Howard and USA beaten in Honduras

Come on, Everton. :-)

I've said it before and I'll say it again....goalkeeper should be (as clearly is for everyone who matters) way down our list of priorities to improve the squad.

Klinnsman doesn't get LD and a healthy Stuart Holden in, my country's going to have a problem getting to WC 2014. We never have the most talent, but we DO get after the game. First time I can recall our playing with our tail between our legs. Fucking embarrassing. And not Howard's fault.

I've never said it before, but I'll say it now.........a new goalkeeper is our top priority, and has been for a couple of seasons, if we have top four aspirations.

All top managers recognise this - didn't Brian Clough once claim that Shilton was worth 10 points per season, or some such value ?

Liverpool with Clemence, United with Schmeichel, heck, even Everton with Southall. There is no doubt in my mind that these 'keepers made the difference between winning trophies (as well as matches), and not, in their respective careers.

How many chances on target do our opponents need this season to score against us ?

True, all 'keepers make mistakes, but my impression is that Howard makes more than the average in this division. He transmits fear and trepidation at the back, much like de Gea at United. They are both very good shot-stoppers, but have little presence and command of their box, which opponents, as well as our lads, know only too well.

A very good, and not even an exceptional, goalkeeper would have us further up the table this season, in my opinion.

A goalkeeper is well down the list of players we need.

I think he's a good keeper who makes a few mistakes. Show me a goalkeeper that doesn't.

How many times have we seen our defenders needlessly heading balls out for corners when a simple 'leave it' from the goalkeeper (the only player who could reasonably be expected to have a decent understanding of the whole situation) would have sufficed to get us a goal kick? It was something like that that led to Villa's second goal last week, not a corner but a needless header out by Jags (?) that could have been left for a goal kick, falling to a Villa player.

Saving shots, which Howard is decent at (although he does seem to have a problem sometimes with long range efforts) is fine but is by no means the most important part of a keeper's job. Keepers have to use their gob as defenders have to specifically watch the ball in most circumstances and can lose sight of the whole picture of what is happening in the box. In my view Howard is a definite weakness and he has lost us either directly or indirectly quite a few points this season.....just as he did last season.

Somebody above mentioned Friedel. despite his age and despite the fact it would only ever be stop-gap, I would have him at Everton tomorrow in place of Howard. The latter has become a liability and it is no surprise that Manure got shut of him.

Off the top of my head I think I can safely say that if Nigel Martyn was between the sticks now we would be 6-8 points better off this season.