Confident Howard shrugs off recent criticism

Not saying Joel is the answer but you are one arrogant twat.

If only Tim and the rest of his team-mates could transfer that belief into positive results more often, we may see the real success that we all crave.

So, if you're that good, Tim, please explain why do you you think you get criticised every week? I know footballers aren't the most intelligent but this takes the custard cream. Dozy fucker

Here we have either a delusional player or a player who knows that Old Father Time has come a-calling and he's fronting it out, knowing he's got the full support of Martinez.

At a guess, he lost us 12-15 pts last season and it could be argued that the goals Man City (beaten near post) RS & The Arse (6 yard headers) he's at it again. A total liability.

He's was barely ever average and for years has cost and undermined this team. He's been worse, over a long period, than any other Everton goalie. Wright and Gerrard were shite but not for this long!

Arrogant tool of a man; can't wait to see the back of him and can't think of an Everton player I've disliked more.

As opposed to this guy who is either toppling over backwards in a heap the minute the ball is struck goalwards, star jumping over the ball, diving out of the way of a shot straight at him, actually behind his goal line or staying rooted to that line even when a cross comes over in his 6 yard box. There are many examples of all of the above clowning about. It's so depressing.

Even on the rare occasion it's none of the above like on Saturday his leaden feet and sub standard positioning make average shots look like world class efforts.

Why was he on the edge of the 6 yard box when Lanzini struck? That's the time to be on your line to cut the angle down you fool! You were miles away from a shot that didn't even go into the top corner yet almost lobbed you. Miles away!

In Kiev in the biggest game of the season I thought they'd made his goal bigger, he was nowhere near anything. Laughable stuff really. I stopped being angry with him about this time last year and have moved on to blaming the manager who picks him.

He'll be trying to shrug off a piping hot meat and potato in the grid (hurled from row G of the upper Gwladys) if he doesn't start coming off his fucking line for bread-and-butter crosses.

Two points.

1) He says 'This is my 13th year in the Premier League and I have been criticised every week.'

Every week!?

A lie - absolutely definitely not true.

2) He adds 'I know how good I am and know what it takes to be successful.'

Well bully for you, I also know 'what it takes to be successful' - but knowing it doesn't make me capable of doing it.

By the way, Andrew (#10)... you don't 'cut down' an angle by staying on your line. And even I can't blame TH for Lanzini's goal.

I can't think of a season where he has saved us more points than his errors have cost us.

He looks like the type of player who needs to believe he is the best to perform, so I don't mind him dismissing the obvious comments that have been made about him. If it gets a reaction from him, then we'll be better for it. We do need a keeper long term though. And if we could sell him to an American team in the summer, then that would be a good exit for all parties.

Get back to the line for the Lanzini one and surely that should be saved or at least the angles are such that he should get closer to the ball? It was well struck but not at blistering pace, a bit like the Lampard cup final goal he palmed in which is probably what I'm yet to properly get over.

If we are serious about challenging for the top 4 or 6 even then we need a top class GK and I don't think many people can believe that that is T-Ho anymore.

Wish we'd got Butland for the paltry £4m he cost Stoke a year or two ago. Now he'd already be worth double that at least.

Ruffier, Horn, Perrin, Leno, Cillessen would all seen to be steps up though some easier to get than others.

David Marshall is decent but overated thanks to MOTD. I think we should aim higher.

He is making mistakes, but needs to maintain his confidence, and perhaps his pride is making him kick back against the stick he is getting.

There is no doubt that we need to look for a quality goalie next summer. A man who will inspire the lads in front of him with confidence.

I think Robles should be given a fair run in the team, but if Tim is playing, we should support him, as he will be doing his best, regardless of these media quotes.

His decision making and anticipation are both appalling and that is what makes good keepers great. Time for him to go.

However, it is reasonable for us all to expect him to do the basic of coming off his line for crosses to attack and collect the ball. Along with piss-poor defending of crosses by a succession of our players over recent years he has leaked many preventable goals. Is it that our coaching staff can't train this in to him or is it his misplaced arrogance that prevents him from listening?

Yes, Howard makes the odd save but, on the law of averages, a keeper from the Championship would make the odd save also. How many mistakes and points is Howard going to cost Everton before Martinez twigs on? And how many teams in the Premier League would now sign Howard? He could maybe go to wherever Moyes ends up. He is welcome to him.

Every interview where he gets asked the question about his form (and the media has done), he never puts up his hand and admits that he fucked up. Or that he'll go back and work harder on the training ground. It's always, "I don't care what the fans say, criticism means nothing to me." I've worked with people like that and they are the worst. The defenders in front of him are fed up.

Sounds like he just wants to take all the good comments, but have nothing to do with the bad.

I would suggest that overall he's been good for us, and has saved us more times than he's made errors.

Last season he was poor, that's inescapable but he's improved of late from what I've seen. Top class keepers are few & far between, and since Big Nev we've had some stinkers in Myhre, Westerveld, Simonsen, Gerrard, Wright...

Be careful what you wish for.

Self-confidence is extremely important in a top class sportsperson and I personally have no problem at all with a bit of arrogance.

Long may it continue.

Seizing on this comment is one-sided. As others have said goalkeepers in general and Tim in particular need to keep up a high degree of self-confidence. I'm sure he knows where he has made mistakes and works on them in training.

And on his attitudes – he's a massive Blue and has done a lot to promote the club in the US. He is coming to the end of his top class career and a replacement should be a priority, but a bit of balance please.

When Lukaku ran on to that ball from Del, and took it around the keeper, all and sundry declared it a great goal. If it had been at the other end, I expect that we would have been moaning that Tim was too slow coming off his line!

Tim is not the best, or the worst in our league, and it is not his displays that will see us marooned in mid-table, because, contrary to many who see the best squad in years, I see mediocrity, in a relatively poor Premier League, where 4th is up for grabs. We won't get anywhere near it though.

"Self-confidence is extremely important in a top class sportsperson and I personally have no problem at all with a bit of arrogance."

Arrogance is fine if you also have the wherewithal to assess your own weaknesses and strive for improvement. Tim Howard clearly doesn't have this in him. He genuinely thinks Everton are lucky to have him.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Nicklas Bendtner both have 'arrogance'. Only one of them is justified and has gone on to use it the right way.

I think he's saying that if you actually believe Genesis to be a factual documentary of events then you are probably as big a muppet as Tim Howard.

Doffs cap.

I think it's telling he mentions about having the manager's confidence too. Shows that he knows Martinez will never drop him, hence his arrogant attitude. It also shows that Martinez is far too soft on players who underperform or make numerous mistakes.

I think it is shocking that a minority of fans boo him during a game. That is hardly going to improve matters is it....

No change of manager = no change of keeper.

We can moan all we want but it's the manager who picks him at the end of the day (and who won't sign a new keeper).

I hope RM is already plotting for his replacement and his pronouncements on TH are to help ease his way into the MLS as soon as is possible. Next summer I would hope.

Well, Tim Howard has had his best years as a goalkeeper – end of story.

Delusion, arrogance and on top of that the guy is 36/37 years old, it is a known fact that ability drops with age, Goalkeepers also lose their agility, which has happened to Howard here.

Until Martinez drops him, we must keep him on his toes, since Martinez refuses to!!!!

These players and managers are so delusional you think they're playing on a children's team. "I don't listen to the criticism..." Well maybe you should because you'd learn a thing or two. This is case-in-point what happens when there is no fear of being dropped. Everyone knows this and sport is not just competition against an opponent. It's competition against your teammates to play and competition against yourself to improve.

As mind-boggling as this interview is, it's the other delusional bloke (RM) who trots him out every week. The player has nothing to do with it, he doesn't pick himself. Until there's some accountability with this team, like 20/30 years ago, ain't nothing changing.

Careful men, you are talking sense which doesn't really apply on TW.

Odd that the criticisms of our strikers and forwards don't go the same way such as why didn't Del Boy put it in the top right elbow since the keeper covered the left side of the goal or that shot should have been along the ground to the back post? It is only the GK who gets scrutinized so severely and second-guessed by those who have the benefit of replay and can pull the one second of the shot and goal out of the run of play (which determines the GK's decision as to positioning and anticipation of the shot) and put it into a vacuum for analysis.

It is a conflict of styles for some and just mean spirited for others on here. Howard has been a front line starting keeper in the EPL for years (There are only 20 so he must be doing something right) while the critics are merely keyboard warriors or recreational league GKs.

I suggest that GKs have to be self-confident just like an NFL quarterback or NHL goalie. I also suggest that it is unwarranted arrogance on the part of the critics to believe that he doesn't know how to play the position. It is not arrogance to continue to play the way he does, it is simply playing within what he learned. Why would someone admit a mistake when they don't see it as such?

BTW, Barclay's and also Squawka.com has him in the top four overall if you take the time to compare the individual stats if it doesn't take too much time away from the next anti-Howard rant. If and when Howard does ever leave how ironic would it be for him to become a broadcaster doing Everton games?

Whatever he says, he's struggling right now and is doing exactly what you'd expect of a player of advancing years... he's getting worse. Not exactly a staggering development is it?

I think he plays until we have someone good enough to replace him and I suspect that, at present, it isn't Robles. Over to you Roberto... Either come up with a way to get Joel up to scratch or go out and buy someone. The situation isn't going to improve without some action.

If there were one or two descenting voices it could be put down to not liking Tim Howard's brand of goalkeeping - The flapping at crosses and poor positioning, and it would be a case of horses for courses. In which case I would be one of those who don't rate Howard any more.

I don't think he's the same GK since after the WC, and either age is catching up with his reflex's or his head has overinflated with all the US media kissing his arse and he believes all the hype and thinks he's better than he is. Which I'm inclined to believe reading the above interview.

But that's not the case. There was a recent poll in the Echo where 84% of Everton fans thought he was struggling and should be dropped. So are you saying those 84% don't know anything about football because they haven't played in goal at a high level like you (something which you constantly bring up when defending Howard) and their opinion is not valid??

It's not as though the criticism is restricted just to TW. There's been numerous times when pundits on MotD have singled him out for mistakes in recent games. Reporters have been asking Martinez about Howard's form for a reason, Jim. Are these ex-professionals and pundits wrong too?!

Credit where credits due, the negative Howard posts died down in the opening handful of games because he was playing well and I'm guessing any statistics you're using to defend Howard being in the top 4 keepers are from this time period. We did after all have the joint best defensive record up to the United fixture.

That can be the only explanation because we've been letting goals in for fun from the United game onwards. You've clearly got a blind spot, Jim. Maybe it's because he's an American hero to Yanks who follow the game.

Surely you can't take the line that Howard must play come what may?!

Some other posters on TW have played at a decent level too... probably not enough to criticize John Terry, but just as valid as everyone else on here... even former goalies.

I agree that he has become a liability in the last 3 or 4 years and he now should no longer be in the team and it is time to move him on in the summer.

When Tim got injured last Christmas and Joel Robles came in and played well and kept about 3 clean sheets, Robles should have stayed in the team and Robles should be getting a run now.

What a crock of crap.

Sorry, but some people on here really do love the sound of their own keyboard.

Of course he's entitled to have confidence in his own ability - last I looked, none of you were a career sportsman.

I may be in the minority on many things, but I believe that constructive criticism, especially when the individual takes notice and makes changes is warranted - I also think football fans are famously fickle and love to lay into players as soon as they get the opportunity, rather than backing them to improve.

Goalkeepers always take too much stick, and it's the hardest, most glaringly challenging position to play in football on many levels. Fair play to Tim Howard for having the balls to stand up and be counted.

And to say we can't criticise cos we don't do the same job is ridiculous, sorry. If that's the case, I take it you will never have a pop at a politician ever, or slate another of our players when he's had a bad game, or at RM when he cocks his tactics up. You can see when things aren't right with a player, whatever job you do personally.

Every player goes through poor form, and yes, age catches up with players; the thing is though, it's not the players fault if they're still in the team is it? Of course Tim Howard is going to say he's still got it, and still deserves his place.

I like his attitude, I also think he's been one of the best keepers we've had since Southall, all bar Nigel Martyn who was probably the best.

It seems to me that people forget Howard has been a top Premier League keeper for a very long time.

Yes, his form has dipped, but does that mean he should tell the manager he no longer wants to be in the team? Of course not, and of course he's going to say positive things, yet this is somehow perceived as arrogance? That makes no sense to me.