High flying Peterborough United were the visitor’s to the Community Stadium yesterday and all the signs pointed another difficult day for manager Joe Dunne and his injury ravaged Colchester United team. Peterborough are a top 3 side in League One and managed by Darren Ferguson. Already this season, Peterborough have visited the Community Stadium and knocked Colchester out of the Capital One Cup with a crushing 1-5 scoreline. So without question the match was going to be a real test for young Luke Garbutt and his fellow defenders.

Before the match began, I had chance to read the programme and the feature interview was with Luke Garbutt. There was nothing too revealing in his interview; needless to say, he said all the right things and he hopes his loan spell at Colchester will develop him into a better player which will hopefully lead to making a breakthrough at Everton. Personally I don’t think Garbutt has any future at Everton while a certain Leighton Baines is at the club but, if press rumours are to be believed, it’s possible Baines might be joining Man Utd sooner rather than later and that at least offers a little light to Garbutt (not that I’d want Baines to leave Everton).

To be honest, I wasn’t sure if Garbutt was going to start against Peterborough. Colchester’s regular left back Ryan Dickson is finally back from injury and, during pre-season and the early few games, Dickson had been the most impressive player. So Garbutt’s place in the side is under pressure. However, it brought a smile to my face to hear the team line-up with Garbutt starting and Dickson on the bench. It seems that the left back space for the time being is Garbutt’s to lose.

The first half was a very tense affair with not much to report on. I think Colchester wanted to keep it tight and neither side really looked too likely to score. Garbutt didn’t really have much influence in the first half. He got forward when he could but mostly I think he was more interested in keeping the defence tight and not giving Peterborough an early lead. There were a couple of corners from Garbutt but none of them came to anything.

The second half was a much more feisty affair and within the first 8 minutes Peterborough had been reduced to 10 men thanks to a justified red card. This extra advantage gave Colchester a boost and Garbutt in particular started to come into the game more as an attacking force.

As you will know if you have read my previous reports, Garbutt is a very good attacking defender, a left-footed Seamus Coleman would be a good example. Garbutt made quite a few attacks down the left-hand side in the second half and I think Peterborough players were really struggling to contain him and the Colchester side which was growing in confidence.

Then on the 70th minute the breakthrough came and it was Luke Garbutt who got down the left-hand side and whipped in a really terrific cross for young 18-year-old striker Macauley Bonne to head home. It was a great home debut goal for Bonne but also a wonderful assist for Garbutt.

1-0 to Colchester and Peterborough’s manager Darren Ferguson was not happy. His mood got worse as the Colchester United fans started getting on Fergie Jnr’s back. The supporters sitting behind me started singing "Are you Moyesy, are you Moyesy, are you Moyesy in disguise? ARE YOU MOYESY IN DISGUISE?" This chant made me smile even though it was offensive to our ex-manager, who I remain very much a fan of. It did however piss off Ferguson Jnr something wicked and the Colchester fans kept repeating the chant for the rest of the game.

There was 6 minutes of extra time to be played out at the end but Garbutt and his teammates held out and Colchester recorded a very unexpected victory. Colchester’s first win in 12 games and their first ever with Luke Garbutt in the side.

In rounding up, I think Garbutt had another very good game today. Not quite as impressive as the previous home match where he got Man-of-the-Match but he was still very good and easily one of Colchester’s better players. The assist for the goal was also another high point for Garbutt.

Garbutt is definitely improving and developing into a very good player. I don’t think he’s Premier League class yet but I actually think he’s got a half a chance of getting there sooner rather than later. I’ve not had chance to see much of Bryan Oviedo but I think Garbutt would rival him for the left-back spot if anything happened to Leighton Baines and, on the evidence of the last couple of games, I don’t think Garbutt would let Everton down if called upon.

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Reader Comments (14)

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Phil Sammon
1 Posted 27/10/2013 at 14:15:05
He's nowhere near good enough to be in and around our match day squad.

If Baines goes then we need to bring in a top quality replacement.

Colin Glassar
2 Posted 27/10/2013 at 14:31:37
Luke Shaw, Phil?
Phil Sammon
3 Posted 27/10/2013 at 14:51:32
Would love him, Colin. A very promising player at the right age.

Sadly he's signed a 5 year contract at a club who don't need to sell him.

Nobody really springs to mind. We may have to look abroad for this one. The good thing is that Martinez will know what's going on with Baines and has plenty of time to scout a replacement.

Colin Glassar
4 Posted 27/10/2013 at 15:02:20
We were linked with that Sighuieros fella weren't we? Maybe we could make a cheeky bid for Coentrao from Real Madrid? He seems to have been frozen out by the return of Marcelo.
Phil Sammon
5 Posted 27/10/2013 at 15:14:50
He'll be on mega money won't he. Real signed him for €30M or something daft. We can dream though.

Other options:– Bertrand, Naughton, Neil Taylor, Ben Davies. None really excite me, which is a shame because I'd like to replace Baines with another British player.

John Crawley
6 Posted 27/10/2013 at 15:47:49
Thanks for the report, Dick, very informative. I think Garbutt has got potential, he just needs more experience and he'll only get that by playing on loan. It was something that Martinez was talking about when he compared Garbutt's experience with Deulofeu who is the same age.
Michael Winstanley
7 Posted 27/10/2013 at 14:20:35
Thanks for report Dick.
David Chait
8 Posted 27/10/2013 at 19:17:26
Garbutt is getting more individual analysis than any other Everton player.. Still, interesting.
Harold Matthews
9 Posted 28/10/2013 at 01:45:45
Interesting report Dick. Can't see him making our first team but you never know. Unfortunately, the best young kid, apart from Shaw, is Robinson across the park.

There again, Martinez is big on a certain type of character and he'll have all bases covered.

Derek Thomas
10 Posted 28/10/2013 at 06:58:30
Dick; you compared him to Coleman rather than Baines and said his Colchester spot is his to lose. Coleman was under the radar at his age, so it would appear that his progress and development is in his own hands (as it alway is).

We must all wait and see, both on the Baines and Garbutt front... so that's what we will do.

Keep up the good work.

Matt Traynor
11 Posted 28/10/2013 at 08:05:24
Calling for Luke Shaw is a bit optimistic. He signed that 5 year contract in the summer with the proviso that he will, within the next 2 years, move to a perennial CL club and ensure top dollar for Southampton. That won't be us.

It definitely won't be us if we allow one of our most creative players to leave in January - in fact Shaw would have a better chance of playing CL footy with his current team if that's the case.

BK is caught between a rock and a hard place. If it wasn't for Fellaini, Baines would've gone in August, but even "the world's biggest Blue" knew he couldn't sell our top 2 performers on deadline day and risk the seals turning on him.

Sadly if Baines wants to go, and if Man U are in some sort of recovery by then, I'd expect him to go late in the January window, the rest of the Felli money to be spent whilst quietly banking the Baines money, and the seals will be back to clapping on 1 February against Villa.

Sam Hoare
12 Posted 28/10/2013 at 09:33:30
How long is left on Baines' current contract? Surely his start to the season will have put another few mill on his value. I'm not really sure Moyes can afford to come back to Everton for a high cost signing after the less than stellar start Fellaini has made.

Glad Garbutt is doing well. Needs to excel in the championship for me before he can be considered ready for a shot with us.

Was on a stag in Southampton this weekend and watched them vs Fulham. They were absolutely dominant. Shaw was ok but for me their stand out player was Lallana who is a huge Everton fan.

David Chait
13 Posted 28/10/2013 at 17:30:35
I don't know why Shaw keeps on cropping up... Southampton have cash.. Are building a good side and would make him cost a fortune.. Out of our financial bracket. Non starter.
Charlie Fath
14 Posted 28/10/2013 at 19:22:33
It's still a big 'IF' but, if Baines did go in January, it wouldn't suprise me if RM went with three centre backs in Jags, Distin and sicknote, that could give Oviedo and even Garbutt (occassionally) a chance at wing back which might suit any defensive frailties.

It looks like long term he fancies Martins Indi with Stones and possibly Tyias Browning who is well regarded at the club. That could be why he's not concerned with all his current centre backs being 30+; bring the youngsters on gradually and learn from the experienced.

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