Tim Howard: Everton's glorious rock at the back

Everton have some very important players in their squad and there are several contenders for the accolade of being the one player that the team cannot live without.

Tim Cahill was sorely missed during his extended absence through injury, and he showed us exactly what we were missing with his wonderful overhead kick in the final minute at Chelsea. It was a goal that seared the Australian's initials on the hearts and minds of many Evertonians.

Goal-machine Yakubu is another player who could be seen as indispensable to the Toffees. His goals have provided Everton with a ‘get out of jail free’ card on numerous occasions – a luxury they haven’t enjoyed since Tony Cottee – and in his absence the side seem more predictable and blunt in attack. And yet Everton can patently live without the Nigerian; he is our best goalscorer but when he went to the African Cup of Nations we didn’t collapse – we made do with Andy Johnson and his prodigious workrate.

Spanish matador Mikel Arteta is another obvious name – when he's on top form, his movements and twists and turns are the pulse of the side. He wins countless free-kicks and without him we lose a huge midfield threat. However, Arteta has been labouring with a niggling groin injury for a while and although his dip in form and occasional absence is a blow to the squad, it is never a catastrophic loss.