The Rumour Mill

Are Everton really watching Butland?

19/10/2012 |

Comments (15)

The dreadful Daily Mail suggests Everton are watching Jack Butland with a view to buying him off Birmingham City come January.

Original Source: Daily Mail Rumour source ranking:
1 = Poor; 2 = Fair; 3 = Good; 4 = Very Good; Empty (grey) = Unranked

Reader Comments

Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer

Jon Ferguson
050 Posted 19/10/2012 at 08:38:25

He would be a good signing good signing for the future but I feel we need to sign s (classy) destructive midfielder, a striker (Jelavic can't play every game) and possibly a right back before we consider spending potentially £6 mil on a keeper who may not play for a season or two.

Terry Smith
056 Posted 19/10/2012 at 09:08:57

I think we did try to sign him in the last window. But I do think it's lazy journalism from the Mail putting 2 and 2 together.

Dave Williams
073 Posted 19/10/2012 at 10:07:12

We have three players who can play right back and a fourth on his way through from the youth set up (Browning). If Tim gets injured, we are in big trouble as our back-up is poor.

I agree with Jon that those areas of the squad need strengthening but with our finances we can't do it all at once. Tim has looked shaky at times over the last few years and with age may start to pick up an injury or two — I'd say a good (not a has-been) keeper is becoming more important.

Mark Lennon
083 Posted 19/10/2012 at 12:07:43

I hope so!!

Quality young keeper, send him out on loan for a season and a half like City did with Hart,and hopefully we could have a top class young English keeper on our hands!

I hear Chris Woods is a big fan, I reckon he knows his stuff on keepers!

Matt Traynor
084 Posted 19/10/2012 at 12:09:01

This has appeared on other equally reputable news sites, and seems to be nothing more than lazy speculation based on the transfer-deadline "swoop" that I'm not convinced was anything more than speculation.

Re Jon's point in 050, I would hope if we were interested in Vadis Odijidja-Ofoe in August, then as long as we maintain our position in the upper echelons of the Premier League come January we would be able to try again.

Despite the addition of some quality signings in the last window, we are woefully short in certain areas - something I am sure will be scrutinised with the enforced absence of Fellaini - even though he has been average at times this season.

We do need to look at the goalkeeper situation. Whilst solid, Howard is still error prone and our back up keepers don't really inspire in performances to date.

Edward Simpson
089 Posted 19/10/2012 at 12:27:58

I think getting a keeper is just as is important as getting a CM in January.
Howard is nearly 34 and Mucha will undoubtedly leave when his contract expires in June.
I say sell Mucha (if that's even possible) in January and buy Butland.
And I'm with the other lads on getting Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe in January, and signing Hitzlsperger as quickly as possible.

Andrew Ellams
091 Posted 19/10/2012 at 12:43:43

This lad is going to push Joe Hart hard for the England shirt in the next couple of years. I was surprised that nobody else came in for him after the Olympics.

He would be a huge addition to the squad.

Ian Bennett
095 Posted 19/10/2012 at 12:51:08

Here's a Championship Manager thought. Pay Birmingham a £1M fee, that gives us the option to sign for £5m in up to 2 years time.

The kid carries on developing, Birmingham have a good keeper for the next 2 years plus cash, and we have a good replacement for Tim.

Paul Smith
096 Posted 19/10/2012 at 12:51:41

First I cannot believe anyone can say Fellaini has been ordinary at best. I'm with other people in hoping we go back in for Vadis in January and also in getting a right back possibly Clyne from Southampton. I think Butland would be a great signing but I don't think we are going to sign someone for £6 million whose not going straight in the team. If we could afford it, I would definitely go for him

Drew O'Neall
097 Posted 19/10/2012 at 12:55:41

No. No-one is going to push Joe Hart for the England shirt. It will be a shut out and Jack Butland will be at best, another Chris Woods. This has 'commercial gain' written all over it which is fine, but to appreciate in value he has to play and I can't see him ousting TH.

How much do you really need to spend on a spare goalie anyway? The Mucha experience has proved that they hardly ever play so don't need to cost much and don't even need to be any good.

I wouldn't bother and just remind Vadis to bring his gloves just in case.

Peter Thistle
166 Posted 19/10/2012 at 17:50:44

Wouldn't be a bad idea to line up a replacement for Howard, he can't last forever.

BTW i'll eat my hat if Moyes ever signs a new right back. He is allergic to them. Until hibbo n neville retire we are stuck without a classy player in that position.

Noel Early
261 Posted 20/10/2012 at 10:00:17

Oh god, I hope this is true. Butland would replace Howard for me straight away.

I think Tim Howard is a major weakness in this team makes terrible mistakes, granted he is a good shot stopper (shouldn't all keepers be that). Terrible distribution, sticks to his line way too much, and his decision-making is crazy at times.

Let's think of goals off the top of my head: Blackburn away; Kuyt in the derby, when he headed in from 2 yards; Newcastle this year x2... I still think he should have saved the Lampard cup final winner. Trust me, if I really went through the lot, I'd pick out a lot more.

Gives out a stupid amount of times, it must really annoy defenders when he goes crazy when someone has a pop from 40 yards, and he runs to the edge of his box, pointing at the ground.

Butland looks very good and hopefully someone we can rely on for the next 15 years. Snap him up!

Mark Tanton
341 Posted 20/10/2012 at 21:08:11

Butland would be an excellent signing for the club, the very best clubs have the very best keepers, and we can't claim Howard fits that definition. You can build a team around a goalkeeper if you get the right one - if Butland keeps progressing he could be at the top for ten or twelve years.

Mark Dunford
025 Posted 24/10/2012 at 11:50:25

Hopefully - must be the answer to the question posed by the headline. He may well be the next Chris Woods and this is far better prospect than the current Jan Mucha or - heaven forbid - the previous U21 goalkeeping starlet Steve Simonsen.

Sam Hoare
271 Posted 25/10/2012 at 19:55:11

No. We have no money. Unless we sell Fellaini, Baines or Jelavic. If Butland is in an Everton shirt in the next 2 years then one of those 3 won't be.

Add Your Comments

In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site.

» Log in now

Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site.