Can someone explain the Tim Howard situation?

[Marchetti]

Yeah, I'm a yank, so what?

Can someone explain to me why Howard has been benched for ManUtd? He had a great year last campaign, and now he seems to fade away already... what's going on?

[JoeDub83]

he's hit the sophmore slump. Made some mistakes which forced SAF to give him a rest.......Tim will be back dont worry too much about it.

[haven]

Yeah, I'm a yank, so what?

Can someone explain to me why Howard has been benched for ManUtd? He had a great year last campaign, and now he seems to fade away already... what's going on?

Sadly, Howard's been little other than awful in the short season so far. He made two really dreadful mistakes that each cost a goal in separate games. He also showed a lack of ability to deal well with balls in the air.

I also wonder if his Tourrette's is cropping up. He was on the bench for the US against Panama, and the cameras flashed to him briefly. He was twitching far, far worse than I've ever seen him do before.

Most of us in this forum are hoping he gets another shot and does well. But since Carroll has been playing well so far, better than Howard did, that won't happen for a while.

[Coach_McGuirk]

Sadly, Howard's been little other than awful in the short season so far. He made two really dreadful mistakes that each cost a goal in separate games. He also showed a lack of ability to deal well with balls in the air.

I also wonder if his Tourrette's is cropping up. He was on the bench for the US against Panama, and the cameras flashed to him briefly. He was twitching far, far worse than I've ever seen him do before.

Most of us in this forum are hoping he gets another shot and does well. But since Carroll has been playing well so far, better than Howard did, that won't happen for a while.
I seriously think they need to loan him out where he can play on a regular basis. That way he can work through whatever problems he's having rather than sitting on the bench.

January will be the telling month. If ManU sign a GK them I think Timmy will be sold soon after.

[hawk_claw]

can someone also explain his Tourres or w/e...i thought it was a minor temper issue....whats with this twitching thing??? thanks

[SuperElf]

he's hit the sophmore slump. Made some mistakes which forced SAF to give him a rest.......Tim will be back dont worry too much about it.Well, to be fair, Carroll's faced a grand total of about 5 interesting shots on goal since he came in a month ago. Carroll's first game happened to coincide with the return of Rio, and by extension the settling down of the previously spastic defensive line. You could put the #1 shirt on a bushel of apples and it would only give up one goal a game for ManU. right now.

[Coach_McGuirk]

can someone also explain his Tourres or w/e...i thought it was a minor temper issue....whats with this twitching thing??? thanks
Howard has Tourette's Syndrome, but I believe he is on medication to control it, and for the most part I don't think anyone has felt that his condition has had any bearing on his recent form, although as someone pointed out he did look as if he was really feeling it on the bench at the US/Panama match.


Tourette's causes you to have involuntary spasms but there are drugs to help.

[haven]

I seriously think they need to loan him out where he can play on a regular basis. That way he can work through whatever problems he's having rather than sitting on the bench.

January will be the telling month. If ManU sign a GK them I think Timmy will be sold soon after.

I actually think they should sign another GK *and* keep Tim. Sign a guy like Van der Saar who you can expect to be good, but not make the position his own. Then loan Howard out, let him regain some confidence. Then let him compete for the starting job next season.

[Coach_McGuirk]

I actually think they should sign another GK *and* keep Tim. Sign a guy like Van der Saar who you can expect to be good, but not make the position his own. Then loan Howard out, let him regain some confidence. Then let him compete for the starting job next season.
Oh, I agree that the loan option is probably the best one, but how much does anyone know about how he's done in training? I guess the whole thing rests on whether SAF thinks that Timmy has a future.

Being sold might really damage him, psychologically. You would hope that Keller and Friedel would let him know it's not the end of the world, but I have no idea how he gets along with those two, either.

On a related note: how long has Friedel been working on that English accent? Keller's been in England longer than him, and he still sounds American....

[erictheking]

He couldn't catch a cold at the moment. That's why he's been dropped.

[Andy Bennett]

Well, to be fair, Carroll's faced a grand total of about 5 interesting shots on goal since he came in a month ago. Carroll's first game happened to coincide with the return of Rio, and by extension the settling down of the previously spastic defensive line. You could put the #1 shirt on a bushel of apples and it would only give up one goal a game for ManU. right now.
Having the 'real' defence back has made a tremendous difference... but Carroll deserves his shot at an extended run in the side. He's a good keeper. Bear in mind he's only 26 or whatever it is. I think that Howard will be back before long though.

[Andy Bennett]

"On a monkey's death day, all trees are slipperry!!" - ZANI, talking about what, I have no idea .
Interesting sig. Have you heard his one about the VW beetle? Apparently it's the biggest small car in London when viewed from the top of a London bus - Spooky.

[sitati_kituyi]

Having the 'real' defence back has made a tremendous difference... but Carroll deserves his shot at an extended run in the side. He's a good keeper. Bear in mind he's only 26 or whatever it is. I think that Howard will be back before long though.
Tim Howard had a good campaign last season, and he'd be superb as a no. 1 at the Fulhams, Southamptons and even the Boro's of this world. His form, however, was not good enough to be a consistent first 11 player for Manchester United. This year it's gotten even worse.

He's shown so much promise and he'd make a world-class keeper one day, it's just that this isn't that day and through all the mistakes he's made, it can be said that Roy Carroll is a more consistent and reliable keeper.

Honestly, I don't think he'll get his chance for an extended run in the first team again. He will play some games, but I think we'll buy in January. If we could let him go on loan he'd improve and maybe become more consistent, but the fact is the GK position in a Championship-contending team is not one where there is enough room for mistake to allow a slow learning curve.

[Jay44]

I was wondering about him also. It was suppose to be a break, but it has been a month and he is still not making the bench. This does not look good at all.

[Arsenal_pwns_all]

He's pretty much in the same position as Dudek two seasons ago. He was one of the best keepers last season, but this season he has lost all his confidence. He looks extremely jaded and unrealible, unable to deal properly with air balls and unable to communicate with his defenders. IMO he's a good shot-stopper, but all his other aspects are either average at best or lackluster at worst.
He probably won't be seeing much chance again, unless Roy Carroll gets injured. As some of you guys have said, he's playing for a top club, and in a top club there's not much room for you to learn from your mistakes.

[Coach_McGuirk]

Interesting sig. Have you heard his one about the VW beetle? Apparently it's the biggest small car in London when viewed from the top of a London bus - Spooky.
I think I saw somebody who had sigged the VW gem. Say what you will, but the boy can make up a proverb at the drop of a hat.

Personally, I think ZANI's latest addition to my sig line is a stroke of comic genius. :D

[Andy Bennett]

I think I saw somebody who had sigged the VW gem. Say what you will, but the boy can make up a proverb at the drop of a hat.

True, true... personally I try and avoid them like the plague.

[tomvandamn]

The reason Howard was signed by ManU was a marketing tool towards the U.S.
Simple as that.
He was decent but seriously did you guys expect him to be the starter right away.
Eventually he has been losing his concentration and he
has been dropped twice in 2 years.

I said they wouldn’t sign him when the rumors were going around and they did so
I got a lot of feedback from the mls lunatics.
Well now all I have to say is I told you he wouldn’t last.

In the process he has been impressive at times and should get another chance.

[Andy Bennett]

I said they wouldn’t sign him when the rumors were going around and they did so

... and from this we can gather?

[Achtung]

The reason Howard was signed by ManU was a marketing tool towards the U.S.
Simple as that.

Wow, you are a complete moron. Hats off for that. Maybe Ruud was signed to appease the Dutch after we sold Stam, right?



I said they wouldn’t sign him when the rumors were going around and they did so
I got a lot of feedback from the mls lunatics.
Well now all I have to say is I told you he wouldn’t last.

No, you said he wouldn't sign. You were wrong there so you had to fall back on something you didn't actually say. Now if he sticks it out and proves you wrong again, you'll have to find something else to pretend you were saying all along. Reminds me a bit of a Texan I know...