who's our best goalkeeper

[CahillsCornerFlag]

Well Howard is making costly mistakes virtually every game, and he's hardly going to cut them out in this stage of his career.

Robles might make his fair share of mistakes too, but he's only likely to improve, so it makes total sense to play him in the hope he improves. He should never have been dropped last season, gross mismanagement.

 

[ToffeeDan]

Ched Dar Entre Les Poteaux

Monterrey Jackie Howard is a bit better than Man Chego Robles.

 

[Nymzee]

May as well play with Hibbo in nets state of our keeping department

 

[catcherintherye]

I think it's very hard to make a case for Howard really. He has played some good games this season and was outstanding against Spurs. The argument for him would be that he is a safe pair of hands and experience in front of quite a young defence. The problem I have with that line of thought is that he doesn't really play like an experienced goalkeeper.

Even when I think back to Big Neville Southall, even when he was overweight and had gone as a keeper, he always had positioning and decision making abilities to a tea. He had a bit of a honeymoon under Royle because of his positioning and experience. Nigel Martyn is probably the best example though, as he was a goalkeeper who had lost a little in agility but more than made up for it in experience and being a calming head on our back four.

Howard seems to have none of those qualities really. He has got better on one on ones this season. However when it comes to collecting crosses he is still suspect. If we had a goalkeeper like a Southall who would come and collect corners it would make a massive difference to us.

Robles may not be perfect. I think it's very harsh to judge him on him playing the occasional game here or there though. As with all players, but particularly goalkeepers you have to judge them after they've had a run. The only time he's been given a run for us he began to perform very well. Against Palace he started to dominate his box and his performance in the derby was very solid. He has all the attributes to be a very good goalkeeper.

Of course we don't know if he can be that for us. We do know that Howard, at 36 will not be that man for us though and it is probably time to make the change. I think Howard may go soon, hopefully at the end of the season, I hope Joel is given an opportunity to prove himself first.

 

[Furey1878]

Well Howard is making costly mistakes virtually every game, and he's hardly going to cut them out in this stage of his career.

Robles might make his fair share of mistakes too, but he's only likely to improve, so it makes total sense to play him in the hope he improves. He should never have been dropped last season, gross mismanagement.

To be fair, mate. You won't find many mangers who'll drop their #1 keeper.

It's not right as you no-one should be guaranteed a start of course, but just the way it is.

 

[Ashtonian]

After the Cardiff game at home you'd have taken Marshall in a heartbeat,but given he was playing behind a dodgy defense that gave up chance after chance the averages are he'd save quite a few if he was half decent.In the Prem it's all about the games when the keeper has 95% nothing to do.

I'll admit when vit comes to goal keepers i havent a clue who is the genuinely brilliant ones unless im wating their highlights on sky sports or whatever. Haven't a clue who we can bring in, but i guess robles looked like that sort of keeper before we signed him and he just doesn't do anything great for me.

So its either spend big (in our world) for a keeper to guarantee a decent one or you gamble on hope for the best.

I guess Ospina is a gamble we could take if his quotes was anything to go by

 

[Dithering Dougie]

Well Howard is making costly mistakes virtually every game, and he's hardly going to cut them out in this stage of his career.

Robles might make his fair share of mistakes too, but he's only likely to improve, so it makes total sense to play him in the hope he improves. He should never have been dropped last season, gross mismanagement.

If that's the case how come we've only been beaten twice this season and up until Saturday had one of the best defensive records in the league?

 

[mkrudden]

I don't buy that Howard is awful yet I'd be lying if I said that he hasn't started to grate on me.
He's an alright goalkeeper, much like Mignolet, but I think we are getting to the stage where there shouldn't be that resignation when an opponent is one on one. It's quite clear what they both do - they guess the attackers intention and go down early.
He's been a decent keeper for us, has Howard, and I've no doubt that the commitment he has to his game and to our club is infectious amongst the younger pro's - which we refreshingly have a lot of in our squad.
I think, however, that it's time Robles was given the chance to see if he can be number one. He was very good last year in Howard's absence.
If he's not up to it then there is a raft of goalkeepers out there who could do a good job for us. Butland, Foster (who I have always thought is underrated), Heaton, Ospina, Valdes, Speroni, Vorm, Schmeichel, Adrian... they are all in the same bracket or better as/of Howard but would potentially provide us with what Howard doesn't seem to be able to - security.
Just my take on it, I know there will be opposition - especially to my suggestions as who should replace him.

 

[Steve Wigan]

Phil Jagielka is supposed to be pretty good........

 

[mlyons]

Can we get over this myth that Joel was looking like a world beater before Howard returned last season? He played very well in the derby, but apart from that he looked subpar at best. He was extraordinarily lucky in the Palace match, bailed out by a couple of goal line clearances. He had a clean sheet against West Brom, but that probably had something to do with them not registering a single shot on target in an absolutely wretched 0-0 draw. And before that, he conceded 7 goals in 5 matches. We won once in the eight matches in a row he started while Howard was injured. That's not the form of someone who deserves to take over as the number one starter.

 

[Dithering Dougie]

Can we get over this myth that Joel was looking like a world beater before Howard returned last season? He played very well in the derby, but apart from that he looked subpar at best. He was extraordinarily lucky in the Palace match, bailed out by a couple of goal line clearances. He had a clean sheet against West Brom, but that probably had something to do with them not registering a single shot on target in an absolutely wretched 0-0 draw. And before that, he conceded 7 goals in 5 matches. We won once in the eight matches in a row he started while Howard was injured. That's not the form of someone who deserves to take over as the number one starter.

He's very romanticised by his backers on here.

At this rate in 10 years time some people will be claiming him as Neville Southalls equal.

 

[mkrudden]

Can we get over this myth that Joel was looking like a world beater before Howard returned last season? He played very well in the derby, but apart from that he looked subpar at best. He was extraordinarily lucky in the Palace match, bailed out by a couple of goal line clearances. He had a clean sheet against West Brom, but that probably had something to do with them not registering a single shot on target in an absolutely wretched 0-0 draw. And before that, he conceded 7 goals in 5 matches. We won once in the eight matches in a row he started while Howard was injured. That's not the form of someone who deserves to take over as the number one starter.

Hmmm i'm not sure people think he's a world beater instead that it may be time for a change and the most obvious candidate is the number 2 who kept 4 clean sheets (I think).

If he isnt the right man then fine, we need to bring in a new goalkeeper.

To me it's a case of 'you never know' with Robles.
I think the evidence is accumulating that we have had the best out of Howard and with quite a few keepers out there at 'lesser' clubs, the summer should be when we invest.

 

[Chang Elephant]

Joel Robles a clear winner according to GOT. I think the important question is one of whether this is actually a reflection on Joel (who knows, he may come good) or how crap Tim is.
I'm tending to the view that this poll essentially backs up the earlier poll which concluded that Tim was actual crap.

 

[Verbal Kint]

If Joel plays good in the cup game, he needs to get a run, I'm all for loyalty but you don't reward mediocrity.

 

[CahillsCornerFlag]

If that's the case how come we've only been beaten twice this season and up until Saturday had one of the best defensive records in the league?

Good defence.

Neither of our current keepers are up to it though.