ROBLES TO THE RESCUE
Joel set to net Everton No1 spot
EVERTON flew to Dubai yesterday on a five- day rejuvenation mission but one solution to their problems was closer to home all along.
Joel Robles increasingly looks like the answer to the longstanding questions over Tim Howard’s form. He saved a penalty from Bournemouth’s Charlie Daniels on saturday, leading to his sixth clean sheet in his past nine starts and creating the platform on which Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku built a 2-0 win.
Considering Roberto Martinez’s intention is to salvage a poor season with success in the FA Cup, the emergence of Robles has been extremely convenient.
His contribution on the south coast ensured he has not conceded in any of Everton’s three games in the competition so far, which is an improvement in reliability to Howard, who, having served the club so well for his first eight seasons, has struggled in the past one and a half campaigns.
Howard initially opened the door to his understudy by suffering a knee injury last month but, in the past six games, Robles has done enough for Martinez to admit he has a new No 1. Phil Jagielka, Martinez’s captain, called it a ‘changing of the guard’ and a reward for a 25-year- old who spent two and a half seasons on the bench.
He said: ‘It has been difficult for Joel. He has come in and had to play understudy. It is hard enough coming in as an outfield player when you haven’t played for months having to come in for one or two games but as a goalkeeper it is tremendously difficult. He has bided his time and has supported Tim. It’s up to Tim now to support Joel.’
Martinez added: ‘I think Joel has been working very hard away from the starting line-ups, and he looks ready now. That is down to Tim’s influence as well. I don’t think you’ll get a better teacher.’
There is a suspicion that Howard, 36, will move on at the end of the season, most likely to MLs. Between now and then is an opportunity for the club to win their first trophy since the 1995 FA Cup.
Jagielka, who missed the 2009 final defeat with injury, said: ‘It is something I would like to put right. The league is not dead by any stretch but we can add a massive shine to what has been an up and down season.’