Will Tim Howard ever be the #1 at ManU again?

He really hasn't been a whipping boy, at least not one abused by the team. The papers make fun at his expense, but they do that with a couple hundred players each season, so that's no big deal.
TH was benched because he wasn't playing well, which makes perfect sense.
As of now, the only thing to go on is SAF's statement, that TH is going through a 2nd year slip blip, and needs time to get back on track.
Out of favor keepers don't have a great track record of bouncing back into the starting lineup with their old clubs, but that is often because they're aging and losing it. TH is obviously on the incline, career wise.
Will he start for ManU for a decade? Who knows? Will he ever start for them again? Who knows.
But talented gks are always in demand, and he's done enough with ManU to build start a nice Euro career.

 

i would assume he'll get another chance to claim it

 

i think another reason man u are looking at other keepers is because roy carroll doesn't appear to want to renew his contract (which isn't really surprising)

 

I have a feeling we may see Timmy on the bench next weekend. Hopefully, Panama tests him on Wednesday a few times

 

and he saves all those goal attempts

 

I wish I could be a fly on the proverbial wall at practices, where hopefully Tim is showing the quality that won him the starting job in the first place and reminding SAF of his skill. But we don't know if that's happening.

Even if Tim is doing well in practice, a win while stopping a few tough shots against Panama would also boost his confidence.

But I would be surprised if SAF did not see fit to reunite the quality defense that Tim played with so well last year. Tim hasn't, to my knowledge, gotten a game with Rio yet.

 

It's been said, but it bears repeating: in the 22 league games last season prior to Rio's ban, Manchester United allowed just 15 goals. Tim Howard played every minute of each of those matches. SAF can't and won't ignore that record, and barring some sort of total mental breakdown, those talents will have another chance to show themselves in a Manchester United uniform. With Carroll apparently on his way out, Howard will get the chance to battle Ricardo, maybe Luke Steele, and maybe another incoming keeper for the #1 job.

 

With Howard being relatively young for a keeper right now, I can see United maybe bringing in a more experienced keeper for him to learn from, especially since Carroll seems ready to go anyways... I'd prefer Howard to be kept and given the chance to push his way back into first team contention no matter who comes in though.

Don't pay too much attention to all the Brit press though, it'll soon be easier to list the keepers that United have NOT been linked with...

 

I think that he's had his opportunity and blew it this year. After a great season last year the mistakes he has made have pissed Sir Alex off and I don't see him getting back in unless Carroll gets hurt. He has allot to do to prove that he should be the top keeper. This doesn't help him with his confidence, but I'm sure he will work hard and show that h should be back on top.

My prediction is that if he sits on the bench for the better part of the rest of the season, he will be playing for someone else next year. If Sir Alex doesn't have the confidence in him, he will shop for another keeper and send Tim on his way.

 

Unfortunately for any keeper that comes under the ManU microscope, the only acceptable performance rating is "Infalable". The stakes are so high at that club that it might be best for Tim to join a team where he can be human.

 

That's the rating borne of only one man: Peter Schmeichel. It's been over five years that SAF has been looking for his successor, and while Barthez and Howard have shown glimpses of it, no one has lived up to the title. Being the keeper at United is almost something no one wants anymore because of that.

 

I think its only a matter of time until Carroll makes a mess out of an easy save and Timmy is back in there. Hell, look at last year, everybody thought Howard wouldn't see the field again, but he was back in for the final few matches and the FA Cup Final. It will happen again, most likely by the end of the month.

 

I don't claim to be the expert, but if I had to guess I would say:

--if his only competition is Carroll (or even more favorably, no Carroll), then yes, he will at some point be the #1 "again"...I'm not sure he's even quite lost it yet.

--if they bring in some hotshot competition, then no, there is no guarantee that he will get to be the unquestioned #1. Not that he won't be an unquestioned #1 at some top 25 club in Europe. Thoughts?

 

Caroll Pllays until he screws up. Caroll was not in the squad, waited his turn, and now he will have to fail to be pulled off the team.
(sort of what happend to Tim Howard)

 

Which is reasonable.

 

I'm thinking (hoping?) that Howard is just getting an extended rest period. Maybe the summer just wasn't enough for him. And did he really get any significant time off anyway with national team games and such? If he doesn't play for a couple months, then I'll be worried, and if he isn't playing after Christmas, then I'll be really worried.

 

I think the original plan (when he was signed) was to let him work work with the goalkeeping coaches and whatnot to build him up to take the mantle, if he proved worthy. That would have involved some time with the reserves, maybe, and a good deal of backup duty. Remember, SAF signed him SIGHT UNSEEN on the recommendation of his goalkeeper coach. No one outside of BS and New York expected him to grab the job by the throat like he did.

Now that his weaknesses are showing through and his confidence is shot, I would expect (hope) that they are back to the original plan. He may do a bit of reserve time and work on the things that he's been weak on (ie judgement and positioning), and then get back to first team duty. While it was nice seeing him start all last year, he's better served at this point by getting out of the public eye a bit and getting back to the things that made him great. He should emerge from this a better keeper, and I daresay a more mentally tough one. Not that he didn't have that mental aspect before, but getting benched (and benched HARD) for the first time has a way of sharpening your focus. That is, if he's the competitor I believe him to be.

Of course, if an experienced keeper is signed, all bets are off. Either way, he has to do 2 things; show that he's back in form and wait for his moment, whenever it comes.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/middlesbrough/3733640.stm

Middlesbrough keeper Mark Schwarzer has admitted he is flattered by reports linking him with a move to Manchester United in January.
The Australian is one of a number of keepers who have been linked with United since Sir Alex Ferguson dropped Tim Howard from his squad.

Schwarzer said: "When you have eight months to go on your contract it is always going to lead to speculation.

"It's flattering but, to be honest, I'm not sure what is going to happen."

Schwarzer is yet to sign a new contract with Middlesbrough and the club could decide to cash in on the 32-year-old in January to prevent him leaving for nothing next summer under the Bosman free transfer rule.

 

I don't think Caroll is good enough -- he lacks athletic ability and quickness -- to perform at the level ManU wants. I don't think he will be in the nets long-term for ManU even if he does play generally error-free.

But that doesn't mean that Howard will get another shot at it either.

 

Yeah.
Only problem with the original plan is that now he's started for (almost) a full season, it's tough to stay positive about time in the reserves. Straight out of MLS, no one would have blinked if this had been his route. i do think he's under a lot more pressure now than he was. If we're back to plan 1, it needs to be adjusted to a loan to another EPL, or perhaps CCC side.

 

I think it's too far along for that.

First of all,I think the the skids were being greased for Barthez before Howard was even signed.Howard's stellar debut just sent Barthez packing a little earlier.Man U doesn't pick players up for OJT,especially not keepers.Howard, doesn't need a lot of positional work-IMO his athletic prowess will cover his positional inexperience until he develops the mental side of the game through studying tactics.He also can learn to organize the defense better.I will leave the question of the defense he is organizing to others.

Tim's main weakness is one that showed from time to time in NY,was evident on the 2003 tour and in Nats play,and was what caused him to be benched (and in the end,I believe cause him to be moved away from OT).Simply put,he drops (or misses) the fecking ball too fecking often for a truly topflight keeper.

At 25,how much training can be used to get him to hang on to a cross instead of flailing at it,or failing that ,punch it clear rather than set it right down in the 6?How is that taught - or can it be with an already professional player?

 

I depend really on where the problem lies. If it's his actual handling itself which is suspect then it'll be harder to coach him better as it's such a fundemental skill for a goalkeeper. If it's positioning, in terms of stopping him going for balls that he shouldn't go for, or gaining experience in knowing what to do when he's committed, but knows he's likely to not make a clean catch, then that can be taught.

 

Two things I see as his primary areas to work on:

1) Decisiveness on when to adjust his position, whether that is staying on his line, cheating out or coming out agressively.

2) Agressiveness, both generally and specifically on high balls. When he does come out he has to come out strong, go up and get the ball. In England, keepers rule the penalty area, he is much less likely to get called for a penalty if he goes up strong for the ball or lays out for one on a breakaway. Howard has to take advantage of this.

His tentativeness belies his athletic ability. He certainly has the ability to close players down when necessary and I would think an ex-baller like him would also be strong in the air. Whether this is a misconception or simply his lack of experience, he needs to work hard at improving this area. There is simply no reason to give guys a free shot by not being decisive.

 

Howard's biggest weakness is that he tends to bat down the ball - a la Porto last season - rather than hanging onto it or getting it out of harm's way. I haven't seen any sign that he's improved in this area. Decisiveness and aggressiveness can probablt be addressed, but I wonder about his ball handling.