Sevilla target Robles

If we sell him for what we paid, its a confession of failure.
Granted, he has not been too impressive, but bit early for throwing in the towel.
If we sell it should be for at least 0.5-1m more than what we paid.
wages and costs into account that would at least be a breakeven.

Tim Howard is in incredible physical condition and could quite easily play on until he turns 40. That potentially could spell 5 years on the bench for Joel Robles.

I agree with Steven in saying that Robles hasn’t been very impressive so far but that’s most likely because he’s only had odd games to work with.

Tim Howard may not be the best goalkeeper in the league, he’s probably not even Top 3 but he is very good and he’s very consistent. Its unlikely that Robles will manage to displace Howard from the first team in the foreseeable future.

It doesn’t make much sense financially to sell Robles for the same money we paid for him but it might just be the best thing for the player who turns 24 this summer and understandably wants first team football.

In 2011 David Moyes beat off several big name clubs and paid £125,000 for 16-year-old goalkeeper Mason Springthorpe. He’s only 19-years-old now is over 6ft tall and is built like a giant. Springthorpe is very highly regarded in the game and I think he’s more likely to be Howard’s long term successor.

I think Martinez should get the money back on Robles, let him develop at another club, and stick Springthorpe on the bench for the next few year’s until Howard finally retires.

Bit of a strange rumour as - for some reason - it feels like it might have substance. I thought Robles was amazingly nervous when I first saw him at Fulham. He improved in subsequent games and pulled off some decent saves against Arsenal and Swansea, though he didn't inspire confidence and was nervous with crosses. Still he is a big improvement on Mucha and he may yet come good. He is clearly in Howard's shadow and I'd be very worried if Howard was injured. It s difficult to comment on Springthorpe, the Polish keeper or even the new Czech - except to say they're all very young and have a long way to go before they're likely to be in the first team.

There seems to be no really outstanding keeper in the Premiership at the moment. Howard is certainly up there with the leading group - Cech, Hart, De Gea, etc and better than any keeper at Arsenal, Spurs or Mignolet from Liverpool. Marshall from Cardiff looks like a really good shot stopper behind a porous defence but could easily turn out to be another one like Jim McDonagh or Thomas Myrhe.

Robles returns to Spain, all of our loan players return to their parent clubs or to other suitors. Baines and Jags decide to re-join David Moyes at Old Trafford. Barks goes to perennial CL qualifiers; Stones joins Chelsea and Coleman goes to Wenger's Arsenal; Mirallas goes to WHL; Howard decides to join Cahill at the Red Bulls; Roberto realises that fighting the press speculation is too much of a pain and takes up the vacancy at Barca; Duncan also realises that Glasgow is where his heart lies and takes over from McCoist at Rangers.

Stubbs becomes Everton manager and says that his youngsters are the way forward and Bill Kenwright says that spending our way out of trouble is not the answer, we must rely on a mix of experience and youth as Osman and Hibbo are rocks on which the club can be built. Not pretty reading but it may just keep the media happy.

Screw the lot of 'Em lets win these last five games and tell them to shove it where the sun don't shine.

The life of a reserve goalkeeper.

When Martinez signed Robles neither party could have realistically expected him to oust Howard within a year. So what has changed?

Well in that time I believe Robles has pushed Howard a little harder than he has been pushed before. His distribution was better than Howard's on his arrival but lately Howard springs up after a save and is immediately looking for a throw to launch a counter attack. I think that part of his game has improved dramatically this season.

I'm not sure how do-able it would be, but I think the perfect scenario would be to loan Robles to Sevilla (or another decent team where he will get playing time) and have a clause in the contract saying we call recall him at one weeks notice. In that time we keep Howard in goal and stick Springthorpe, Taudel or that new Eastern European lad on the bench.

One thing is for sure, Robles needs to learn how to catch a cross if he's to play Premier League football.

A few shocking performances; I would cut our losses and let a young lad come through.

Also since when did he cost £3m! It was quoted as around £1m at the time

James Steward. I quite agree with you, he looked so unsure when it came to crosses. But then to be fare it's all about playing games, match time. One things for sure, he will have learnt from it. Maybe in his next game he will play out of his skin. Even the best have bad days and that was his.

Good. And better still if we can get our money back !

Hopeless from the first pre-season friendly.

In Spain I believe Robles was way ahead of De Gea until he got injured. He was very highly rated at Wigan and I honestly think Roberto thought he would be playing in place of Howard by now.

Trouble is until you work with a player you don't realise how good they are, and this is the case with Howard. I trust Roberto's judgement on Robles and believe he will one day be a cracker worth a lot of money but can't replace Howard yet.

He was bought as a future investment, as someone has already said he wasn't gong to dislodge Howard immediately. So, unless Robles himself is unsettled at Everton, we shouldn't sell.

Admittedly he did look quite suspect at crosses in the FA Cup Quarterfinal but I believe this was down to nerves. Punching the ball is the style on the continent and he probably diverted back to his comfort zone.

The training pitch is where he needs to be, catching practice and as back-up to get the experience of the big match.

We should loan him out, plenty of time for him to learn!

Personally, when Robles signed for Everton I assumed that Tim Howard’s era was ending. I’m actually shocked that Howard is still in the team and that Robles has not played in more games.

I always thought Howard was a rather average goalkeeper and never rated him in the same league as Neville Southall and Nigel Martyn. But all credit to Tim Howard who this season has really raised his game and totally deserves to retain his first team place. Robles has no chance of getting a game while Howard is having the best season of his Everton career.

I agree with previous posters that Howard has a good 4-5 years at the top with us ahead of him unless he fancies a move back to the MLS. Can't really knock Robles as he has not had a lot of games, just look how De Gea had to adjust, took nearly a year for people to stop questioning him as a signing.

But say we had to replace Tim tomorrow, I'd go for Forster from Celtic (he'd be expensive but young and CL experience) or Lindegaard from Man Utd (always looked impressive when I've seen him!)

Would like to hear other blues opinions on who they would replace Howard with if he was to go? Hypothetically of course...

Marshall @ Cardiff definitely worth a look
As much as Howard has improved he does not command his area and his distribution is terrible - especially his kicking.
Southall and Martyn weren't just great shot stoppers - they inspired confidence at the back and with Howard in goal we still get panic stations in defence; two footed lunges, failing to come for a cross and not giving his defenders a shout.
As a retired keeper from the 8th division of the Liverpool Sunday League who played for a team with probably the worst ever defensive record in Sunday League football, I really know what I'm talking about!

Well Roberto obviously had him at Wigan & must have rated him or he wouldn't have brought him here.
RM has not got much wrong yet, so I'll go with his judgement.
He has had 1 or 2 dodgy moments, not unusual for a goalie, but he also made some very good saves as well, so he's done a decent job for my money.
Howards had an excellent season with very few mistakes so Robles hardly had much game time to judge him on.

You can understand if he wants away, & if that's the case I'd let him go in the summer, but we would have to replace him because I doubt if the young goalies are ready to understudy yet.

If anyone offers remotely sensible money - did we really pay £3m for him? - then we should take it and buy Marshall from Cardiff.

A source close to the Emirates Stadium told Football Direct News (who?) that Arsenal are after Tim Howard to put pressure on Wojciech Szczesny. Seriously, where on earth do they dig up this shite from?

I would sell him and buy the Sunderland keeper, sounds crazy a goalies team propping the premiership but he really has saved Sunderland from some batterings this season.

Sell him and bring in Fabianski. He is a free and is well better than Robles. Every time Robles plays, I'm really nervous and I think we need a better replacement.

I guess the announcement of 2 more years for Howard might make Robles think about his immediate chances of getting first team football, and if not with us then maybe elsewhere.

If we got back what we paid for him, I'd let him go, no great loss I think of what I've seen of him.

Robles has been a good addition to the squad, even if only because he has clearly pushed Howard harder and Howard's response has been very good this season.

Any Pie Eater will tell you Al Absi is different class to Robles. Roberto signed the wrong one!