Everton table new contract offer for Garbutt

My understanding from the Gosling episode was as long as we offer equal or better terms, we don’t lose him for free – a fee would be set by a tribunal. He can leave on a free if he goes outside of the UK, so watch when Moyes comes in for him...

This lad has the potential to be a Baines/Coleman Mk II. The way he goes past people like they are not there is something IÂ’ve only ever see from opposing players when going past Osman. Baines is clearly on a downward spiral now, he is not the player of two or three seasons ago. Garbutt must be given game time and a bumper new deal.

Garbutt whilst being a great prospect played well v Krasnador (not the greatest opposition). RM should be cut some slack on this one IMO. The board, for letting this contract situation happen, despite the Gosling debacle, should be held to account!

Yes, the lad came out and criticised the tactics and rightly so; he only said what we'd all been saying. Seems he's been ostracised ever since.

Wouldn't be shocked if he never signed a deal the way Martinez handles players.

Bang on mate.

Let's not attack the club/manager on this. He wants to go to 'them'. He will be a kopite come summer.

Plain and simple, fuck him!

Martinez talks about bringing through younger players but his favouritism is as irritating as that of his predecessor. Bring back Howard no matter how well Robles is playing; play Barry at all costs; if he can walk play Baines.

The wide midfielders should be Lennon and Mirallas for the rest of this season, end of.

In a more ideal world, Garbutt would be sent on loan somewhere to learn his trade more and get a bit more physical, he’s not a young young player and I understand he needs games now but he’s got a bit of time on his side.

We don’t really know how he gets on with Martinez or if he’s the manager’s cup of tea, from what we have seen of Garbutt he has a very tasty left foot but we won’t know enough until he’s had the same number of games as say Stones for instance.

Let’s not forget, Garbutt is a Moyes signing so who knows where’s he’s really at with Martinez.

Of course, it may be that his skill on corners is lost on Martinez who doesn't have the word corner in his vocabulary.

A few months ago I would have agreed with you but sadly them fuckers might yet get 4th, they look reinvigorated and play the game with far more tempo and gusto than we have all season.

It could just be that Garbutt has become bored sitting watching our boring chess-like pedestrian football and certainly doesn't fancy playing in it.

Beckham didn’t have half the attributes of Garbutt but his set-pieces and crossing could decide games. If you don’t have the foresight to take advantage of certain qualities a player has then you shouldn’t be in management.

There's no doubt he should have had more games than he's been given so you can understand him being slightly pissed off. Despite the view that we must now be more considered when criticising Martinez there's no doubt it's Matinez's fault because he hasn't played him when he's had the opportunity.

He doesn't value dead ball skills. Why would he when only goals from open play (not much of that these days) is the
only true religion. Sorry to upset the Martinez apologists (I fully appreciate the implications of using that term on this site) but for me the turn around in our performances has been completely player driven. The manager has been an innocent bystander. My regret is that he'll be with us next season.

Not currently captaining Barca is he?

FFS.........

Garbutt should've been given more game time this season... especially considering how poor Baines has been. Garbutt's corners, crossing and general play (from the little we've seen of him) has been far superior to Baines. And most importantly, he's only 21 years old and has a big future ahead of him. Baines will shortly be entering the twilight of his career. Baines should be moved into midfield to make way for young Luke; I thought he did quite well in CM... he certainly can't do much worse than Barry who now looks more like a guy in his 40's!

Bottom line is that if a player wants to go, he’ll go. He presumably wants regular football and/or more money. Would he get that with our next manager?

If Martinez stays, someone might want to remind him that he’s a Moyes signing. That seems to be the way to get into our team these days!

Is there any basis to the rumour about Garbutt wanting to go to the RS. I know the red tops have been making mischief printing stories saying they want him, but has there been any indication that Garbutt wants to go there??

A year or two ago, Bainesy was the TW (and a lot of non-Blues) consensus best LB in the league. He was also a loyal club hero, having turned down Man Utd.

When we were looking for some sort of boost it was crying out for Garbutt and Baynes to play on the left flank. It didn't happen. We all love Baines and I credit him, along with a couple of others, of converting the manager to having a sense of reality. Baines is now coming back to his best but there were opportunities when Garbutt could have played even if only as a sub.

You've chosen the words that you think reflect what people are saying but in fact you're wrong. People are basically saying Garbutt should have played more - particularly during our worst spell - and they're dead right!

To imply that we were looking to dump Baines is a misrepresentation of what some of us were saying. For my money I credit Baines, along with one or two others, of helping the manager acquire a sense of reality. Baines is my favourite player so please, along with Christopher Wallace, jump down from the high moral ground, and see what is being said.

I take your point about Garbutt and his attributes but you used the A word and as I consider myself an A I responded in kind. My apologies for the misunderstanding.

He put one a corner into the box and looked reasonably comfortable on the ball against Krasnodar (That's Krasnodar, not the entire planet Krypton). He wasn't exactly running about like Roberto Carlos and ripping the opposing full back a new arsehole was he?

He's clearly got potential to be a good player in the future but, fuck me, you'd think Luke's last name was Skywalker rather than Garbutt the way people are proclaiming 'that boy is our last hope'.

If there is one decision I wouldn't criticise Martinez for this season then it is preferring Baines, England's first choice left-back and Everton's assist leader, over a 21-year-old with just 2 first team appearances under his belt.

"Beckham didn't have half the attributes of Garbutt"

Fuck me.

Add that to the fact that Baines looked more than competent in his central midfield berth and provided one of the very few assists from that area this season and the solution seems obvious.

Put Leighton in the middle where his energy, composure on the ball and vision will give us more creativity where we need it without losing much solidity wise and stick Garbutt at LB where his crossing is as good if not better than Leightons and his dead ball delivery is worth a goal every handful of matches at least.

Plus, best of all, we can drop Barry!

How bout this team if we’re sticking with the 4-3-3 from the weekend.

Robles
Coleman Stones Jagielka Garbutt
McCarthy Besic Baines
Lennon Lukaku Mirallas

Pace aplenty. Energy and bite in the middle. You know it makes sense, Roberto. Give Gareth a rest.

Unfortunately Baines isn't Hibbert and looks to have a few years in him yet. You'd think we'd be able to give him some decent game time given the demands on the squad.

Perhaps the indicator that his mind is already made up on leaving is his lack of game time. Maybe Martinez thinks Garbutt is already set on leaving, and doesn't want to waste time on bringing him through.

Baines needed a rest earlier in the season when he wasn't playing great. Garbutt came in and played well for a couple of games. So you'd have thought we would have continued to see a bit more, even as an option further forward on the left, or as a substitute, but we haven't!

IMO Baines is still the best left back the league and if it came down to choosing our number one left back. I would say Baines every time. That said, I mentioned playing Baines in midfield to accommodate Garbutt in some games. Because I think Baines has potential to move into that role. I thought he played pretty well in the middle at St James park in the new year fixture.

Could alsot see how Garbut is playing wide midfield every now and again - after all Bale started off at LB and it didn't do Coleman any harm playing midfield. I don't see the point in having them and only using them as LBs.

Baines is not going to go on forever and Garbutt should be given a few games here and there, he certainly looks like he has the ability but I can understand he wants to be given some game time - up to the manager to convince him and he's in his plans.

Letting him go on a free or small tribunal fee will be a real cock up by the club, especially when the manager is saying we need more players.

In defence of those who criticised Martinez, it is entirely valid to speculate whether or not Garbutt will sign for a manager who doesn't show overwhelming amounts of faith in him. Good lad if he does go looking for first team football, it will be our loss though as he could be a regular in a year or two.

In my opinion he is the most over-rated player in the history of the game in terms of the fame and wealth he acquired. In his prime he was nowhere near as good as players like Zidane, Figo, Ronaldinho and fat Ronaldo who were playing at the same time yet he was probably more famous than all of them put together.

The point I am making though is that because his dead-ball delivery was so good he eclipsed all those genuine great players. I am not saying Garbutt is as good at set pieces as Becks but I am saying how important and effective it can be to have someone in the team who can deliver a quality cross from open play or from a corner. Yes, it is very early days to judge a player after only a handfull of appearances but I can remember seeing Coleman and Baines first few appearances and getting the same feeling. One thing is for sure, he will not fulfill his potential sitting on the bench.

It looks like a new contract offer wasn't even forthcoming until now.

Imagine Rush Rooney and Gerrard leading us where we truly belong that money has bought other teams the success we just find a way of eluding it since 1987 from a league championship standpoint.

We have and have had game changers from when they were diamonds in rough. So let the youth blossom and flower for us and not for others.

Like I said before if had the skills of Rush, Gerrard and Rooney knowing with a supporting cast top 4 finish guaranteed and the club wouldn't support me. I would make them pay. Those players sure did. I love our youth system i'm just worried of letting world class players go.

They do? Name one.

With the exception of Rooney (who I would say falls short of that accolade), who else even comes close?

Rooney was the one, but the timing was wrong. We were rubbish when he came through and no one can really blame him for moving.

RM - Lesson 1. Don't make long term decisions based on short term situations!

It makes no difference whether you consider Beckham to be the greatest player to pull on a tight fitting white shirt since Michael Caine made a bit of a tit of himself against some Nazi bastards, or you consider him to be nothing more than a bad ponce who made a few quid simply because taking the field with Phil Neville made him look like an Adonis standing alongside the young Albert Steptoe.

To claim that a guy who captained his country and played hundreds of games for Man Utd, Real Madrid, AC Milan and PSG "didn't have half the attributes" of a kid whose 'career' thus far consists of two starts for Everton and a couple of seasons on loan at fucking Cheltenham Town is just pure fantasy as there's no evidence as yet to back it up. He hasn't got anywhere near enough games under his belt for an unbiased opinion as to his ability or attributes to even begin to gestate.

It's the same hysterical hyperbole we allow to take root whenever a kid from our youth set-up looks like he might have something about him. The same shite Barkley had thrust prematurely upon his shoulders, that sees people now calling him all sorts for 'underachieving' and failing to live up to the all conquering future they fabricated for him before he'd even played five games for the club.

Well firstly, the way we 'lost to other teams' re Rooney, was vastly different to how we lost (out with) Rush.

Rush (like Michael Owen) was an Everton supporter scouted, given a contract and selected by Liverpool, Rooney WAS an Everton player... who Everton sold.

Gerrard, despite that photo, was never a blue.

He was on loan at Colchester also and was Man of the Match on many occasions.

My opinion, for what it's worth, is that, if he doesn't want to go, then we need to give him a decent contract and play him more. The boy is quality and definitely one for the future.

Sort it out, Blues.

For what it's worth, I would like him to stay – impressive, capable and young. However, I think he will depart in the Summer. I don't think the current regime much like him.

So glad you got that off your chest – even I feel better now.

Barkley is a different player from Garbutt and being potentially a game changer and goal getter he probably had been over-hyped and has suffered accordingly. He'll get over it.

Not sure exactly where you saw the hysterical hyperbole. Most of us have seen Garbutt playing for us and the England Under-21s and I haven't seen him have a bad game. As I said earlier, when no one in the team could take a decent corner to save their lives, he should have had more much game time.

He looks a good prospect and shouldn't be allowed to leave – and definitely not to the RS. As always it's impossible to know for sure how he'll turn out but we should certainly keep him long enough to find out.

Right now I'd have no problem playing him left back with Baines ahead of him in midfield. Having said that Oviedo probably deserves more playing time at right midfield. Probably the real moan is when we had the chance to play Garbutt with or without Baines we didn't take it.

With Oviedo fit, Pienaar possibly returning (who knows for how long), the opportunity to play Garbutt has now gone for the immediate.

My eyes and memory are clearly playing tricks, perhaps I am biased in thinking he is better in the air or more skillfull, or that he has the ability to beat people with pace and very good close ball control that I don’t remember seeing from Beckham.

How was that for sarcasm? As you are clearly the king of it.

Either that or some TW'ers have such incredible insight that they are clearly the ones squandering their true talents here when they really should be raking in the squillions with their deep talent spotting insight.

Luke "Skywalker" Garbutt is a decent young lad (born in Harrogate and secured via tribunal from Leeds Utd and therefore every bit as much much a boyhood Evertonian as Slippy G... ie, not at all) who may well turn out to be a very good player, or may become the next Dan Gosling style journeyman. Truth is that there just isn't enough evidence so far.

Given that when Oviedo deputised for Baines that he was reassuringly good then clearly he was the natural second choice LB.
Did Garbutt take any advantage during Oviedo's 12 months out with the serious leg break? ANY? Then why not?

And as to rotating LG for LB this season? FFS, the enforced changes to our back four due to injuries have been one of the root causes of our wimpish defensive record... so a rotation would have helped would it?

Garbutt has rapidly increased his "value" in the eyes of many simply because of a media rumour that, when he walks away for free, he'll cross the park.

I still hope that we can get him to sign a contract and that he turns out to be the new Gareth Bale, why wouldn't I?

As for England Under-21s? Franny Jeffers used to run fucking riot for them but it didn't act as a barometer for his future career did it?

You quite rightly go on to describe him as 'a good prospect' who shouldn't be allowed to leave. I'm not disputing that. That's exactly what he is, nothing more, nothing less, and the club should certainly look to retain his services.

The problem I have is with the wild overegging of his current worth, when he is totally unproven at the highest level.

On this thread alone, we've had:

"We must pull out all the stops to keep him with us"

"... he's a better left back than Oviedo"

"Garbutt must be worth 㾶 million"

"I rate Garbutt over Baines"

"Beckham didn't have half the attributes of Garbutt"

"Garbutt's corners, crossing and general play... has been far superior to Baines"

"Garbutt is already better than Shaw"

"...we should cash in on Baines and play Garbutt"

Saying that, I do like the lad who, unlike Baines and Distin, can clear the ball strongly with both feet. He can also get forward at pace and hit quick balls across.

Definitely one for the future, a loan to a Championship club would be ideal.

Take your point about the hyperbole from the comments you've quoted. Some of our people are prone to exaggeration – it's a trait we're prone to in the football fraternity. I think the general point is Garbutt looks to be a prospect who, out of the youngsters we've seen so far, performed to his promise.

Bottom line for me is we should definitely keep him. Not at all cost but I don't expect that will be the case. He, like many of us, is wondering why he didn't get more playing time which maybe is making him less loyal.

We are all a bit one-eyed but expecting a decent player to accept 'third choice left-back role' just for the honour is pushing it a bit far – particularly as he isn't even a local boy!

For me, this says the manager doesn't fancy him and would rather spend the wages somewhere else... and that's fair enough. But, if the lad goes for free and ends up getting selected for England in a couple of years, then we will have every right as fans to ask how can a cash strapped club give away a potential England player?

Garbutt is nowhere near the quality of Baines, Baines is one of the best left backs in Europe.

Also some having a pop at Martinez; here's a thought: maybe Garbutt is up his own arse because he's believing all this hype about himself and is asking for demands in his contract that are ridiculous.

Oh, by the way, he's not better than Oviedo.

Irrespective of Garbutt's situation I think Oviedo and Baines offer something different to our one-dimensional midfield.

Yes, Luke has looked good in the few opportunities he’s had, but to claim as some are that he is a better than Baines, Oviedo and Luke Shaw - and that he has more to his game than David Beckham ... well that is hyperbole on a cosmic level.

Personally, I think he was pretty shabbily treated following the defeat at Newcastle when the raw kid was put before the cameras ahead of his more seasoned colleagues and innocently said on camera the team had no preparation time ahead of the game.

Consequence? He was dropped completely from the squad next time out against Hull, with no suggestion of it being injury related, and hasn’t seen game time since and barely made the match day squad.

He seems a good lad and I don’t imagine he is a big time Charlie. Maybe Martinez just doesn’t fancy him, or has to rationalize his budget and believes he is well covered in Luke’s position. Who knows for sure?

I would keep him, but it shouldn’t have come to this point, just months away from being a free agent. The club have surrendered the initiative to the player and his agent. Martinez is part of that failing, but not the sole reason that this hasn’t been sorted earlier.

He is not the savior but seems to fall into that category of players so adored on this site and overhyped because they run (Garbutt, Besic, Naismith) despite their obvious flaws and limitations. For the fan who indicated he was missed last week ( I assume the last game?) Did I miss a goal scored versus Oviedo? Oviedo is fine and for a player with almost a year off at the top level having played very few minutes since returning, he looked good if a little rusty.

I hope Garbutt doesn’t leave but if there is no spot for him for regular playing time he should leave and at least from me there will be no hard feelings and I would wish him well. Would like to see him signed and then loaned to RS or somewhere else at a top league level, not the Championship.

Despite what people of varying opinions say, Martinez is a very conservative manager, very unlikely to blood youngsters. I would forgive him this midtable season if he had thrown the youngsters in. Instead he plays out of form experienced players, often out of position.

Mind you, the story is that a promising youngster can't get past the 'best left back in UK/Europe', or his able deputy, and the lack of a signed contract so far is used as a stick to beat Martinez.......

What terms Garbutt is willing to accept is his decision. Not Everton's, Martinez's or anyone else. Why he hasn't signed up till now only Garbutt knows.

I agree with you that he looks a quality player who I hope stays, however.

Don't agree with the comments on Beckham. Yes there was a media circus around him but he was an exceptional player in his prime. His work ethic and commitment were of Ronaldo levels. Model professional and a credit to his profession. Just look at some of his best goals if you are in any doubt. Ridiculously good strikes

Ferguson, Cappelo, Sven, Ancelotti ...

Cantona, Giggs, Scholes ... Zidane, Figo, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Raul, Cassilas ... Vieri, Pato, Kaka, Ronaldinho, Pirlo, Maldini, Seedorf, Inzaghi, Shevchenko ... Ibrahimavic ...

What were they all thinking, letting him win trophies with every team he played for? (bar England, of course!)

Now Luke Garbutt on the other hand ... now there’s a player!

Do you think PSG signed him for his worth as a player or the fact that his appearance and subsequent shirt sales paid for his fee in the first month of his contract?

"Sir" David Beckham? You, my friend are having a laugh.

I’d happily have 1-2 ’overrated like Beckham’ handsome twats at Everton now and at any time in our history. How about you?

But I DO still think he was overrated and his whole lifestyle and persona added to his desirability as well as his shirt sales. If you recall there were all sorts of movements to ensure that he got the most England caps, undeservedly in my view... All sounds a bit like the aura that currently surrounds Creasehead from across the park, don't you think?

I think you are plain wrong. Beckham polarises opinion because there hasn't been an English footballer ever to attain the media profile he has. I think there is a little bit of green eyed jealousy involved here and at the top of the list was SAF, who couldn't stand Beckham's standing. All his achievements in management didn't stop him being a horrible twat who if he perceived he could not dominate and bully players sent them packing and those that stayed were the yes men like Giggs, Neville and Scholes.

Would he get in an all time England XI, probably not but his achievements speak for themselves. For a period of time between 99 and 04, he and Owen carried the England team. His crossing of a ball, his range of passing, his ability to deliver a dead ball and his sheer hard work make him a very good player by any measurement.

But your main claim that he only attained the success he did because he was a pretty boy who married a ’celeb’ and marketed himself well is, as Graham says, plain wrong.

You don’t get to play for and alongside all the giants of world football I listed in post 90 without having something about you other than a beguiling smile. When he announced mid-season he was leaving Real Madrid for LA Galaxy, his then manager Capello was so miffed he dropped him from his Gallatico match day squad completely.

Beckham didn’t utter a word, professionally continued to work hard in training until Cappelo relented, admitting he was impressed by Beckham’s work and team ethic and recalled him to the side. Cappelo later of course continued to select Beckham for England.

For a supposedly thick East End boy, I don’t begrudge him making the most of his fame and looks and promoting and marketing himself as well as he did (and does).

What sponsor wouldn’t like him? Great family man, many charitable causes, a team player not only concerned with the ’self’ as many modern day footballers are.

And if you truly think he was little more than a marketing mannequin during his playing career, I’d have taken even that from a similar player at Everton if it generated the huge revenue and heightened profile for the club his presence did for United, Real Madrid, Milan, PSG and LA Galaxy (and by extension the MLS).

Garbutt, quality player, natural successor to Baines. Get him nailed down for years...

Jay, with great celebrity comes great PR. Great family man? I'm giving him no gold stars there as every father should be, though I have on 'good authority' that the "Beckham household is not a happy one".

And PR 101, associate with charities. Its the perfect deflector of criticism of the brand. See Lance Armstrong.

He was an excellent player, never the best in any side he played for (Go Landon!), and decided to hang out with Will Smith and Tom Cruise during his peak years.

He won the same at Utd than our very own Phil Neville, played a lesser role for a poor Madrid team that only won the title in his last season, their first major trophy during his time there, and played L1 standard football in the states on Victoria's behest, and vanity transfers to PSG and Milan were as much a joke as they were profitable.

If he didn't sell seats he wouldn't have got no where near 100 caps and should have been replaced by Wright-Phillips by the 65-70 mark. A definite case of celebrity outweighing his considerable ability.

Graham, #96,Beckham wouldn't get on the subs bench of an all time Everton team consisting of players that I have seen myself, never mind an all time England X1. And there is no jealousy here, even though I'd look nearer to an Ian Dowie on the billboard than a Beckham.....!

Please...

If Lefty Luke makes that move, then he is dolt and I guarantee he will spend most of the next two seasons on loan and then move on to Norwich or Hull or Aldershot. Stay with Everton and we will LOVE YOU LONG TIME, LUKE. The fans that is, not sure about the manager...

Maybe you should get out more ... never been down the pub with mates when the chat bounces all over the place as related topics go off on a tagent?