Manchester United Rumours Archive November 06 2012

06 Nov 2012 13:48:50
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is weighing up a move for Stoke City skipper Ryan Shawcross.

United sold Shawcross to Stoke for an initial £1 million in 2008 but still have a buy-back option which allows them first refusal if any rival clubs make a bid. Sir Alex Ferguson has made no secret of the fact that he regretted selling the former Old Trafford trainee and could move to bring him back in the summer, with doubts over the long-term fitness of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.

Shawcross joined United as a 15 year-old and made only two appearances in the League Cup but Ferguson is known to have been keeping a close eye on his progress. In his programme notes before United's game against Stoke last month, he wrote: "I was delighted to see him called up for the England squad because he is a quality player I have wished – particularly of late – was still at Old Trafford.

"The problem was that at the time of his release we had an especially strong group of young centre-halves and it was becoming impossible to give them all games at the level their progress warranted. We had Jonny Evans, Gerard Piqué, Ryan Shawcross, Craig Cathcart, and Paul McShane, and something had to give. We made the right decision keeping Jonny Evans but I'm not so sure about letting Shawcross join Stoke."

source drivelfootball

REDCORE!!

I have posted this last month or before nd people feel i m saying impossible. I m still thinking that he wil return.
Stoke is trying to give new long contract to him because they fear that they wil loose him in summer as early in january itself
Rodio17

Hope we don't go for Shawcross. I don't rate him higher than Jones, Smalling, or Evans so bringing him in would be a waste. If we want to bring in a DC we need a world-class DC of the highest quality.

So SAF let go of pique, Spain's no 1 for J Evans :/... Is that what he is saying ?.. At the end of the day Evans or Shawcross are not at the level Piqué is, out of all 3 of them Pique saw Vidic and Ferdies partnership at there best, at there peak!!

CalamityManc!

I think you will find Piqué wanted to return to Spain

Pardoe

Also Evans at the time was ahead of Pique in progression and perhaps if he had stayed he would not have reached his current level. I think Pique is a good CB, but he does look slightly cumbersome at times and I am not sure if he would be as influential in the EPL as he is in La Liga. Still a top player mind.

Sydney!

07 Nov 2012 09:51:50
@CalamityManc!, Pique is just too slow for the Premier League. Evans is a lot more suited to it and developed very well in the last few years.

Pique really isn't as good as some say. He has the benefit that his team has 70% possession every game and so his passing abilities can shine more because he doesn't have to deal with as many attacks like Evans. His actual defending isn't better than that from Evans.

Pique too slow for PL!? That is laughable. So this guy is playing against the likes of ronaldo, de Maria, falcao,and you think hewwon't cope in PL. sorry but Ferguson has been rubbish at buying players and even more rubbish at letting the good players go.
NoMidfield

I don't rate Pique and Puyol for that matter. Always thought they where lacking as defenders. The current Barca team could have Prunier playing for them and make him look good because he would have very little to do. Evans was and is ahead of Pique. I get to watch Jonny for Northern Ireland and he's immense. Fergie knows it but United fans have judged him because he had a dodgy season and a half where his confidence wasn't great. I'm telling you now, in a couple of years time he'll be the first name on most United fans team sheet.

Clarko