Martinez focused on the present where Howard is concerned

I don’t think there would be half as much pressure from the fans if Robles hadn’t come in and performed so well, only to be dismissed.

No player should be undroppable and Martinez set a completely idiotic precedent by stating that the goalkeeperspot was Tim Howard’s ’to lose’.

The whole situation has been handled horribly.

I don’t get that. Surely Martinez has been nothing but supportive of Howard?? Are you saying that Howard would be better off being dropped?

Personally I think his lack of command of the penalty area is an issue and it's time to move on. Whether Robles is the answer I don’t know but time will tell. Fortunately ’keepers are not super expensive and there’s plenty of really good ones that will join for first team football.

Howard has been amongst the best half dozen in the league for most of his time at Everton and we will want to get someone who is at that level – which at the moment Howard is not (and Robles may never be).

If Howard cocks up tonight and we lose the game. I think he'll lose a lot the faith and good will from even his most ardent TW supporters.

I think it's crazy to play Howard in this game. I hope Howard repays Martinez's blind faith in him and plays at his vintage best. Which is now a distant memory many have of him that has been slowly eroded over the last 2 seasons.

But I don't think we can dismiss the role of our supporters in the criticism of Howard by our supporters can we?

All the same, I do think he is full of his own importance and I haven’t liked him for years. How he got himself a new 4-year contract is beyond me. Joel Robles is now our No 1 keeper and I want him to play every match. Okay, like all keepers he will make mistakes, as demonstrated by Hennesey last night, but I feel safer when he is between the sticks. Something Martinez has never said. Our boss has always stated that he feels safer when he sees Tim in the dressing room. Maybe it’s time for him to stay there.

I agree with Phil (2) that Howard is actually being put in a difficult position, too. No player is going to turn around to the manager and say "no, boss, you should pick the other guy". So it's Martinez who keeps putting him out their regardless of form, and opening him up to a critical relationship with the fans that's undermining what I think is a generally reasonably positive legacy for him at the club.

It also shows a defence that disappeared to leave Ings with a free header. Not sure who was marking him but I seem to remember as the corner came across Naismith ran around the front of Ings to possibly head the ball away. Both he and (might have been) Stones got under the ball and didn't deal with it.

Of course if he acknowledged he hasn’t been at his best for some time, or saw the humour and sarcasm from the crowd, accepted it with good grace and responded better, it might be easier for us to accept him.

Been done to death, but even if you don’t like Howard, it’s got to be accepted that he doesn’t pick the team. I think it’s already backfired on the team, but wether it backfires on the manager remains to be seen.

He goes on and on about his invaluable experience in directing the youngsters which may be true off the pitch but on the pitch the nervousness in the defence is palpable and its no coincidence that we've conceded the most goals in the top 15 teams in the league. I do think Howard has been a good keeper for us at times but at the moment Robles has to be starting, his form is better and he potentially represents the future of this club rather than the past.

Prove me wrong, Martinez, please. String two or three months together where we lose just a few points and prove me wrong.

I do think Howard will leave at the end of the season, he knows it and so does Martinez.

Martinez is no pussy but he does have loyalty to his players, to the extent of playing them when he shouldn’t and hanging on when he should be rid.

His attitude is changing and not before time, like his young up-and-coming players he too is on a steep learning curve and his management skills are gradually improving, to my mind.

So why hang on to Tim – because this is his last chance saloon , he is a Yank and we are supposedly in negotiations with Yanks about the future of our great club – who knows but perhaps with his experience they already have some role of him in their setup. (??)

As a Yank, he will have set himself targets, no doubt having most Everton appearances was one of them, but that is now out of the way another major target would have been Champions League but he ain’t going to get that any time soon! So what’s left and why keep him as No 1 – he wants some silverware to take home with him and that is what Martinez believes will keep him on his toes with a determination to get us a trophy. Robles has one, he also has time and he has probably been told by his mentor, Martinez, to sit still and keep quiet until the summer as the job is already his to make a balls of.

Like any manager, in football or industry, he will have his team sometimes they need juggling, sometimes you stake the farm on them and quite often they let you down. I am sure his players will feel comforted in that loyal streak; some may become complacent, others will have their chance to impress, Robles has done it so has Besic, Barkley and Galloway. Others will have their opportunity in due course.

There is no greater influence than a Hibbo or an Ossie in the dressing room. That doesn't mean they should play in every game .

Form should be the deciding factor – not how big a mouth you have.

It is the manager’s right and responsibility to choose the player he feels are best equpped to do the job, if he believes that to be Tim, then fine, however it doesn’t show too much confidence in Robles. If Tim is only the best of a bad pair, it also means that Roberto should be buying a keeper as soon as possible.

We should also be in the market for another striker, relying on one player for the entire season is foolish in the extreme, but that is the managers choice and he’ll reap the rewards or otherwise of his decisions come the end of the season.

Consider also a possibly even bigger picture where the USA have been isolated from top level footy for so long but now they see the global appeal and influence which equals dollars passing them by? No way. Hence they are driving a moral crusade against FIFA (which is long overdue).

Martinez has squared up the interests probably pushed by BK and is dealing with it accordingly. If this is the case, then I think his ’mis-management’ of recent games is not as bad as we think.

Also consider this "off the wall" notion. Every team has an off form period in the season. What if, acknowledging this, Roberto engineered the most suitable 11 grouping to deal with the lesser teams, and we will pull our fingers out against the bigger teams with more skilled and fresher legs later on? A high performance run in at the end of the season would do for me. What undermines the logic of the above is the things he’s not in control of such as sheer bad luck against the likes of Palace etc., individual errors, injuries and poor refereeing. All the things that make footy such an interesting sport to follow.

I have been as critical of Robert as much as anyone else, and to some extent still am, but I just don’t buy in to the wholesale negativity thing. It;s too easy and possibly way off the mark. Pound for point we are still one of, if not the best managed team of the lot and that is an incredible statistic. It could be translated into we are the champions of the level playing field. COYB!!!!!

Whoever decided that Howard deserved another four-year contract at his age, wants to take a good look at himself.

If we want to ship him out in the summer the club will need to pay him 3 years wages(!) – unless Howard asks for a transfer, which I somehow can’t see that happening.

I think there’s a danger in exaggerating how important Tim Howard is to the profile, though. I don’t imagine the consortium buyers give a crap whether Tim Howard is in goal or Robles. There was a short period after the World Cup where he had a super high profile, but that time’s long gone. Now, I don’t think he really has any impact on how Everton are viewed over here.

For all Gordon’s banter with football crowds, he was very highly strung and was physically sick with nerves before a lot of his games with Everton.

I used to hate hearing that sort of shit when Moyes was here. Even harder to swallow now. Brings up a little bit of sick at the back of the throat as well

Have to agree playing Robles tonight with the cup game coming up was a no brainer, why he has gone for Howard baffles me.

This could also stoke the fire if Howard has another stinker, then Robles plays well in the cup game, even then, against any reasonable logic, Howard will still be recalled after the cup game.

Time for Robles to be given a fair chance and get the info we need on what type of goalkeeper we should acquire in the summer. (A new Number 1, or backup to Robles?)

I think we should support Howard in what will hopefully be his final half season, it's down to RM to drop him if he drops another clanger. He was part of an awesome defence and it's a shame it's turning sour.

COYB, let's get some long overdue silverware!!