I feel that this needs it's own thread - Personally, I wouldn't want us to sign Butland, as TK has performed well inb in both home games and on more than one occasion in both games, there has been the chant of 'Timmy, Timmy Krul.' 'Reading between the lines' of what PD was saying in his 'Papers at Paddy's', it seems more like a forlorn hope that Butland can get back into contention for the England shirt, but IMO, 'that ship had sailed' for him.
No time for sentiment. Krul’s clearly a great guy and a fantastic team player, but Butland is a better keeper. You only have to look at a couple of the goals yesterday, where I thought Krul was slow to get down and across, could have done better. Even a couple of the really good saves I wondered whether they were made to look better because he was late to it. That being said I don’t believe the rumour, not least due to the price tag.
Have you seen how bad Stoke are? Butland is a spent force and not even as good as McGovern, let alone Timmy, Timmy Krul imho
Tbh I haven’t seen him play in a while. You may be right. But I do think he used to be a class keeper and he is still young.
I suspect this is the key to it. Butland is seeing his career waste away in the Championship, yet still holds out hopes of making the Euro 2020 squad. The only way he achieves that is with a move to a Prem club in January, where he can force his way into the first team and make a miraculous return to the England fold. He's instructed his agent to make it happen. So his agent looks at the list of PL goalkeepers and looks for a weak link. Funnily enough the EDP article highlights Villa, Palace, Bournemouth and ourselves. Of those teams, Villa signed Heaton, and Bournemouth really rate their youngster Ramsdale. Guaita at Palace is ok, leaving Norwich with a somewhat suspect Krul, and Fahrmann unproven in this league*. So you manufacture the Butland-to-Norwich rumours, and hope Norwich bite. Realistically, unless Stoke's "£25m price tag" becomes £2.5m, it's not happening. Butland would have to essentially go on strike and demand a move to Norwich before Webber/Farke would even consider whether there was value in a move. Absolutely 0% chance this happens, disappointed in the Archant papers for giving this rumour oxygen. *To see the situation entirely as an agent.
The only way I can see this possibly happening is if it becomes pretty clear by January that Stoke are going to finish outside the top 6 / relegation zone and we are going to stay up, it is clear Krul & Fahrmann aren't up to the job and the price was right. I don't think there's any chance of any of the factors in this scenario coming to fruition.
DH - I was surprised that PD gave the rumour an airing, but when he was doing his review of the Sunday papers, he couldn't really miss it.
File this under bullsh1t. If anything SW and DF's goalkeeping headache is probably how they plan to get their money's worth from Fahrmann this season. Krul's 'undroppable' at the moment. Some of his reactions saves in the past 3 games have been incredible, not least the Liverpool free kick. He looks every inch a PL goal keeper to me and a mature leader behind a relatively young defence.
