Let’s get this out of the way: there was absolutely nothing Tim Howard could do about this second goal from Stoke City’s Xherdan Shaqiri on Monday. The ball over the top is sublime and Shaqiri’s first touch is even more sensational, lobbing the ball over Howard and into the top corner with zero hesitancy.
What’s worrying for Everton and their first choice shot stopper is the frequency with which they're conceding goals. Howard was only able to make a single solitary save against Stoke, who scored four goals from their five shots on target. Their 4-3 victory over the Toffees will see Everton enter the new year sitting 11th in the Premier League table.
It’s an extremely disappointing position for the club to be in at this point in Roberto Martinez’s reign. Since their fifth place finish in 2013-14, Everton have been unable to build upon Martinez’s early work for the club. Explanations for their stuttering play can be found in the form of Howard himself.
Once an undoubted and automatic selection for Everton, calls have been increased to see the 36-year-old lose his place to understudy Joel Robles.
Howard’s struggles last year were well documented. The American had the worst save percentage in the 2014/15 Premier League. He was the only keeper, with a minimum of six starts, to finish with a save percentage beneath 60 percent, Howard boasting a pedestrian 59.26 percent.
Opponents were scoring from one in every two shots on target from inside the Everton area while Everton went on to concede 50 goals throughout the course of the 2014-15 campaign. His loss in form was deeply concerning for fans of both Everton and the United States national team.
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Howard has also become more error prone in recent times, his calamaties ultimately leading to costly goals. While the 2015/16 season has seen Howard’s save percentage increase, his command of the area has become the latest critique leveled at the 2014 World Cup hero.
According to Opta, Howard has been one of the most ineffective goalkeepers in dealing with crosses this season. Only Norwich City’s John Ruddy has failed to claim as many crosses as Howard.
While his play has hardly been reassuring, opponents have been keen to cross the ball against Everton. This has resulted in Everton allowing the most headed shots and headed goals (35 headed shots resulting in seven goals) this season.
While a lot of the blame must also be shouldered on Howard’s defenders, his shaky performances against Bournemouth, Arsenal, Leicester and now Stoke have seen Everton concede 28 goals at the midpoint of the campaign.
If Everton’s ambition is to challenge the top half of the table, that defensive record simply won’t suffice. Changes must be made to provide assurances against being pulled into a relegation scrap and Howard may be the first to face the axe.
