocrity. Sadly the likes of Ferguson, Carsley, even Cahill are now gone and weÂ’re left with a dressing room who are shocked that the fans arenÂ’t slapping them on the back for merely avoiding relegation.

I feel mentality-wise we are as far away from winning anything as ever.

James Stewart
48 Posted 16/04/2015 at 16:14:20
I cannot wait for Howard to leave. I've not disliked an Everton player as much since Phil Neville.
Gavin Johnson
49 Posted 16/04/2015 at 16:26:26
Howard exudes arrogance and should be banned from giving interviews on football. He just comes across like a complacent know-it-all who has contempt for anyone who dares to question his capabilities. He should stick to beards and PETA and leave opinions on football-related matters to players who have more ability and passion for the game.
Eric Myles
50 Posted 16/04/2015 at 16:35:43
James (#47), but Ferguson is on the bench every game and trains them every day... I would have thought heÂ’d have put them straight and left some boot marks on a few arses by now.
Ray Roche
51 Posted 16/04/2015 at 17:13:49
"Relegation was never realistic"

Bloody Hell, Tim, why didnÂ’t you tell us sooner? Half of us have been bricking ourselves... it would have saved all that angst.

Darren Hind
52 Posted 16/04/2015 at 16:57:29
Perhaps he might want to explain why Martinez was "treating every game as a cup final" and rallying his troops with cries to get to 40 points.

We were never amongst the favourites to drop. If it wasn't for "Spoonfeet" himself, we would probably have never been amongst the candidates.

Cheeky bastard!

Paul Hewitt
53 Posted 16/04/2015 at 17:35:56
"Never in any danger" what rubbish take away the last four results and we were very much in a relegation scrap.
Steven Telford
54 Posted 16/04/2015 at 17:58:16
In his next lecture, professor Howard is going to explain how he knew all along that the Titanic WAS actually quite likely to sink.

Brave words... if they were made a couple of months ago.

Dave Abrahams
55 Posted 16/04/2015 at 18:03:42
I never stay for the "Lap of Honour" (?) at the last home game of the season, well unless they win something, IÂ’ll stay this year if they give each of us a large bag of rotten tomatoes to aim at these overpaid and overrated players; they are past a joke now.
Steve Woods
56 Posted 16/04/2015 at 18:10:04
"Never in any danger". Just cast your minds back to the lucky win against QPR at Goodison; we were (luckily) leading but the boos were ringing out for the performance (during) the match. Then our fortunate win against them just last month away, stealing the points after yet another appalling performance. That could and should have been another 6 points dropped leaving us on currently on 32.

Jim Hardin
57 Posted 16/04/2015 at 18:26:48
Ray, if Howard had felt the need to say anything earlier none of the usual suspects on here would have believed him anyway. Just look at what happened when he said his comments about two back-to-back wins and Everton would be back up there. He was blasted by some on this site.

Maybe he didnÂ’t say anything because he doesnÂ’t read the comments on this site or because the players who have had experience in the league didnÂ’t feel relegation was an issue and had more faith in the team than we as fans did and still do. A manager addressing the issue is different due to being the face of the team and having to deal with what fans think.

.

Ross Edwards
58 Posted 16/04/2015 at 18:42:24
Just shows how complacent the players have been this season. And Martinez. They clearly wonÂ’t learn from this.

7 or 8 weeks ago, we had a real chance of relegation. Howard has been a liability this season and has come across as very arrogant in interviews ever since the World Cup.

The players, management and the board are clearly viewing this season as some kind of blip. These stupid, rash and complacent comments prove that.

Ross Edwards
59 Posted 16/04/2015 at 18:51:26
James Marshall, I suppose we were fortunate that none of the teams below us went on a run during our poor form because if they had we would have been in huge trouble. So in that regard you are correct.
Patrick Murphy
60 Posted 16/04/2015 at 18:59:20
Jim,

What youÂ’re saying is that, because the manager and players are paid professionals, they know far more than the average supporter. If that was the case, they would have reverted to stopping our opponents from creating and taking chances a lot earlier in the season and regrouped from there.

However, it took them 28 games to realise that what they were producing was failing to add to the points tally quickly enough and they were winning very few games in the process.

Part of that Â’complacencyÂ’ is a direct result of the manager imbuing them with false ideas about how they were performing when he should have been urging them to work harder. He was (publicly at least) praising them; he is still praising them for their performances from the last four league games. I will admit they dug out results in the last four matches but the football on show for most of those games wasnÂ’t in the least pretty, but I accept that needs must on occasion.

But it is not how I want Everton to play in the remainder of this season and, unless absolutely necessary, not how I want to see Everton play next season. The only game where I wish we had adopted a similar mentality, but didnÂ’t, was away to Kiev and if we had, we could have been enjoying an exciting European night at Goodison later on this evening.

Ian Brandes
61 Posted 16/04/2015 at 19:23:01
All I will say is that delusions must be catching. Our phenomenal manager is infecting the whole team!

Philip Roberts
62 Posted 16/04/2015 at 19:50:02
The fact is that, with 6 games still to play, we are still not mathematically safe from relegation. That in itself is a fucking disgrace,whatever Timmy the tosser thinks.
Michael Winstanley
63 Posted 16/04/2015 at 19:08:52
I really donÂ’t like Howard. HeÂ’s a serial bottler who should be shown the door at the end of the season but, given his uber contract, I doubt heÂ’ll be heading for the exit any time soon.

I dislike his arrogance.

Jon Cox
64 Posted 16/04/2015 at 20:43:53
Ben 43,

Anyone for Klopp?

Mate, the meeja wont allow it!!!

Steve Bell
65 Posted 16/04/2015 at 22:54:55
What an insufferable arrogant comment by Howard, and what an insufferable arrogant bore he is.
Minik Hansen
66 Posted 17/04/2015 at 00:07:31
Players who havenÂ’t been hungry enough this season will be shipped out, those who believe in season 2015-16 will stay and the club will act on our form in 2014-15 by spending big. If not, I wonÂ’t know what to say, but I believe our club will act this summer.
Andy Crooks
67 Posted 17/04/2015 at 00:30:11
Silly comments from the goalkeeper. This is the first season since I have supported Everton when I have thought we have more points than we deserve.

Since Christmas I believe we have been the worst team in the Premier League. We have had a few very lucky wins and still look really poor. If I supported Burnley, QPR, Leicester, maybe not Hull, I would be thinking that we are as good as Everton.

Christopher Kelly
68 Posted 17/04/2015 at 05:37:55
Phil Sammon and James Martin as usual on point.

I donÂ’t care what anyone says, we were the worst team in the league for over a month and that is way too long for a team such as ours.

As others have noted, sadly I donÂ’t remember us having as dislikeable a team as we do now. Besides Baines and maybe Jags (probably Naisy) I canÂ’t think of another player whoÂ’d actually "run through a wall" for our crest. We desperately need a new Cahill to come through those doors.

Andrew Laird
69 Posted 17/04/2015 at 07:27:11
If only captain Teflon was as confident in his own area, relegation would never have been an issue.
Eddie Dunn
70 Posted 17/04/2015 at 10:16:47
Tim Howard likes attention, that is why he persists in wearing that silly beard. He also sports intricate tattoos all over his torso, and has posed for the cover of an American magazine, showing it all off. Tim is a national hero in the States, unusual for someone who is not a "winner". He really does think that he is a lot better than he really is. His comments are unwelcome to most of us, who have witnessed his buffoonery in goal in the last couple of years.

The growing intolerance of fans toward footballers was summed-up on TalkSport’s Colin Murray show the other day, when a Sunderland fan phoned in to say that he was fed-up with his club. He explained that to go to a game there with his son, would cost him £100, with a programme and a drink etc. He said that he could therefore only afford to go to the odd match, but when he went he was much more likely to feel let down by his team, as it was such a lot of money to waste if they played badly.

We all know the ridiculous earnings of these stars, and we are less tolerant of them if they fail, but ever more so if they donÂ’t try hard enough. With the incredible money coming from the TV deal, clubs should bring down ticket prices, and reduce the amount of season tickets to give those less well-off a chance to attend games. Everyone in the ground would be happier, and more tolerant towards the team.

Anto Byrne
71 Posted 17/04/2015 at 14:34:50
I knew they wouldnÂ’t get relegated. I put a grand on them at 500-1 to go down last August it was better odds than winning the thing. It was a win-win situation for me.

I did once win an argument with the wife but it came at great cost, no sex for weeks. Still, scoring a goal in a Sunday league game can be orgasmic.

Tony Cheek
72 Posted 18/04/2015 at 07:52:22
I agree fully, James (#45). Howard has frustrated me for years. Quite a few years ago. I wrote on here that there were two reasons we would never win anything. One was Moyes, the other was Howard. Well, Moyes left but we are still stuck with this clown.

The thought of going into yet another season with him as first choice keeper is very depressing. Must be a nightmare for our defenders to know Howard is probably going to be there for some time yet!


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