Player Focus: Butland on the Right Path to Realising Potential
A run of three league wins on the bounce for Stoke following their resolute victory at Swansea on Monday night has lifted the Potters away from the drop zone. Expectations were high on the back of a raft of big name signings this summer, with the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri, Ibrahim Afellay and Joselu all moving to the Britannia Stadium during the transfer window. However, a faltering start to the campaign left Stoke mired in the lower half of the Premier League table. Yet, at this stage of the season, a quick turnaround can haul any team away from the bottom three and back up the league, as has been the case for Stoke.
They have the consistent Jack Butland to thank for that. Having moved to Stoke from Birmingham back in 2013, the England international was made to wait for his chance to stake a claim for a regular starting spot. Asmir Begovic was considered the club’s number one and rightly so given his goalkeeping ability. However, once the Bosnian departed for Chelsea, Butland was Mark Hughes’ undisputed starter having featured from the off in three of the Potters’ final four league games last season.
Butland is now Stoke’s highest rated player this season with a rating of 7.27. Only Hurelho Gomes (7.37) has gained better of goalkeepers in England’s top tier this term. Things could well have taken a turn for the worse for Butland on Monday, however, who may have received his marching orders in the first half having carelessly sacrificed possession in his own half before diving in on André Ayew.
Luck was certainly shining on Butland in South Wales. Not only was he perhaps fortunate to stay on the pitch, but the stars were clearly aligned in his favour at the Liberty Stadium. As Jonjo Shelvey sauntered through the Stoke defence, holding off the pressure of Erik Pieters, his low drive through Butland’s legs cannoned back off the post and away from danger. Managers will often discuss fine margins in the Premier League - this was indeed one of them.
“Was your heart in your mouth when Jonjo Shelvey’s shot went past you?” Butland was asked in his post-match interview by Sky. “Yeah…yeah…you want to keep it out of the net, but thankfully we kept it out. We were solid, we withstood a lot of pressure in the second half and you’ve got to do that, so yeah; thankful it went past (hit) the post and thankful we got three points,” was the goalkeeper’s response. It was a match in which Butland was rarely called upon and, bar Shelvey striking the post on the hour mark, the England international had little to do over the 90 minutes, required to make just two saves. Nevertheless, this contributed to his total of 39 saves, more than any other goalkeeper in the Premier League this season.
10 of those came against Arsenal last month, a Premier League high in a single match this season. Granted, Stoke fell to a 2-0 defeat at the Emirates, but it’s fair to say the result would have been significantly worse without Butland between the sticks. His lightning quick reflexes are perhaps one of his strongest assets. That 24 of his 39 saves have come inside the box - again, the most of all Premier League goalkeepers - further reinforces this quality. For a player who stands at 6’5”, his shotstopping ability - particularly from close range - is among the best in England’s top tier.
This is highlighted in that only Petr Cech (84.2%) and Hugo Lloris (83.9%) have gained a better save success rate than Butland (79.6%) of goalkeepers to make two or more appearances in England’s top tier this term. International recognition - his start in England’s 3-0 win at Lithuania earlier this month was his first since 2012 - was wholeheartedly deserved given his club form thus far this season. One minor critique could well be his lack of command of his area, with Butland successfully claiming just 13 crosses from nine appearances this season.
Given the player’s size, he should realistically command the six-yard box with consummate ease, though he certainly showcased this quality on Monday night, successfully claiming six crosses in the win over Swansea - only Gomes and Lukasz Fabianski (both 7) have claimed more in a Premier League match this season - to help ease the pressure on his defence at the Liberty Stadium. A dominating goalkeeper exudes confidence throughout the side, though this is an area of Butland’s that can be worked on given he is just 22 years of age.
His performances between the sticks for the Potters this season have been welcome from a player who has shown great patience to stake his claim for a regular starting spot. Butland proved he had the potential to forge a career as a Premier League quality goalkeeper during his time at Birmingham City and he is beginning to realise this for Stoke. At such a young age, Butland certainly has the ability to ply his trade in England’s top tier in the long-term as he helps the Potters’ push up the Premier League.
How important a role will Butland play for Stoke this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
