Howard gets no blame from Martinez

Stats speak for themselves. This stubborn attitude will keep us on a relegation dogfight. Arsenal next week could be a bloodbath if Howard is still between the sticks.

All Howard does is cost us points and yet he just sticks with him all the time, deluded!!!!

You have to read between Martinez's double-speak.

After being bombed out by Alex Ferguson he has gone on to be fortunate enough to be an ever present at Everton with very little in the way of a challenge from a back up goalkeeper and his 'heroics' at the World Cup has papered over the cracks or the chasm that has existed for a number of years. Howard would be struggling to get into any of the teams above Everton in the Premier league and he is now quite frankly a liability. Distin has been put out to grass and now it should be the same policy applied to Tim Howard.

Not in the same company as Neville Southall or Nigel Martyn and sentiment certainly should be no reason why we have to continue to endure a goalkeeper who is well passed his best.

Please RM, it is time to leave before you become the first manager in over 60 years to take us down.

This justifies what I have been saying all season. The manager believes Everton fc are lucky to have these players and they are beyond blame. Or the manager wants to be the players friend which if that is the case we are stuffed!

Proof will be in the pudding come midweek and the Arsenal game. Personally I can't see RM dropping Howard as he's his 'no.1'. However it doesn't bode well for the future. We already have at least 4 players who'd be happy to leave Everton and I imagine Robles isn't too far from thinking the same.

This season just cannot end fast enough. Once we drop out of the EL next month the mood in GP for the remaining games will be 'interesting'.

This season he's taken his unpredictability to new heights, or lows; how many more times has he got to be beaten at his near post, or fail to catch the ball or push the ball out instead of pushing it around the post. And don't get me started on those stoopid fuckin star jumps.

Lukaku tried hard, and it is thanks to his persistence that we got the equaliser, but I watched his movement when the midfield were looking for an "out" ball, and he failed to move. He lacks so many basics, it's unreal. He doesn't see how he can pull defenders out of the middle, creating space for other to exploit, but the thought never enters his head.

He will score, but he takes so many chances to get a goal, that we will have to create 20 per game! In these days of inflated wages in football, it is shocking that he can be doing his job with such short-comings.

Send him back to the States where they actually think he's a marvel. Of course they no nowt about football to start with.

Hes fuckin'demented.

It's fairly clear to everyone who watched the game Howard was at fault, Martinez is not going to come out and blame his keeper, he doesn't do that to his players but you can bet he's seething at him privately.

I hope Stones has a word with Roberto just let him know he thinks Howard is shite.

In my opinion Martinez got it badly wrong putting Howard straight back in the team ahead of a young keeper who was gaining in confidence and deserved to keep his place based on his and the teams defensive performances.

Unfortunately the manager has to back him,otherwise his own credibility and judgement is called into question.
Martinez does not in still confidence in me that he has what it takes to lead Everton,despite his positivity.
When times get tough you have to show true leader ship qualities and do what you have to do.

All the great managers take no prisoners and carry no passengers- over to you Roberto.

For me, I would go back to RM's decision to drop a goalkeeper who had previously kept clean sheets, gaining confidence and a good understanding with the back four. Imagine if Robles would have played against Chelsea and kept a clean sheet? His confidence would have been sky high, as would that of our back four. Shutouts breed trust and confidence as we all know.

If we look back on the goals conceded since Howard was reinstated, would Robles have done better, absolutely in my opinion.

RM is responsible for reinstating Howard and for that alone, he needs to be fucked off.

We have many reasons why we think RM is not the right manager for Everton, for me this decision was the final straw.

I'd love to hear his "positive" response for that one.

I don't think I have been so pissed off than I feel these days watching EFC under this pleb. Insulting people's intelligence just winds me up no end, rambling utter shite day after day.

He's put himself in a very difficult situation by backing Tim Howard the way that he has. If he drops him then his original decision looks very poor if he keeps him in and he continues to make howlers then its going to cost Everton more points and possible knock out from the Europa league. There was an interesting stat on the Executioner's Bong about Howard just before he got injured "his saves/ shots ratio is the worst of his Everton career, down from 2.83 last year to 1.28 this campaign – one of the worst in the division." Says it all really.

I'm a season ticket holder in lower gladwys and have not see a stirring performance ALL season. The crowd is not stupid but it now getting very, very quiet.

This team ranks with the worst I have seen here, since 66, RM needs to sort it out or I'll be dreaming longingly of Lee or Walker. First action.
DROP HOWARD

A nightmare season from an erractic goalie. Get shut

Robles after a shaky few games after Howard got injured with some game time he blossomed and this was proven with the clean sheets he kept in his last three games. He was wrongly dropped for Howard in most people's eyes other than Roberto's.

Robles has a much longer career ahead of him at 25 but he may not see it being here at Everton if he is not given a chance to prove he should be the first choice keeper when Howard under performs.

Next move Roberto's but if he sticks with Howard he better get his tin hat out.

Bob, stop rewriting history to suit your own argument. Barkley was highly thought of by the Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday fans when he was on loan. That dickhead Neil Warnock had an issue with his loan arrangement which eventually led to Barkley coming back, not his poor performances. I posted similar comments last week, here they are again,

These reports are from the Yorkshire press at that time,

"Everton star Ross Barkley is the best player Leeds United's Stephen Warnock has played with at Elland Road, according to the full-back.

Barkley has built himself a reputation as one of Europe's rising stars during his time at Everton. And the 21-year-old has also made an impression on Warnock, with Barkley having spent a brief period on loan at Leeds from Everton.

"I'd say Ross Barkley for the small spell he spent at the club. Could see his ability from day one. Incredible player," he wrote on BeanBagSports when asked who his best ever Leeds team-mate was.

https://www.facebook.com/LeedsUnited/posts/476945752366464

http://threeandin.com/ross-barkley-should-be-a-no-brainer-for-leeds/"

Ludicrous contracts given by Martinez to players nearly eligible for a disability badge, winter fuel payments or both have been a disgrace to a club who cannot afford to pay £3 million for one of the best goalkeeping prodigy's in European football. Just how can the manager drop Barry or Howard for instance after rewarding them with lucrative pensions the club can ill afford? If he does drop them will there be a boardroom discussion as to why money is being wasted in the first place and who made that decision? This is just one decision which has left Martinez with nowhere to turn if the players start turning in dreadful performances, leading him to cut off his nose to spite his face with his team selections and his consistent and puke-inducing fawning over insipid and uninspiring shite which resides at the very apex of all that is mind-numbing wank.

It seems that the more time that passes Martinez gets a little further up his own arse, safe in the knowledge that all of his football possession pages in his tactical masterplan which that are stuck together in Graeme Jones' office drawer which will never be seen or understood by anyone except those two on their way to the Nou camp. Time to wake up Roberto, you can't polish a turd but you love rolling it in glitter and people are getting restless.

I don't think you'd find many who would presently see him as the best midfielder here as he struggles to live up to all his manager's hype and fulfil his undoubted 'potential' !

Maybe should've said in my living memory or something....

On current form Barkley should not be near the first team. He is not the only one. He is quietly being destroyed by RM playing when he needs a rest. Plenty of potential. Not we need now.

You have stated that "Martinez is probably giving Howard a chance",I fully respect your comment but why should Howard be given a chance in the first place, displacing a young up & coming goalie who has kept 3 clean sheets prior to being dropped???

As stated in another thread, that decision alone warrants the bullet for our "phenomenal" football fraud that is our current manager.

19 months on, Wigan are still picking up the pieces of the car crash that RM left them with,League one beckons for his former club.

I'm sure Martinez and has a word with Howard, in fact I'm sure the man himself knows how bad those errors were.

What would fans of said if had gone to the MLS after the World Cup ? Same with Barry, he was good last year.

Such a let down of a season.

This season is a complete disaster and I can't believe people are still flippant about the possibility of relegation. Martinez has become an embarrassment when most of us thought he was the real deal. I loved that Dick Emery's vicar over the park was the fraud and we had, finally, made a better choice than them, how devastatingly wrong could you be.

In fact I have a crazy thought, can we go kidnap Tim Howard and only release him when we are mathematically safe from relegation?

Joel

Coleman, Stones, Jags, Garbutt

McCarthy, Gibson, Besic

Atsu, Kone, Baines

This is how we will line up.

Howard

Coleman, Stones, Jags, Baines

McCarthy, Barry

Mirallas, Barkley, Naismith

Rom

I just give up.

The dreadful punch late on against Chelsea achieved 2 things..........and both were equally lethal as a combination.
Firstly, having elected to punch ........ that is all he achieved, a fist upon the ball. What should have been his intent was to "clear" the ball wide.....looking for the touchline and thereby earning time for the defence to realign at the very very least.....instead.....he popped the ball straight out to the edge of the box in clear view of goal.
Secondly, having managed the ill considered punch, he consequently left himself (and the whole defence) very poorly positioned for the inevitable incoming shot.

His decision making against Leicester was scary (it is also different to Robles) and that suggests why the defence appeared so "twitchy".

Joel has improved lately with match practice, however, this does not make me a Robles fan, he still has some considerable distance to go to seriously impress me. 3 consecutive clean sheets is promising, but it's still not 3 consecutive glowing reports.

Reinstalling TH wasn't a big issue for me (had JR been selected then I'd still have had "mixed feelings, just for different reasons) and seemed a "precautionary" decision which hasn't paid off. Shit happens.

Now, however, I think that I'd revert to Robles whilst he still has some impetus based upon performance. That would send a bloody strong message to every single player. Particularly the younger ones with ambition.

Hard times require tough decisions and not just in the dressing room.

Just managing to rescue a point in the last minutes from an own goal to 20th place leicester at home isn't good enough. That should realistically be the easiest game we have to play (obviously I know thats not how it works) but the so called easy games which should be a guaranteed 3 points - like today, are running out and with the final day edging closer and closer the bottom teams are only going to be fighting more and more to survive.

I do still have some confidence in Martinez based on the fact the he simply couldn't get Everton relegated... Could he?

Everyone is having a pop at the manager for being overly positive but you can't come out and lay into the players when things aren't going well - it won't help anyone, and if he did you'd all be saying how negative he is.

He's damned either way, but he's doing the right thing not blaming the players in public so you have to accept that.

As a goalkeeper, any small mistake you make is massively highlighted and can have a much bigger effect on proceedings than if you lose the ball in midfield for example - on that basis I don't think it's fair to lay into Howard who IS a very good keeper and has been consistently so for a long time for us.

Yes he's made some mistakes this season, and perhaps he is a player on the way down, but he's not the reason we're failing to win games. We weren't any better with Robles in goal either and our problems lay much deeper than with the keeper making mistakes.

I would suggest last night the second one was a goalkeeping error but the first one was fired in and he did well to get a hand to it - unluckily it bounced up off Stones which is not the keepers fault.

It's about the entire team working, and defending properly - it's rarely about one person (the keeper) keeping a clean sheet. Personally I see the correlation between the 3 clean sheets with Robles playing as a reflection of our teams performances, and the opposition faced rather than simply having Robles in goal for those games.

If you watch the build up to the Leicester goals last night, there were plenty of opportunities for the outfield players to affect them, but they didn't. This is NOT the goalkeepers fault, in particular the first goal for which Howard did extremely well - it was bad luck to hit Stones and drop for the Leicester player (Nugent?).

The second one, he should have done better I grant you, but all players make errors.

Then select for future EL games on merit.

Selecting Tim just makes no sense anymore.

I've openly criticised the manager today on a number of threads.

At no point do I suggest that Barkley is the "best player here". I am merely pointing out that he had a successful loan at both Sheffield and Leeds, according to the reports at the time and the reports from relatives from Yorkshire and a Leeds season ticket holder.

Bob Skelton #75

Bob, yes, I do go to the match, and I have done since the very late 1950's, consequently I am perfectly capable of making my own observations regarding football. I also don't make up "facts" about Neil (spit) Warnock not playing Barkley in his time at Leeds because he wasn't good enough, something which is blatantly untrue.
I do, however, agree that Martinez, ably assisted by the busload of professional coaches who berate Barkley to such an extent that the lad is shitting himself everytime he gets the ball, is ruining what could be the stand out player of his generation. As they say,form is temporary, class is permanent, and Barkley would/will be a tremendous player given the right team to play in and the right manager and coach to get the best out of him. Martinez is not that man. Martinez has also made Baines a shadow of the player he has been, by not realising that, without an outlet like Pienaar to help Baines get forward and to help cover for Baines when he DOES get forward, he has halved our attacking threat from the wings.Only Coleman presents a threat from wide positions now and I thought it was noticeable that he got forward more yesterday with Lennon in the team from the start than he has all season.
I would be much happier to see Baines playing in tandem with Oviedo or better still, Garbutt who I feel is good with his delivery and would benefit from a run in the team. Just as Robles did.... that ended well, didn't it?

Roberto is destroying Baines like this. He's destroying Barks, trying to play in a crowded middle of the pitch (Nais, one of my favourites but holding Barks' hand in that crowded middle). He's destroying Lukaku, having to play so much this season facing that congested middle of the park and receiving the ball from it with his back to the defence - not part of his skill set.

Players or tactics at fault? Wrong shape holes or wrong shape pegs?

(11;10;13;13)14;14;17;11;9;12;11;15 and this year 6

Numbers of clean sheets. The first 4 were David Moyes first four full years in charge and the next 8 are the last 8 seasons with Tim Howard as Goalkeeper.

So on average we are doing no worse, no better - but it sure feels like in terms of a rock solid defence.

Fraudball is described as awesome, dross is phenomenal.

Roberto is beginning to remind me of Donald Sutherland the hippy tank captain in KellyÂ’s Heroes.
"WhatÂ’s with negative vibes man,we need positive waves dude"

Robles
Hibbo (if fit)
Galloway
Distin
Garbutt
Atsu
Besic
Gibson
Oviedo (if fit)
Pienaar or Ossie (if fit)
Kone

Subs: Howard Stones Jags Barry Ledson Mirallas Lukaku.

How good would they be at their job, flipping burgers, if the customer was screeching in their ear all day?

Try a bit of encouragement, eh? Just might help. At the moment, Fortress Goodison is working for the away team.

I half agree that Howard has been "consistently good" but this entire season he has been fucking abysmal. At least you did not try to defend his assist for Leicester's second or even mention the all too common schoolyard mis-kick that he started laughing about, or the pathetic attempt at the end of extra time where he nearly gifted them all 3 points.

As you say you played goalkeeper at a decent standard, were you coached to make little side-steps to get yourself across and narrow the goal BEFORE diving? Watch the goal Howard concedes at Young Boys and ask yourself if you think he could of done better or if he just made it look like he was trying?

Do you not think that having a goalkeeper who doesn't try his best to throw the ball in his net at least once every game would go somewhere to creating a better overall team confidence and momentum to get points? Would it create less pressure on your midfield or attacking players if they didn't have to score a minimum of 2 goals every game?

Desperate post from yourself and you normally seem more informed. Howard should be gathering splinters until Summer and then given away free with a box of Capt'n Crunch.

Every one of our players right now is shit and has been all season.

Good players don't, as a collective, suddenly turn shit overnight. We're like a company with an awful strategy... doesn't matter how good the workers are. It's still a terrible strategy.

Once the suits realise that they are being hit in the pocket things may change.

I say 'may' because for all I know they may not give a toss about the fans through the turnstiles so long as they are dipping into the PL Jackpot.

Still I wouldn't like playing to a half empty stadium.

Ignore the early bird and see what happens. I gave this season a miss, did not renew ST and am quite happy to follow our progress from the comfort of home. I can switch off when I like - pity, but there you are.

Then again it wouldn’t bother me if he did play that team as I’m not bothered about the Europa Cup, I’m much more interested in staying in the Premiership, but as you say that team will not be picked anyway.

We need to replace him in the summer with a man of substance and backbone (Laudrup, Bilic [I know], Koeman, Klinsmann etc.).

However, using the same words over and over again would imply that he's either not very intelligent and/or doesn't actually know the meaning of those words. (Or he's so intelligent and I'm simply too dumb to understand him......could also be the case!)

Nothing (and I mean NOTHING) about this season so far can be described as; phenomenal, incredible, outstanding, terrific or fantastic unless it's used in a negative context. I.e. phenomenally/incredibly/fantastically/outstandingly bad.

I'm honestly begining to come round to the conclusion that Martinez is actually an idiot who has the ability to fool a lot of people with his over positive and very repetitive bollocks. However, you can't fool all the people all the time....truth will out.

As is equally inevitable, there are a handful of appeasers and apologists – my own apologies if that offends, but they are appropriate words to describe such people – who continue to deny the club is in crisis, who rather than question the manager glibly defend him not with any supporting evidence, but nothing more than blind faith.

They deflect blame of the manager on the inability of the players under his charge (many of them recruited by Martinez himself) to adapt to his football ’philosophy.’ This ignores the fact that essentially they are the same players who DID adapt, rapidly and effectively, to the new manager last season.

Similarly, the appeasers and apologists have no response to those who awkwardly ask, if that is truly the case, why is the manager insisting on applying his football philosophy if the current stock of players are not capable of playing it?

Instead, many blame the fan base for transmitting their anxiety to the players who then freeze and play ineffectively. Indeed, I’ve seen on TW a match-going Blue of 40 years vehemently argue the fan base is the principal reason the collective and the individual are playing so badly this season. Not the poor fitness levels … not the tactics or game strategy or management … but … the fans are the principal reason for our poor season. Personally, I find such a claim absurd in the extreme.

Equally, the appeasers and apologists say "Everton won’t be relegated - there are 3 worst teams in the league than us." This completely misses the point. There is no cause for triumphalism or celebration in such statements. Our club, this squad, should be nowhere near the relegation dog fight. But … they are.

Do any of the appeasers and apologists truly, closely, study the league table? If so, are any of you aware in the 14 games played against the 11 clubs above us this season, we have won but one single game – a fortunate 2-1 home win over WHU? In our 7 away games against the same 11 teams we have lost 6, picking up a solitary point with Jags wonder goal to earn a point at Analfield. Yet some still think we can even now achieve a top 8 finish …

I’ve read on here in the last 24 hours that every PL game is difficult and we have no right to expect a victory at home to Leicester, the worst side in the league. That’s true to a degree. Season after season in the PL a low ranked team turns over a higher ranked one. But such a view is too accepting of mediocrity. Too appeasing. Too apologetic. The facts are even against the lower ranked teams this season, our form is woeful.

We should be tanking Leicester and teams of their ilk. But instead, we have but 2 home wins against the 8 teams below us in the league. A ’gimme’ against QPR and another against Villa. Of the rest, we have lost to Palace and drawn against WBA, Hull and now Leicester.

I know the Goodison Park crowd well. I know the scorn, the abuse, the expletives, the scathing comments from the terraces that can be heard on the pitch and around the ground. And that is just from the kids and women!

But ... so what?! I defy any committed, passionate Evertonian sitting in front of their telly or watching a dodgy stream on their computer NOT to spontaneously curse or express exasperation at another Groundhog Day performance as the team, players and yes, the manager, repeat the same errors over … and over … and over again.

Why should we demand match going Blues who have made even greater sacrifices by handing over their hard-earned, in the white heat of live battle, to show greater restraint than armchair fans at home?

Rather than condemn and criticize them, we should be applauding them for their dogged attendance having to pay for and endure the poor fare offered for the majority of the season.

Some hark back to last year and claim that was the 'real Roberto' but by doing so, only undermine their argument. Because if that is the case and that is what he is genuinely capable of, then this year is even more criminal with the squad he has at his disposal.

I think we can all take unlucky late defeats at Stamford Bridge but draws at home to Leicester, West Brom and Hull should be simply unacceptable for this club.

Our 6 wins out of the 26 league games this year (yes just 6 wins):

QPR, Villa and West Ham at home
West Brom, Burnley and Palace away

So, we've managed to beat 5 of the bottom 8 and only won one other game.

The only words to sum that up should be: abysmal, embarrassing and shameful.

Unknown quantity at the start, loads of plus points but as soon as players work him out...BANG.....nothing but mis-hits and sitters.

In regards to slagging off Howard, instead of the flowery twatty summing up, just laugh a little ironically and say, "Yeah, he didn't have the best of games today, did he?"

Not a massive put down but enough to let us know he sees the same game as we do, as there is no way in Hell he should be using that fucking word phenomenal about any aspect of that game yesterday, unless he was stating is was a phenomenal fuck up with us once again shooting ourselves in the foot.

It looks obvious that Kone is not being trusted with any game time and we don't have many options in this position.

It makes me wonder if Martinez is scared of upsetting the 'bigger' personalities in the dressing room. Because it seems barring injury or suspension that Howard and Barry are the first names on the team sheet irrespective of form.

Martinez now looks an idiot defending Howard when he's got a keeper on the sidelines who can command his area better than Howard, distribute the ball better than Howard, and looked like he was growing in confidence every game.

We had to win yesterday, and we can go on about the hangovers from Thursday as mitigation, but at the end of the day a draw at home with Leicester isn't good enough.

I believe Howard did well to get down to the initial cross for the first goal. He was unlucky it bounced up off Stones for Nugent to knock it in IMO.

And that's the point - it's all about opinions and I rarely agree with so called experts and people who happen to be paid for watching football and writing about it. Hacks are no more informed about these matters than we are so their opinions mean no more to me than a stranger in a pub to be honest.

If people prefer to be swayed by what some idiotic press reports say, then that's fine but I choose to form my own opinion which I feel is actually more valid than someone who's never played the game.

Ernie, good response, but whether it's burgers or bloody joinery, getting on someone's back is unlikely to help, is it? There's a guy sits near us in the Lower Gwladys St who shouts absolute crap from start to finish. If you listen to whah he actually says, it's complete drivel. We call him "Coach." Now, we all know it's drivel, but the decibel level is such that the Park End must be pissed off with him. Let alone the players. And we all know where the awful strategy comes from...

Colin Glassar #117

Yes, Col, the difference between playing home and away must be really remarkable if you're a player. I'd hate to see Barkley's career go down the pan at Everton because of the fans attitude to a local talent. And you're right, there is a tendency to turn on home grown talent first...imagine if Brett Angell had been a scouser..

The tide changed slightly yesterday just before he was taken off, as he harried and tried to bully a defender on the line.....then he was subbed!

Anyone who states that the crowd is the cause of a poor result should be kicked in the bollocks repeatedly until Lukaku scores

I defended putting Tim back in and said Robles was unlucky to be dropped, I hold my hands up and got that wrong.

My heart goes out to the likes of Robles, Besic and Naismith, no matter what they do, it seems the likes of Howard, Barry and Lukaku will always walk in the team.

Despite his poor form and lack of confidence(and where has that come from? maybe the problems mentioned above?) Barkley is a real talent, but it's a talent that's being wasted at the moment because of Martinez and his incredible tactics.

I packed in buying / reading papers years ago. They are full of insipid stuff (at best) and fiction (at worst).

Regarding what LB said, couldn't we have predicted such a statement? It's straight out of the Phil Neville School of Spin. If LB had have said, "I think we're doing great in 12th place and the same next season" or "a blind man can see that RM is full of crap" then that would have been interesting.

As it stands, it's chip wrapper.

I agree with your point, like, but why they have to spout off to the press is just because they take us for mugs. If he was serious, he'd keep his gob shut and do his talking on the pitch. As you say, starting with a decent corner for once.

That said, Howard was not the main problem yesterday. We didnÂ’t deserve to win that game anyway. The low ball tempo, bad movement and the lack of creativity in midfield was shocking to watch.

That said, Howard was not the main problem yesterday. We didn't deserve to win that game anyway. The low ball tempo, bad movement and the lack of creativity in midfield was shocking to watch.

I would have kept Robles in the team personally. He was doing well, improving with every game he played and deserved a run.

I still think Howard does well to get down to the first cross. That's a very difficult ball to deal with and I genuinely think a lot of people don't appreciate that.

It was hit hard along the ground and the keeper HAS to go for it. Goalkeeping is an instinctive art, and you do things without thinking a lot of the time. Sometimes it comes off, sometimes it doesn't.

I'm an odd fish perhaps on here as an ex keeper I'll always defence them unless they've really made a howler and on this one I don't think he has. The second one lacked conviction and he paid for it. Then his confidence was shot and he flapped again later. It happen to keepers. Crosses are the hardest thing to deal with and all keeper screw up sometimes. Most often one mistake will follow another but to lay into a goalkeeper who has been an excellent custodian for Everton is in my view, short sighted and unfair.

The decision to drop Robles imho was a disgrace as we unfortunately are now finding out, he should be our keeper from now till the season ends, even Andy Gray in the echo is calling for Howard to be dropped. How many chances do we have to give him James? he’s cost us big in several games this season, he needs to be benched permanently!

Barry is too pedestrian for the battle ahead, Baines not the same assured self, Howard a mistake waiting to happen. Replace Howard with Robles, Baines with Oviedo or Garbutt, Barry with Besic. TheyÂ’re all in better form.

I thought the CDMs were supposed to cover the FBs and slot into the space they leave open if they go forward. Seems this isn't really happening and so the likes of Baines and Coleman don't get forward as much. Or at least the FBs don't have confidence in being covered by the CDMs (understandable in Barry's case given how slow he is)

For me the game versus Leicester should be for Howard exactly what the cup game versus Wigan was for Neville - his last for Everton.

Perhaps I am silly and all that, but he is costing us goals again and again, if that is not his fault, then I am lost for words - it certainly wasn't the friggin fairies

Mister Martinez
Which keeper were you watching
You need spectacles.

Most of it is really serious stuff tho!

He just had nowhere to go. He's got no-one to overlap and is up against two wide players every week. I also watched Naismith providing 'half cover' - he stood on the halfway line and ushered Baines back. Can't blame Naismith for that - it's just not his game. Baines is getting forward - that's the Martinez style. As soon as we get the ball he goes forward and the CBs go wider. It's deliberate and very drilled. And was a contributing factor to both goals.

Baines still has the intent, the touch, the speed of thought and feet. For us to not find a way to use that is criminal. We're wasting him.

If you need any more evidence of RMs flawed judgement (and who does!) then look no further than his above comments

For what it's worth I really admire Howard for his and professionalism, genuine affection for and dedication to the club but I would never have dropped Robles after his string of good performances and clean sheets. Whether Howard will ever reach his previous peak again, only time will tell. My one time hero, Neville Southall, was allowed to play on far too long and there was a danger that his reputation would be tarnished as a result. Perhaps, Howard just needs a rest? However, before I bad mouth him, I would acknowledge his contribution to the club. I rate him only behind Southall, Gordon West and possibly Nigel Martyn in the goalkeeping hierarchy.

It's Martinez's fault if he's played beyond his expiry date and he doesn't deserve the insults thrown at him.

It makes you wonder how many more clangers he has to make before Martinez has the Phil Neville V Wigan epiphany our OFM had. I fear it will get a lot worse before Martinez takes the blinkers off about Timmy.

Everyone thought we'd have to bring in a new GK last month. So when Robles came in and started to show the form and potential that made Martinez splash the undisclosed (but reportedly 4m fee) most were made up to think we already had someone to replace a GK who has been crap all season.

So, I'd have to disagree that people are jumping on a bandwagon. Howard needs to go this summer, like Distin, who is another, who's has played one too many seasons. Both have been good servants but footballs not a game for sentiment and players should only be judged on their present form. Unfortunately we seem to have a manager who is in awe of certain players who can do no wrong in his eyes, even though Howard must be at the top the charts for individual errors this season.

He has put in some excellent performances this season but is now cited as an awful player. He ran the show against YB but there was not a mention about him. We actually missed him on Sunday until Gibson came on. Problem with Barry is that he is expected to do everything instead of just playing to his strengths, which is the managers fault.

As for Howard, Robles deserved an extended run in the team and it was stupid to bring Howard straight back in. I think Howard will sense that the crowd are now against him and it is the one position were a mistake will be punished and if a goalie is nervous about a crowd mistakes will happen.

Great managers are bold and decisive in situations like this. Look how whisky nose used to drop his keepers when they made one too many errors. (Howard being one of them) Jim Leighton followed Ferguson from Aberdeen, but there was not sentiment when he was dropped in the FA Cup final replay.

I'd love to see Martinez come across as a stronger manager in his relationships with some of our players.

I completely agree with the "Haircut Theory", infact as I recall, both myself and Harold Matthews agreed upon this principle during the close season, though only in regard to Big Rom's dreads.

Bainsey's "mod" cut ?

You ought to hear some of the crap that emanates from where I sit in the Park End - it's not what I call justifiable criticism! I know it's ruining Barkley, no matter how well he's paid.

Any striker in the premiership would of put at least two of his chances away; play Kone for the rest of the season. A big plus for us was Gibson first game back and showed them all up.

Can someone tell me why he takes Besic off all the time?

Android by any chance?

There's a guy near me in the Park End who shouts out "*******", you're f&ckin' crap before a ball has even been kicked. For , ******** substitute, Howard, Osman, Barkley, Barry, Distin, Lukaku - in fact, anyone who he takes a passing dislike to. It's "supporters" like him who make my blood boil, not a player performing badly.

Time and time again he was in a massive hurry to get the ball away to his defenders, regularly putting them under pressure. His passing from feet also came with risk. Thus he was making with poor decision making about when to launch the ball and when not. Think about the games where he almost got caught by an approaching opponent.

The signs were there last season but were masked by the momentum that we had at the other end of the park. This season his overall form has further declined and prior to his injury it did not warrant a first team place. Those of us at the game could see it clearly.

His kicking is woeful and lacks both distance and accuracy. He has a poor habit of slicing kicks regularly. His punching is also below the standard required which becomes even more of an issue for a man that does not have an aerial dominance in the box.

Furthermore this is also a man who decided to back away from international football to spend more time with his family which should have given a clear indication to all at EFC that this was a man taking a backward step from football.

Cue the introduction of Robles who should have played in all cup competitions from the start. However the Krasnodar game showed Robles to be both nervous and not match ready. To his credit the lad settled down in the absence of Howard to start to look confident and vocal to his defenders, only to be cruelly removed from the side.

Setting aside the EL second leg, we move towards two very difficult PL away games and RM’s decision to bring back TH throws up bigger problems in goal. I read a comment that if Robles is brought back he will have to start from scratch and I have to agree with that. Should RM return Robles to the side, he effectively has to start all over again in terms of settling down but we have to stick with him right up to the end of the season. It really is the only option.