Top 5 players in the bottom half of the Premier League this season

#5 Jack Butland

Butland is widely considered to be England's future number 1

The best goalkeeper in the bottom half of the league, there are many who deem Butland to be England’s best option in the position.

This has a lot to do with current number one Joe Hart’s terrible form for Torino and West Ham over the last 2 seasons, but Butland has performed admirably for Stoke City in that time; if he replaces Hart it would be entirely on merit.

Goalkeepers always stand out more when they play in struggling teams, given they face more shots from the opposition, but Butland’s form has been resolutely stellar. He is still really young for a player in his position, meaning he has plenty of years left at the top. It has seemed only a matter of time before Butland made the step up from Stoke, and he represents great value for money given his team’s current league position and his youth.

Arsenal, with Petr Cech getting closer to retirement, will be in need of a replacement shortly; Liverpool have infamously suffered from their goalkeeper choices in Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius for far too long. Butland has the handling skills, the height, and the overall presence to be a success for a ‘top 6’ side and for his sake one hopes he gets the chance soon.