Roberto Martinez isn’t sure if Tim Howard will be an Everton player next season, according to the Guardian.
The veteran keeper has come under immense criticism this season and his relationship with the Everton fanbase is far from healthy, but is set to make is 350th appearance for the Toffeemen when they face Manchester City at the Etihad stadium on Wednesday night.
Martinez has defended his under fire American to the hilt but he believes it’s “impossible to say” if the 36-year-old will still be at Goodison Park come next season.
It is impossible to say that,
We need to take it game by game and week by week.
I want Tim to feel stronger in every game.
Watching him in training I don’t see a sign of weakness or him being worn down or tired. It is the opposite.
He is up for the challenge, up for helping the team and keeping up standards. I’m sure every experience will affect what you want to do in the summer.
Joel Robles has started between the sticks for Everton in their last two games, as Martinez is one of the many managers who uses one for goalkeeper for league exertions and another for cup competitions.
The majority of Evertonians are exasperated with Howard’s mistakes and want to see Robles given a prolonged run in the tarting line-up, but Martinez thinks the criticism levelled at Howard is untoward.
He had mistakes but he had big moments.
We need to be more understanding that sometimes you’re going to get that.
His day-to-day work shows me the strength, power and positive effect he has on young players. I feel we are a stronger team with Tim Howard in the dressing room.
While the Catalonian lavished praise on the former Manchester United stopper once again, he was vague on whether Howard would leave in the summer
We shouldn’t look that far away.
We are here with a real focus of winning on Wednesday. That is all that matters.
We have a incredible squad, a group of players here that I’m excited about and I’m looking forward to seeing them develop and Tim Howard is a big part of that.
Whatever happens at the end of the season you cannot guess it now and it would be wrong to try to guess that.
