It’s hardly surprising that Stoke City are set to offer their captain Ryan Shawcross a new long term deal in an effort to fend off Newcastle United’s interest in the player this summer.
We have been linked with a number of good center-backs of late including Hull City’s Harry Maguire, Celtic’s impressive 22 year-old Croatian Jozo Simunovic and even Werner Bremen’s Italian defender Luca Caldirola.
So it’s not clear which one Rafa Benitez will go after, although he may want to bring two center-backs in this summer.
The report is in the Telegraph and Ryan Shawcross has been at the Potters for ten years since joining them as a 19 year-old back in 2007 from Manchester United.
Ryan Shawcross – could stay at Stoke?
Shawcross has just one year left on his contract and we’ll have to wait and see if the 6ft 3ins defender will accept the new deal or want to try pastures anew.
Like joining Rafa’s revolution on Tyneside, where the manager who has won three European trophies with three different clubs and ow wants to make Newcastle United into a top club in Europe and start to win some trophies for a change.
The next step will be whether Ryan accepts the deal and if he does then good luck to him and Newcastle will need to looks at other candidates.
There are reports he’s very settled at Stoke with a young family.
But most Geordie fans agree that Ryan would be a perfect acquisition for Newcastle because of his vast Premier League experience in addition to his excellent leadership capabilities.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
Health update – I’m off to have blood tests at the hospital now and if all is OK I’ll have my second chemotherapy infusion tomorrow afternoon in an attempt to limit the spread of the prostate cancer.
The following 5 days could be very challenging – also I’m now 60% bald – getting near the Alan Shearer look.
But in very high spirits like most Geordie fans these days.
🙂 🙂 🙂
74 comments so far
lesh
May 3, 2017 at 3:35 PM
Comment #41Ed
First and foremost, don’t worry too much about developing the Shearer look – you’ll still be a handsome specimen.
Hibbit – bet you wish you had Shearer’s money to go with your highly polished pate 😉
Ibiza – Aren’t you normally on bikini watch at this time of the day? Hope you’re not slacking. 😀
And whilst Rafa will have his legals on the case, it’d be nice to think that he and Ashley could come to a swift agreement on responsibilities and authority, strategy, investment and support. If mutual respect and trust could be firmed up with a handshake, the legals’ involvement should be nowt more than a formality and Rafa and Charnley can get things moving.
But, if Rafa’s gonna bring in a few players, then fans need to be prepared for a slow start to the season – much like we started this season. Let’s hope there’s no Rafa oot lobby if early results are not all bringing in points.
Wayayman
May 3, 2017 at 3:36 PM
Comment #42Aaal the best, Ed. Keep updating us with your news mate.
martoon
May 3, 2017 at 3:39 PM
Comment #43Best of luck Ed. I know how bl**dy awful Chemo makes you feel and I am in awe of how you still manage to churn out articles regardless.
lesh
May 3, 2017 at 3:41 PM
Comment #44barkel
At the time of Thauvin’s departure, Rafa was in rebuild mode and would’ve been forced by circumstances to reduce the wage bill to accomodate incomers and make some swift decisions. I don’t think he had the luxury of being able to give the likes of Thauvin half a season to show what they’ve got in their lockers. It’s a pity Thauvin’s transfer worked out the way it has but that’s life. Think of him as another Pogba!
Ibizatoon
May 3, 2017 at 3:45 PM
Comment #45Lesh…I wish! Office bound for the foreseeable future. Not even a few minutes to build some sandcastles.
If the meeting doesn’t go well, I wouldn’t have thought it’d even get to the lawyer stage. Nothing to suggest that being the case mind.
As you say, hopefully they have clear and positive talks, with just the i’s to dot and the t’s to cross.
Mister Tuff
May 3, 2017 at 3:49 PM
Comment #46barkel you are totally wrong about Deli Alli .
I’ve posted about this a couple of times recently.
Carr scouted him. He was just about signed up -we even had press releases ready to announce his signature. Then some knacker (Penfold???) stared aggro about his wages and the rest is history.
Him and PEA – value now £100 million.
catchy in norway
May 3, 2017 at 3:49 PM
Comment #47JP
even sader when you buy players with potential and you don’t have the right coachs to develop them.
that’s the brilliance of pochy boy at spuds, top top quality coach, where as Jose dosnt want to develop players, it’s not good for his CV Rafa is in the middle of those 2. i could add Diego at Ath Madrid, great coach
barkel
May 3, 2017 at 3:50 PM
Comment #48Lesh
I don’t blame Rafa for getting rid at all, it didn’t look like he was going to work out for us, these things happen in football. It would have been nice if he had managed to settle in early doors before he was sent out on loan the first time. He had about a dozen games for us before going back to France, he could’ve been kept for the second half of the season, wouldn’t have been much worse than anyone we kept
corkypants
May 3, 2017 at 3:51 PM
Comment #49All the best Ed your the man!!!!!
The next Mike Williamson
May 3, 2017 at 4:02 PM
Comment #50I’ve often wondered what the ultimate team of the players we just missed out on could look like.
There is Umtiti, Forster, Augeymebang, Gameiro, Dost, Kante (small rumours), Van Dijjk, Koulibaly, Lacazette, Keane, Delle Ali, Thauvin. They’re the ones I’ve come up. I think we were linked with Wanayama before Celtic even bought him and again when Soton got him. Perhaps there was a bid for Bale too when he couldn’t get a game for Spurs.
Forster
Keane – Van Dijk – Umtiti
Ritchie – Kante – Alli – Thauvin
Lacazette – Dost – PEA
Koulibaly, Gameiro on bench
The next Mike Williamson
May 3, 2017 at 4:05 PM
Comment #51We tried to get Alderweireld from Atletico too if I remember, maybe Clyne too. Carr must be kicking himself, seems Ashley will just never offer quite enough and then we end up getting Gouffran.
barkel
May 3, 2017 at 4:13 PM
Comment #52My mistake Tuff, I hadn’t seen that at the time. What an awful shame it is that the business men are in charge
Tsunki
May 3, 2017 at 4:22 PM
Comment #53Getting back to the point Catchy there’s no way Lascelles is in that bracket. It’s like you haven’t been watching anyone else make mistakes. I’m surprised you’re not singling out Darlow for letting goals in needlessly 🙂
Mister Tuff
May 3, 2017 at 4:27 PM
Comment #54barkel – here’s the link about he we cocked up getting Deli Alli.
Probably Penfold penny pinching to please Mr Tubbs – resulted in us losing millions and millions.
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/strange-tale-newcastle-united-dele-12410778
SPRINGY
May 3, 2017 at 4:39 PM
Comment #55Keep ya chin up ed,hope all goes well mate
catchy in norway
May 3, 2017 at 4:45 PM
Comment #56TSUN
my point has been all along, IMO he is our 4th best CB,
i thought Mbemba was our best CB last year, who imo has more potential, he has more to his game than Lascelles,
Clark i just like, he has good positional sense.
for me Lascelles is a cross between Mike Williamson and Titus Bramble. and we made him captain :(. and i guess thats why i single him out, but he does make themost mistakes at the back too
lesh
May 3, 2017 at 4:51 PM
Comment #57Ibizatoon
Good grief, no beach time? What’s the world coming to when a man’s denied the simplest of pleasures by your miserable employer. All work and no play etc etc. There’s so much fun to be had on beach!
LewSpi v2.0
May 3, 2017 at 4:55 PM
Comment #58All the best Ed, stay strong.
Jail for Ashley
May 3, 2017 at 4:57 PM
Comment #59North Atlantic fisherman makes startling claim on Newcastle captain Jamal Lascelles!
ShirebrookToon
May 3, 2017 at 5:03 PM
Comment #60JFA,
You got a link to that or it is on news now 😉 😀
ShirebrookToon
May 3, 2017 at 5:04 PM
Comment #61JFA,
You got a link to that or is it on news now 😉 😀
Toonces
May 3, 2017 at 5:12 PM
Comment #62Not a Shawcross fan – history of back injuries and bad defensive habits as previously mentioned by others. IF we wanted to make a statement at CB I would want to go for Glik at Monaco. Wishful thinking but who knows, maybe the Rafa & EPL appeal could make it happen?
MadisonToon
May 3, 2017 at 5:22 PM
Comment #63Ed –
Good luck, nothing wrong with joining us in the land of the balds 🙂
Toonces
May 3, 2017 at 5:23 PM
Comment #64All the best Ed!
MadisonToon
May 3, 2017 at 5:24 PM
Comment #65On Shawcross –
Would be a great addition in the short-term but don’t see it happening.
I’m not convinced that players who have perennially been in the middle-to-lower tiers of the EPL are the right players for us. We need the mentality that we will be better – any player that gets a multi-year contract at NUFC in 2017 or later will need to be a player who is ready to be competing consistently in the top half of the table from 2018. That said, we need hungry players and
I don’t think Shawcross is motivated enough to match what we all hope Rafa’s ambition is.
ROSHAN MAGPIE
May 3, 2017 at 5:35 PM
Comment #66BEST OF LUCK ED
toon kk
May 3, 2017 at 5:42 PM
Comment #67All the best Ed.
magspuggy
May 3, 2017 at 5:51 PM
Comment #68Good luck ed ..
I see wor ronaldo is being sent to smog land for trail as its believed he wont get a fair trail here or in blunderland.
Is boro a suitable venue if the othet two arnt ??
OneAlanShearer
May 3, 2017 at 6:04 PM
Comment #69Good luck Ed. All the best.
chicousa
May 3, 2017 at 6:05 PM
Comment #70Best of luck to you Ed. Thanks again for your untiring work on this great blog!
north east lincs toon
May 3, 2017 at 6:14 PM
Comment #71Ajax fans are nuts
Rotonda heights
May 3, 2017 at 6:15 PM
Comment #72i could be totally wrong but we don’t exactly seem to be pulling out all the stops to keep Liam Gibson. really bizarre as I thought we were desperate to develop some top home grown players.
Jail for Ashley
May 3, 2017 at 6:18 PM
Comment #73Really good caller on Total sport right now
ryan
May 3, 2017 at 6:56 PM
Comment #74Hope you get well soon. You’re blog has been my soul source of information for my support of Newcastle. All the luck to you to fight this!