Martinez adamant that Howard will return to face Sunderland

Stop playing favourites and select your form players Roberto! It's not rocket science!!

Does he give a shit what we think?

Obviously not but ultimately it's your job on the line Roberto.

If a player ever merited a bit of a run in the side it is Robles even though he may fall short of what we should be aiming for he deserves a chance.

I can't believe that the media are only talking about the Arsenal mistakes. He is consistently derailing this team and has been since he's been here, the last two years it's almost beyond belief.

Other Everton keepers have been poor in the past, but I can't think of any other that has been so bad for so long. Martinez sanctioned a ridiculous contract, thinks he's fit for purpose and won't allow anyone else to compete with him for the jersey despite continuous horror shows. He's being negligent and it should contribute to him losing his job.

I still can not defend dropping Robles after that performance, but to be honest, this is a repeat of last season all over again, but this time fans will NOT be in a forgiving mood if we lose against Sunderland because of another poor Howard display.

The board must be aware of the growing dissatisfaction amongst the supporters, if not, they should be. It’s their job to look after the interests of the club and if the manager is showing quite blatantly that he is unable or unwilling to select in-form players as opposed to those who have become a liability, they should act to end that manager’s tenure at the club.

Robles and Funes Mori were superb last night, the rest appeared devoid of ideas or instructions from the manager. If he seriously thinks we can win this competition he MUST play his strongest team in every match. How he expected to make eight changes and get a cohesive team display from his team, God only knows!

We have a manager who doesn’t know his best eleven but plays his favourites no matter how bad they are doing. The sooner he’s gone, the better!!!

The pressure is back and Martinez is back to spouting rubbish! Your keeper won the game for you, idiot!!
Get shot of this corrosive, divisive day-dreamer who likes the sound of his own voice too much!

Relegation — I keep saying it.

Robles deserves a chance. If we had a strong-minded manager instead of Mr Phenomenal, he would be playing. All he does is play his favourites, no matter what. If I was Robles, I would fuck off. And take the clown Martinez as well and get a manager in who can make tough decisions and not just play his favourites.

MARTINEZ OUT!!!

Howard hasn’t been the same since he got all that adulation after the World Cup and Joel deserves his chance. I think he’s improved after a shaky start at Everton and he was decent last night.

The save he made near the end of normal time was outstanding. From where I was sat it looked as if the ball was past him and he had to reach back to claw it out. He wasn’t afraid to give a few of those in front of him a rollocking at times either.

’To lose one goal to a six yard header may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose two looks like carelessness’.

Now that’s not even taking into account the Liverpool debacle. I think Martinez must have his head in his hands praying for the keeper who was keeper of the tournament in Brazil to turn up. Maybe he will show up again, who knows, but this all boils down to offering him what I expect is a big money contract until 2019 (is that really true.....?!). If so, it's complete mismanagement.

Didn’t see the match last night but sounds like we were dire; if we draw someone with form and ambition, they will knock us out with little effort in the next round.

HK proved he could be a nice guy and ruthless when it came to making decisions. I've always been a RM fan, but not after this.

Baines will probably walk straight back in as well.

It sounds like Martinez isn't prepared to drop Howard because of his influence in the squad. It's this type of thing which will mean Martinez will never make it as a top manager.

But the other side of that is Joel's thoughts. I'd be thinking that if he's this desperate to get an old bloke in form then he clearly doesn't think I'll ever be anything more than backup.

Basically, we still need a new keeper.

Robles was outstanding last night, not only the saves but the way he commanded the area both with the ball in the air and on the ground. Decision-making was excellent and let’s not forget he put Lukaku through twice from long-range kicks.

Robles probably knows he is always going to be second place but sooner or later someone will come in and offer him first team matches and we will be back to square one. I have always said we would have been in fourth spot 2 years back with a decent keeper and we would have won the derby and got a result against Man City and Arsenal with a top keeper.

It has to change soon

The sooner Martinez wakes up to reality, the better.

We as a club can’t afford to play a game of chance. It’s too important to fuck about with the lives of players and fans. Martinez is a pudding. Don’t understand this clown any more.

If we had a decent back-up I would put him in. But Robles doesn’t inspire confidence, doesn’t control his defence, and I think the defenders would prefer to have Howard behind them

The manager needs to be careful now... You can’t spin shit football or think the fans are uneducated about football! This has been going on for over 12 months and no more excuses. He used the Europa League last season but can't now! I felt sorry for Norwich last night, they were mugged and the police should have been called!

Robles should put a transfer request in. If he can’t get in with Howard’s form, time to go! However, Howard’s form is a smoke screen, the team overall is not playing well. Our style of football is killing us and the manager does not see the problem!

My question to you all is how the bloody hell did he get the job at Everton after his record at Wigan?

Another meaningless statement.

Fact is that, even if Howard does pick up his form, he is pretty old now and has one or maybe two seasons (hopefully not) left in him in top flight. Surely Robles needs bedding in and what better opportunity than after a heroic performance and the No 1 in a shaky patch....

For me we just need a goalie that commands his area, 6-yard box and beyond, etc.

He has a nucleus of senior players who are undroppable, no matter how bad their form is. Worst of all, there’s little chance of any change unless we drop into the bottom six.

Robles may not be the ideal long term solution, but he should be given a few games to at least give Tim time to reflect and perhaps go away and grow a pair.

Ultimately, that number one spot must be on the shopping list for January or at the very very latest, in the summer.

Ospina's price must have dropped since his clanger. Still a massive improvement on what we've got.

So why on earth is Martinez deciding not to play him when we clearly have keeper issues? One side of the coin is Howard's confidence but he's old anyway and will soon leave. Not rewarding Robles will eventually drive him elsewhere to look for game time and who can blame him so we will need two keepers and not one.

I like Martinez but this favourites business needs to stop, Kone, Naismith, Howard and possibly Barry (I still haven't made my mind up as sometimes he turns up and sometimes he doesn't). Seems a poor management skill that you would have thought at this level would have been ironed out or questioned by assistant managers.

Even if a confidence vote made Tim Howard 10 feet tall, I still wouldn’t trust him on any balls in the 6-yard box.

It’s obvious Martinez caters to his favourites and big names. Last season, we won at Wolfsburg with Tony Hibbert right back and Luke Garbutt left back; he then drops them at Tottenham on the Sunday and we lost that match..

He doesn’t reward good performances. How is any player going to build confidence?

Considering we also seem to have lost all 4 of our first team defensive unit, that’s not too bad

From a playing point of view, I would love to see Everton players doing the basic things right. They don’t. It seems to be a collective thing. Apologies to players who have done okay. We can blame managers all day long for tactics and confusing players but, at some stage, players have to step up and realise that they have to make an effort too to pass to a player in the same-coloured shirt or close enough! Football is also about confidence.

Many also were prepared to give Martinez the first 10 games. Now that we have got those out of the way, we now have what we loosely thought are or were winnable games against lesser teams. So one of those will be against West Ham who so far have beaten Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City amongst many wins. Hmmm... Well, we will beat them. Lukaku will score.

Howard has made some great saves this season and kept us in matches. However, as we all know. He is rubbish on crosses and hasn’t helped the cause.

Interesting times ahead.

No doubt. He must have a great deal of influence over you, because there's no way he would be picked based on form.

Robles should start; Barry should be given the armband for the time being.

And I wonder what tactic Big Fat Sam is practicing this morning in training?

Howard will no doubt be targeted on Sunday, where we can prepare for aerial bombardment and more of Howard diving in with his feet.

If Howard does love the club as he says he does; he should asked to be removed until he regains some confidence; but that would never happen.

This is about Everton achieving success — not keeping Tim Howard happy.

That Howard’s patent weaknesses in a key aspect of his role, namely the ability to deal with cross balls into his 6-yard box, have been allowed to go on unresolved for so long is a disgrace on all concerned. Robles is by no means a Neville Southall, at least not yet, but from all reports last night he equipped himself very well, and certainly in the last run he had in the team, he showed all the signs of growing into the role.

Depending of course on his own personal situation etc, it would perhaps bring a number of issues to a head if he were to ask to be transferred from a situation which for any working person must be intolerable. I shudder to think what must be running through his mind when, week after week, he sees a guy with such obvious weaknesses being exposed on such a regular basis at great cost to the team and not being given a chance to show what he can do.

After all, what is the point of having a second goalkeeper in the first place? There are only two reasons. One in case of injury and two in case of poor or abject performance levels. How Martinez can possibly justify tolerating the second of these for so long in the case of Howard would certainly justify Robles in telling his manager just how incompetent and unjust he appears to be.

In such a "public" performance business, there is no hiding one's performance, and the paying customer has few outlets available to vent their displeasure etc at totally unacceptable performances. Does Mr Martinez really not see that it could be bordering on the cruel to expose Howard to the inevitable wrath of the crowd should he continue to produce such inept performances?

According to his manager, Howard has "such incredible high standards". If so, perhaps Howard himself should acknowledge that he is so far removed from the heights of those standards that he should be asking his manager to relieve him of his place until he regains those "high standards". Otherwise I am afraid he may test the patience of even the most loyal supporters to such an extent that it proves unpleasant and sadly unnecessary for all concerned, not least himself.

But it is the manager who is ultimately responsible and it is he who must be held to account.

You can’t deny Martinez’s point.

I didn’t want him in the first place; he’s a failure who admitted he wasn’t the man to bring Wigan back into the Premier League – that says it all.

Thanks but no thanks; go and go now.

I thought Robles had a good game yet Dracula is straight back in the team. (Sorry, I know it's old, but very apt.)

Incidentally, I'd make Stones the captain, Barry will not change the way he plays whether he has the armband or not, with a younger player like Stones, it could inspire him to play a bigger leadership role.

As such, they became undroppable.

There seem to be certain expectations regarding selection at Everton, and the selection of the established pros as long as they are fit is one of them. When Distin was left out, it was clear his number was up. Why? Who knows, but we all knew he wasn’t getting another contract.

I’m guessing the manager makes assurances to players, which, if broken, would make his life very difficult if not impossible. If he drops Howard because Robles has a good game in the League Cup, then would Jagielka etc... start looking at offers from other clubs in a different light.

As for Howard, I don’t buy into all the "he’s terrible" stuff. He’s a good but not great keeper. Barring signing a real talent (last seen in Martyn’s stint), then we’d end up with someone the same or worse. The grass is always greener etc...

Ernie 22 - TH is 36 years old and knows he has zero competition. Whatever Martinez says in public is not going to make any difference - the guy knows he’s undroppable. Bigging up of confidence is a bit irrelevant when he’s going to be picked regardless of a) how badly he plays or b) or well the reserve ’keeper plays. Also a ’keeper with a crisis of confidence should be given a one way ticket to the bench.

Have said it many times but I still find it baffling that we gave a 34-year-old keeper a 5-year contract – did we really plan on him still being No 1 when he’s 38 or 39 years old? For whatever reason, the manager seems to think Howard is his best option (better than signing someone else) so we’re stuck with him between the sticks.

In fact, if everyone is fit, the same 9 names would make every starting line-up regardless of form or who the opposition are. The only real competition we have for places are for the 2 wide AM spots. Only injury makes RM pick anyone else in the back 5, CDM or striker spots.

Sunderland will load our penalty area this weekend so prepare for much of the same.

But clearly Rubbertoe has his favourites, and he isn’t willing to sacrifice them for the inform player. Howard (or Superglue as I call him) will always be number one, even if he had one leg and one arm.

If winning something this season and ending our long wait for a trophy meant that Roberto got another contract, then I would rather we didn’t win anything.

I can list world class saves that Neville Southall made now, 30 years after he was making them. I can list games Howard has cost us by being poor from crosses and being beaten from distance to easily. That's the difference a world class goalkeeper brings, I don’t recall The Bin Man getting beat from 30 yards consistently like the yank plank does!

Robles is not the long term answer, but he is the short term solution. Martinez is not managing Wigan now and his team play in front of the most knowledgeable fans in football now, not a load of Rugby League fans with nothing else to do on a Saturday.

Give Robles a run of games or start packing your bags for a long summer holiday next year... although he’ll probably be a pundit at the Euros and won’t start pre-season until he has ’enhanced’ his own reputation further on TV all summer! Aarrggghhhh!

This will be a test of RM's management because this is stubbornness gone mad, and everyone can see what the problem is, including the directors.

He’s putting unnecessary pressure on himself because this makes Sunderland into a cup final which his ridiculous after 11 games. Concede another 6-yard header on Saturday, and God forbid it’s also the losing goal, will make his position untenable.

He now has thousands of Evertonians split in their thoughts regarding Howard who I feel has been an incredible servant to the club over the years, and does not deserve to be shoved into the spotlight in this way. . . . . . . Now if he makes a mistake or is simply caught on the wrong foot and looks culpable, then the crowd willl not be nice and I can understand why.

Roberto grow up. Listen to those around you and do the right thing. However if you surround yourself by yes men, then be prepared to enter into an extremely challenging relationship with the knowledgeable fan base. For me, after acknowledging the great stance you took over the Stones affair you have completely undone that good work.Your nonsense will not be tolerated indefinitely. Time to move out and the sooner the better for all concerned you numpty.

I’m off to look up the Sunderland stats to see which of their players hasn’t scored for a few years so I can stick a few quid on him.

I don't think he deserved to be dropped when he played last season when Howard was injured.

If Howard is back in nets on Sunday and we lose, I can see a massive revolt against RM.

1) The nonentities.

2) Bill.

3) The 'powers that be' behind Bill.

It pains me to say it but there is a power vacuum at the Club and in an everyday way Martinez is filling it. He can say and do any old shite and nobody there is willing to tell him NO.

To be a little bit fair to Howard, his defence haven't been the greatest in helping his inability to fucking move an inch off his fucking line!!!

Hopefully with Mori being decent in the air, the moments when old starry jump flappy dickhead is left on his own against a forward in the 6 yard box will be limited.

My view of Mori changed a little last night after watching him closely. He is a confident player but seems to follow the wrong man on occasion and leaves gaps.
He doesn't give me a sense of dread so that is a plus and he is good in the air.

Can't shoot for shit though.

I think most of us agree he's well past his sell by date and has been average for a couple of seasons now. Last year he decided to take a break from USMNT and even with the lack of having to travel with them he had a poor season, this season he's decided to play for them again, hence all the extra travel and he expects to be better? doesn't make sense to me. He's 37 next, is only going to get worse, and even if Robles isn't the answer he needs replacing and soon.

He has the attitude and dictatorial arrogance of ’I’m in charge and anyone who disagrees can KMA’, Evertonians have suffered enough for far too long under his reign and his insulting dismissal of Joel Robles's heroics is, to me, the last straw;he should go now.

What do we as fans do about it? Do we have to have choruses of "Drop Howard now, Drop Howard now" ringing around Goodison? We can't just put up with it.

Old fat head Sam will be rubbing his hands at them words... can you imagine the amount of crosses coming into our box on Sunday? As if our home record isn’t bad enough, I’ve a feeling it’s about to get worse.

Players who are undroppable... is that what it’s come to?

There's no rule against crossing it first time Seamus. No rule against putting your brain in gear and moving the ball on before you are crowded out Ross.

Sheffield Wednesday kept it simple, played as a team and murdered Arsenal. They went for a win and got it.

Right now we need Howard's experience at the back with a young and relatively inexperience defence in front of him. Funes Mori does get caught out of position but I like the look of him and think he will get better.

And from last night I don’t think much of Browning as a right back and wouldn’t be surprised if he moves on in the next year or two. He hasn’t looked great in reserve games I’ve watched either, playing as CB.

It’s the same in any discipline before you can produce wonderful moments, you can only achieve those regularly when you have mastered the fundamentals. As a Rugby World Cup correspondent remarked about New Zealand:

"The Kiwis’ sustained success is not all down to spontaneous counter-attacking and superb offloads, it’s more that doing the basics well is always New Zealand’s first instinct."

I wonder if there’s a deal pending for Howard to go to Kansas in January (see buyout rumors two weeks ago with Kansas known to have visited Everton earlier this season) ... and bring best-keeper-in-limbo-who-wants-to-stay-in-UK (Victor Valdes) from Man United?

Besides the fact that dropping a keeper who happens to be our current captain would be big news, such a planned January move is only logical explanation for such unrelenting support for Howard at this time. Robles has done all you could ask and deserves a chance in this context.

I like the approach above, i.e. playing Robles every other league match (plus playing Robles in the League Cup) and see how it works out ... I just know we don’t have until January to teach 36-year-old Howard how to jump.

Come on Bobby, grow some cojones on this one. Bring Robles in, make McCarthy captain and Stones his vice-captain for now, and let’s see how this new back 5 can do.

If Howard plays Sunday, like he played last Saturday, we will lose...and RM will lose even more credibility.

Probably too late in the day to change your style now, but Tim, GET OFF YOUR LINE!!!

I remain unconvinced by Robles but the fact of the matter is he got us through last night. To go out to Norwich at home and surrender our best chance of silverware would have been toxic for Martinez so he should be praising Robles to the heavens not blathering on about a keeper in terrible form. I don't personally know one single blue who rates Howard.

My point is, fans are fans for life, through thick or thin, and Everton ones are special. We all live, eat, breathe and sleep Everton. Most players are merceneries, couldn't give a shite about the fans, and probably include RM in that too.

Maybe we as fans look for too much, a team that plays attractive attacking football!!!!. Is it that difficult to do, this manager does not seem capable of doing that. Most of our players are internationals, there's something rotten somewhere!!!.

Surely Robles should keep his place, if not there really is something rotten going on.

Sadly through his stubbornness, a once liked and admired player is solely being turned into a hated figure. Not good for the team in any way.

Come 12:30 on Sunday, team sheet goes in, Robles in goal. Fat Sam's tactics fucked and has no plan B. We win about 4-0 and everyone’s happy!!

What about last night's results? Arsenal out, Chelsea out, Leicester — out all supposedly world class managers! What’s their fans saying?

It would help Howard if he got some assistance off our defenders, because no-one particularly excels at getting off the ground to meet the crosses.
That’s not to excuse Howard because he made two howlers against Arsenal and dealing with crosses is the weakest part of his game, granted.

Comments like sack the manager are way over the top though aren’t they? 1st season: excellent; 2nd season: Europa League cost us 3 or 4 places for me; this season: with the fixtures, we’ve had a decent start.

To sack Martinez at this stage would be barmy, wouldn’t it? Maybe Mourinho would join us!

He plays our best-form keeper in the cup and Howard in the league... unbelieveable.

Those of a delicate nature would be well advised to wear blinkers and head phones this weekend, because if Howard has another Howler Evertonia will go into meltdown.

Strange how many consider Robles the answer, on the back of so few appearances, not all of them good ones.

What’s done is done and all our moaning won't help. Let’s just get behind whoever is selected and stop giving ammunition to our opponents.

Loyalty or weak management? At least he's no longer picking players because they played for Wigan!

I cannot recall too many times when players names were booed when the team is being announced at Goodison but I think it could happen on Sunday with Howard and only makes matters worse.

And if that doesn’t increase the pressure on Howard you can bet your life that big Sam will be telling his players to do everything they can to increase it even more.

If Martinez plays Howard, he is risking a lot.

Anyway, let's give them a chance and get right behind them on Sunday - whoever is picked.

If Howard cocks up on Sunday I trhink the fans will actually drag him off the pitch and demand Robles to be brought on.

I'm worried about this game already which is crazy as it’s Sunderland!!! But look what happened last season in this fixture. COYB... let’s start playing decent direct football, and give us something to shout about.

I have no faith in Howard; as a result, I’ve lost my enthusiasm for Martinez. It’s a very obvious decision he’s refusing to make, which makes me question the man.

How can someone who is taking us forward not see the obvious? If he can’t see that, then what else is he missing? (Read any thread on here!)

I fear he’s barking up the wrong tree again. Hope I’m wrong.

Firstly I’d like to say Howard has been a great servant to Everton FC. But he was simply awful the whole of last season. He should have been left out of the team after Robles kept 3 clean sheets on the run.

That said I’m not impressed by Robles and I’m not confident with him in our goal. He is not good enough to play in our team and is a back up keeper at best. I stated all pre season we had to buy a first team keeper and nothing I’ve seen as of yet has changed that.

I’m sure a lot of you want Robles in the first team but I thought he was at fault for the goal in the League Cup: he was out of his goal and took too long to get back between the posts. Yes, he made other saves but all-in-all, I believe Howard is a better goalkeeper, for now at least.

Robles earned his chance to stay in the team Sunday, putting Howard back in is wrong, Howard now knows no matter how shite he plays, only injury or a red card will keep him out of the starting 11 in the Premier League.

Shame on you, Roberto; you may think you're being clever, but lose the fans and you will be on borrowed time.

Shame he cannot seem to catch or punch out a cross; shame that he cannot come out and command his box, or even his defence. And I don’t even think that he is a great kicker of a football. Just watch his clearances which usually go straight out of play.

Two games always stick in my mind concerning Tim Howard. When he was sent off against Sunderland, a complete headless chicken performance. And a reckless challenge against Wolves; again, headless chickens spring to mind. Far to many mistakes. His days must be numbered.

And TBH Robles is not great either. Martinez is very poor when it comes to GKs, so god knows who we get in a few years time, if anybody. Maybe it will take a new manager on board before we get a top class keeper. Not good... not good at all. Squeaky bum time on Sunday, with The Beard back in goal. Expect to go behind yet again.

I originally thought he may have been a potentially good appointment, but his stubborn refusal of the blatantly obvious for so long has completely turned me against him.

His stubbornness, disregard for our support, and his inane ramblings, has actually made me start to dislike him as well.

How can you have a team where there isn't competition for places? When a player gets injured his replacement should have the chance to fill his boots. Nobody should be able to walk back into the side, particularly when their own form has been very poor.

And what on earth is Martinez' defence that he's 'big in the dressing room'? You can't have a liability on the pitch just because he's a big character behind the scenes.

I dislike Howard and I always have, but I wouldn't boo him. It's not his fault, after all.

A good chorus of 'You don't know what you're doing' aimed at Martinez would be most welcome though. The guy is actually a terrible manager.

In Spain he played second fiddle to Courtois and De Gea. He now plays second fiddle to Howard.

All things considered, his display against Norwich was quite remarkable. 6’-5", age 25, his natural talent and easy going cheerful disposition make him the perfect Number Two. Every week, he sits on the bench and laughs and jokes with his team-mates. No fuss, no aggro. A manager's dream. A Martinez masterstroke.

Where the lad will go from here is anyone’s guess. Competitive experience would gradually erase his weak points but much will depend on the level of his ambition. He’s on a far better wage than he would get in Spain and after sitting on various benches since the age of 15, he may be content with his lot. At least, with an FA Cup winners medal already in his pocket, he’ll have more to show than Howard and most of his team-mates.

I hope your suspicion that Robles might be quite happy being the second string is wrong. At 25 and 6’5" I am hoping the lad still has an ego. If I was him I would be having a talk with the manager and asking him what I had to do to get the top job.

6’5" and 25 – there’s a song in there somewhere.

Unfortunately, Roberto’s team selection for Saturday is going to get criticised one way or another. If he starts Robles, wouldn’t that create a likely scenario where Barry is captain? Imagine the outcry on here for that one. I know Ossie is next in line but I doubt he will start after playing 120 minutes the other night.

He eventually did move and played for Fulham and, I think Middlesbrough until well into his late thirties. I think he also won one European cup medal as Liverpool’s reserve goalie.

I hope Robles has more ambition than that.

Martinez is full of himself. I have stopped listening to his drivel a long time ago.

For all his indecision over high crosses, I would gamble he has saved many that The Spaniard would have spilled and believe him still to be the better keeper overall – although I don't think that's saying much, really !

On what evidence do you regard Howard as more accomplished than Robles is in Howard’s recent form?

As Harold states, Robles has had very few starts in his career, but his performance on Tuesday was exceptional for a man with so little time between the sticks during his spell at Everton. And his three consecutive clean sheets last season were rewarded with his spot back on the bench by Martinez. Poor management. As for his ambition, we don’t know what promises Martinez has made in order to keep him happy, or maybe he has no ambition.

We will only know for sure how good Robles could be if he has an extended run in the team. It’s difficult to see how much worse he could be than Howard is right now.

Howard's future is a long time behind him whilst I fear Robles will never have one. Not here, anyway.

"Look Gary, it’s simple – if you’ve got good players you’ll have a good team. If you haven’t got good players you won’t have a good team." End of interview.

So, Roberto, to paraphrase, if you haven’t got a good goalkeeper you won’t have a good team. Just pick the goalkeeper who is in better form, is more agile, more confident, stops more shots, commands his box more and is more committed. Simple. I’ll do it for you if you are scared of upsetting anyone.

Harold, I watched the Under-21 game v Schalke last week and you could hear Robles throughout, shouting instructions, encouragement etc. He looked like someone who is determined to do as well as he can rather than being content to sit on the bench. Now is the time to give him his chance.

He seems to have something about him that you need in a team. I noticed it at the West Ham cup tie last season, despite the disappointment and missing the decisive penalty himself, he didn’t sulk but had his head up and went to the fans.

Two others who also seem to have that spirit are Oviedo and (early days I know) Funes Mori. This is in contrast to the players who lose the ball, stand still, put their arms out wide and look around for someone else to get it back.

I think this goalkeeping issue highlights a wider one about team spirit in general and, in my opinion, we are walking a tightrope right now and it could go either way. Sunday should be interesting.

I’m on record on this site as saying that I regard Howard as one of the top four keepers AFTER Southall, West and Martyn that I’ve seen here since I started going the match in 1959. However, he’s way past his sell-by date and is now costing us points on a regular basis. He must be replaced sooner rather than later and I would certainly give Robles a chance and a run in the team. It’s difficult to rate a player when we have seen so little of them.

Unfortunately, at Goodison the fans have a tendency to turn on players once their star has faded; if the boo boys start on Howard, the effect would be disastrous to the confidence of him and the team.

Robles will make mistakes, but he will learn with more game time. Howard has cost us points this season and still walks in the team.

Playing Robles on Sunday would have rewarded him for putting in a performance on Tuesday, and given Howard a kick up the backside to up his game.

Sorry but Martinez has lost my support on this one.

Martinez's ONLY concern is for Everton to play well and win matches. If he's playing Howard, he honestly believes that gives us the best chance to win going forward. Possibly Robles shows a lot of indecision during practice sessions. We see him once every month or two. Roberto sees him every day.

Could any other keeper have stopped the two Arsenal goals going in? The first was from an undefendable cross and header from close range that not many other world class keepers would have saved! And the second goal came from, and not for the first time, Stones not being able to mark from set-pieces!!

It’s all too easy to blame the keeper because, if he makes a mistake, it usually ends in a goal... but, from what I saw, he couldn’t do anything about either!

It’s about time people stopped looking for the same old excuses and blaming someone who has been one of our greatest servants of recent times.

I can name numerous games were Tim Howard has cost us. And only a few were he won us the game. And yes, we have 10 other players on the pitch. And yes they are often just as useless as Howard is. But the buck stops with the goalkeeper.

A top keeper would benefit the development of our young defenders, and that includes Stones. He is not the polished item just yet but imagine Stones playing in front of a Big Nev or Gordon West, like Lyons and Mountfield did. Experience like nothing that Howard brings to the table. It's time we had another top class goalkeeper.

Sorry people, but I also blame Howard for the FA Cup Final defeat to Chelsea; some people still think that he is a shot-stopper. Would we have won the FA Cup in '95 with a keeper like Tim Howard? I think not. That's how I look at things. A top goalkeeper makes all the difference. The spine of a team starts with the goalkeeper.

It’s time to give Robles his chance because he cannot be any worse or be at fault for so many goals. Meantime I would be taking a chance on Daniel Bentley the young Southend goalie, it’s only a matter of time before he’s snapped up by a Premier League team.

Pre-season brought this home to me as I’d never really noticed it before then. When we played Hearts and they scored the opening goal, surprise, surprise, a corner into the 6-yard box that saw Howard rooted to the spot. Nobody said a bloody word from marking them up for the corner until picking the ball out the net!

It was telepathy I’m positive, well attempted telepathy. We have no talkers in our squad.

You are completely correct, Gary, he could do nothing about either goal because he has the anticipation of a sloth and the footwork of Heather Mills after 20 Babychams.

It seems to me that, at the start of each season, he picks his anchor men in each position if possible, so Howard being a senior member and his first choice pick would be one of them. Others being Jagielka, Coleman, Baines, McCarthy, Barry and Lukaku plus this season he must include Stones because of his quality even though he’s relatively inexperienced.

He probably asks that they fully commit to the team and himself and that he in return will support them through thick and thin!

Now you can argue that it is or it isn’t the best way to go about, it but it seems to me that this what is going on in regards Howard's selection.

RM’s not afraid to put his neck on the block I’ll say that about him as in Howard's case and his willingness to give young players a chance.

Howard’s sailing very close to the wind now and Roberto will no doubt be forced to drop him if he continues to make blunders.

"Joel, put it in son, have the game of your life, because — regardless of how you play, or in fact how badly Tim plays, it won’t matter as it still may be a while before you get another game." What does Joel do with that? I ask.

Obviously I’m making a lot of assumptions here, but I’m just calling it as I see it. Astonishing, it doesn’t make sense to me.

My guess is that he will have had conversation, probably in private in Howard's case and tell him to practice and improve on high balls into the box or else he will be dropped. There’s no way that after each game played it is not picked to pieces at team meetings and certain players told to improve in certain areas for the next game.

Off topic, I know but if the best player in each position from all the clubs is chosen would we have any players in that team? I very much doubt it! That’s the main reason we find it extremely difficult to win any trophies.

Robles is just a short-term bandaid with weak adhesive. Martinez has likely already determined that or else he would have been given more of a chance.

This is about Howard and if he can regain form. If he can’t, Roberto needs to know now so he can maybe make a move in the January window.

I don't know any other manager that would come out and say it is OK to make mistakes and you won't be punished for it.

I don't care what he says in private but to come out publically and say that is absolutely unprofessional.

No wonder our play is inconsistent and the players do not put enough effort in but that’s okay cos Roberto says you will still get a game as long as you cosy up to him and his methods.