Garbutt joins Oxford United on loan

If he has a good season, he'll attract clubs in the top two divisions. Or, maybe get a chance with us next year.

Either way, he has always seemed to handle himself well, no moaning to the media etc. So I will watch Oxford's progress this season, and I wish him well.

And another year to go after this... the club has been badly mismanaged with plenty of deals much worse than this one.

“John Stones is hugely important to this club, of course. He's the best centre-back in England, surely, and he was never going to leave, never. There was never a moment...” the Blues owner says, leaving the sentence hanging.

“But don't forget. They said Luke Garbutt was definitely leaving, wouldn't sign a new contract. And James McCarthy. We had that where he was definitely going apparently, it wasn't even a question. Kevin Mirallas, too.

“Yet here we are with the window closed, and they all have new long-term deals. They're still here and they want to play for Everton. It's an important point.”

Dave #9, not sure I can think of any deals worse than this one.

To loan a player, the current contract stands. It's just up to the player to accept the loan and for the two clubs to work out who pays his salary or how it is split. I imagine he was willing to be loaned but not cancel his current contract, and the two clubs came to an arrangement as to how much each will pay for his remaining year.

Wish him all the best and hope it works for him at Oxford.

I was really surprised when he went out on loan. But let's just say, all is not as it seems with him...

Can't see him making another first team appearance for us. He will probably be shipped out for a nominal fee next summer. If he's not good enough now, I doubt he ever will be.

We've invested so much in him, both time and money, that all avenues should be tested.

We got stung in giving him the 5-year deal. The lad has been going through the motions for years now.

Got a nice cushy contract guessing around 㿊k a week for 5 years. Typical modern day footballer. No ambition to do better for himself.

That would have jumped his wages over Jags, and Coleman, even Hibbert. I'd guess he's on around half that.

Still leaves a lot we're paying to get him to Oxford United for (hopefully) his last 2 years on contract.

But not the huge chunk it would be at 㿙k per week.

I would have offered Liam Walsh good terms to stay. Hoping it will still work out for him. I saw a quote from someone on here last year bemoaning the fact that we let a 12-year-old go to Blackpool. Win some. Lose some. That's football.

I doubt if any lad in his position is on top of the world as they sign for Oxford or some other lower-league side, their hopes and dreams in tatters.

I would love to know what you mean by 'it isn't all as it seems'. He seems to have a bit of whit about him. He wasn't caught out in the sting during his time at Fulham.

Average salary of CEO of FTSE 250 company = ٟ.5M.

Much tougher kicking a ball around than running a company worth just over ٟbillion.

"I was a little bit shocked really and want to thank both Luke and his agent for the way they have looked at this and seen it as an opportunity to play regular football and put football ahead of the financial considerations..."

That doesn't sound like either EFC or Oxford together are paying his old wages... And if that is so, I wish him even more luck for this initiative!