Garbutt signs new five-year deal

This is a ringing endorsement for the manager and current set-up. As hard to believe as that may be for some. ItÂ’s nonetheless true.

I thought it was likely he was going to be sent out on loan to Bournemouth, but havenÂ’t they just splashed millions on a left back from Ipswich?

Surely we should only loan him out if Oviedo was 100%.

I know itÂ’s being greedy, but I want to see us buy a couple of players who walk into the first team and immediately improve our starting line-up.

Deulofeu is not ready to give us an effective 90 minutes, he still needs to mature. Cleverly is a great buy. A free, home-grown international, but is he an improvement on what we have?

Again, signing up Garbutt is great news, but he wonÂ’t improve the first 11 and will probably go out on loan. We are linked with back-up CBs and back-up strikers. I really feel we need to improve certain areas of the first 11, not provide them with back-up. If we donÂ’t do that then I donÂ’t see how we can possibly challenge the top 6-7 who are undoubtedly going to spend big.

Signing 3 players who have all worked under RM before (and chose to work with him again) is cause for optimism, but I would like to see us buy a player or two who will excite the other players and get them motivated.

As IÂ’m sure we all would.

Two were loans: Atsu and Lennon, who have returned to their clubs. And weÂ’ve lost Alcaraz and Distin.

So we canÂ’t just say "Oh if we sign x, y, z weÂ’ll be fine." We wonÂ’t. We need 7 or 8 players to come in because there isnÂ’t enough depth.

Can we honestly say that the squad is any stronger since his first season? No. If anything itÂ’s got weaker with players being released and players ageing.

Love/fear managers are winners. FEAR managers keep you safe. LOVE managers get you relegated.

But IÂ’m not getting carried away just yet; he still has an awful lot to prove.

Call me cynical but this is a PR job. Yes, itÂ’s great he has singed but, as others have said, the real issues of our failings last season have yet to be addressed.

Oh and I donÂ’t believe he singed because he likes the manager.

Regardless of all that, a 22-year-old with a few first team appearances has just played hardball with our club... and won. ItÂ’s hard to feel happy about this when weÂ’re just witnessing the soft underbelly of our club (again).

Chris at 5 – spot on! We have a manager that is building a very powerful young Everton and has the charisma to excite talent to come and stay.

Ross at 28 – You have to look at the development of the youth players; Garbutt is much better than two years ago, so are Lukaku, Barkley, Stones, Coleman, Besic etc in terms of their career, maturity and experience.

The same is true of Del Boy – this is the year he could explode and make a big difference. We also have a number of young England internationals like Ledson coming through and while we have got rid of Distin and Alcaraz, there are two amazing prospects coming through in Tyias Browning and Brendan Galloway – plus David Henen... there are others in the youth Academy ready to burst through.

I also think Gibson will have an injury free year and show his class!

RM will add two more first teamers, a No 10 and a left CB that will be ball playing... I am very encouraged and half-full with optimism.

It will be very interesting to see if he realises his potential given regular first team football elsewhere. His handful of appearances for us last season showed he is talented but well short of top class at present and time will tell.

He may find things less rosy at another club when under pressure to perform week-in, week-out at a higher level of consistency than he is used to. IÂ’m sure thatÂ’s one reason why RM has held him back a little so far, but he has effectively held us to ransom and won over his new contract, and now has to prove he can deliver away from the cossetted arms of Finch Farm and the people who have helped him reach this stage of his career.

Going back to the beginning of my post, now thatÂ’s out of the way, letÂ’s see some Â’realÂ’ first team signings, not Â’back-upsÂ’ for our aging squad. And please, please, please, Roberto, get rid of Kone. HeÂ’s the biggest piece of deadwood in the squad, gives us nothing, his wages a draw on finances and his age against him. HeÂ’s never going to be fit enough to stand-up to the rigours of the Premier League, so cut our losses on your worst ever signing and offer him cheap to anyone whoÂ’ll have him. (Methinks it wonÂ’t be a very long list of potential buyers.) If weÂ’re lucky, we might get ten bob for him! Better than nothing I suppose.

Cleverley and Deulofeu will both start a lot of games next season. WeÂ’ve also tied up a great prospect and thereÂ’s more to come. Not bad for the end of June.

IÂ’ll admit I had this down as a big transfer window for RM and there is work to do but a very solid start. One or two more centre-halves and a striker and IÂ’ll be delighted.

We should be able to spend 㾶M/㾻M on Austin or someone of that quality. We need another keeper and centre half. We have only spent ٢.3m so far on Delboy, so there should be no excuses about our transfer budget, especially after the Sky deal. We need quality –not looking at players in the lower leagues.

Where does this leave Oviedo, baby?

Another CB and we have the minimum.

A play-maker and left-winger and we can compete.

Another striker and we could be pretty decent.

Credit to "Rhino" – another gem produced; keep them coming, Unsy!

Good luck Luke keep healthy and the rest will look after itself.

LukeÂ’s got a hell of a reputation to live up to based on fleeting appearances whereas Baines had earned his reputation through first team performances at the top level.

There seems to be a very common theme of underestimating nearly everything about Baines. I still think that if he was your typical cocky, nobhead footballer then he would be looked on differently. HeÂ’s one of the best players weÂ’ve seen in blue.

I see Garbutt as more confident, more precise with his positional sense, stronger passing and crossing at this stage and physically stronger.

If we did not have Baines, Garbutt would be a fixture in that position. BTW, I love Baines!!!

I hold Baines in such high regard that if weÂ’re talking about a 22-year-old having anything like his ability then the next 8 years or so look pretty good in that position.

You could probably say that about most of the first 11 now too. Good mix of experience and youth. Just need that bit more quality to turn us from a good team into something else.

No 10 please, Bobby.

I think apart from Kolarov and Baines, he has the best left foot as a left back in the league. If he can fulfill that potential in his defending and positioning, heÂ’ll be a hell of a player. Also important heÂ’s English in fulfilling that quota in the future.

Going by the program that is in place of Under-21s football followed by a loan and then integration into the squad, I would say it looks like being another season before weÂ’ll see the likes of Garbutt, Henen, Browning, Galloway and Ledson ready for the first team; Kenny could also be amongst that group. (Chris Long IÂ’m guessing will get that chance this year, hopefully after a good pre-season.)

If Coleman is sold (which is inevitable as IÂ’ve mentioned several times earlier in the season but not naming the player) then maybe Browning will be in the managerÂ’s plans for this season as backup or ready to be recalled from a loan.

So yeah... letÂ’s all rejoice. HeÂ’ll be like a new signing.

I really rate Garbutt as a real prospect.

My only worry is that this may well be connected with injury worries over Bryan Oviedo.

Now for that 20 goals a season striker..... erm?

Perhaps we are signing him to sell him in a season or two; otherwise ,I cannot understand the sense in putting the lad on a five-year deal and then sending him elsewhere.