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Report: Shea pushing for loan away from Stoke City

BrekSheaStoke (Getty)

By DAN KARELL

In a different year, Stoke City winger Brek Shea may have been content to be patient and fight his way into a first team place. However, with the World Cup right around the corner, Shea doesn’t have time to spare.

According to a report with The Sentinel in Stoke, Shea has gone on the record saying that he hopes for a solution to his playing time issue sooner rather than later. Shea admitted that he was set to go to Derby County on loan but the move was scuppered after manager Nigel Clough was sacked by the Derby board.

“Birds were chirping. There was word, but obviously (Clough) got sacked,” Shea told The Sentinel. “I’ve got to get playing, whether here or on loan somewhere. It’s up to the gaffer and hopefully he tells me something soon.”

The 23-year-old Texan declared that he is fit and healthy after suffering a number of injuries for club and country since he joined Stoke City last January.

“My body feels good and my mind feels good,” Shea said. “A few weeks ago I was struggling because I was frustrated, but I feel better now.”

Since scoring the game-winning-goal for the U.S. Men’s National Team in the Gold Cup final against Panama, Shea has played just one official match for Stoke, a 3-1 victory in the League Cup against Walsall. In Shea’s last match for the Stoke reserves, he scored a goal in the first half playing alongside American teammate Maurice Edu but Shea was sent off in stoppage-time and was given a three-match ban for his actions, reportedly “kicking out” at an opponent off the ball.

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What do you think of this report? Do you agree that Shea should move on loan to a Championship side? Do you believe he’ll make the World Cup squad? Do you see Maurice Edu leaving on loan as well?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I think Shea fell victim to believing the stories in the news about him. He has some assets but maybe not any that will help him in the UK. Being fast is not enough. He should push to get out of there. He was starting in MLS and could start elseware. Stoke will let him rot

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    • I’ve got a feeling about Shea. I don’t think he’ll be in Brazil, but he could easily put together an EJ-esque career comeback.

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      • Shea left MLS because MLS knew he was too good. When asked who had impressed him in MLS Thierry Henry said “Brek Shea.” He’s had bad luck so far at Stoke with injuries and now a coaching change. Shea is the real deal.

  2. I’d like to see him spend a year in Norway or Sweden. Just get some regular minutes in a decent league and you will find out if you are good enough to make the move to a big 5 league.

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  3. I pray he is not a future US flop.

    needs to get his head on the ball, the football. Head to Belgium or Holland and play for a year. Stoke ain’t the team for him

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  4. An in form Shea can help our team in the world cup. He is one of the very few US players that can actually take on (or attempt to anyway) defenders. I hope it works out for him.

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    • Very smart comment Dc, Shea is that , his size and determination , his great speed and agility , makes him a dangerous winger ( specially on the left wing) . After racing through strong defenses , he makes beautiful crosses for any of our forwards to score . This is exactly why Klinsmann wants him in the team . He is a serious threat to any opposing team .

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    • Yes, let’s hope he finds a plan B (and the skill to carry it out) for the games where his speed and size cannot rule by simply pushing the ball forward and heading straight to goal.

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      • Problem: Shea has reached a level where leagues that rely on skill can’t use him, but playing in unskilled leagues will just reinforce his reliance on athleticism over technique. It’s not an easy problem to fix.

        See also: Robbie Findley (who already played in a World Cup!)

    • Not true. He’s got loads of potential. When he has confidence and his team is confident in him, he can be a dangerous attacking player. He just needs to be in the right mix.

      I think Holland would be good for him. Just ask Jozy or DMB.

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      • Did you watch his dreadful performance against Cuba in the Gold Cup?

        I understand he partially redeemed himself w/ goals against Costa Rica and the tap in winner against Panama. But those were relatively easy chances.

        I don’t care how fast the guy is. He looks like a klutz trying to dribble. He has no skill.

    • Who do you think is telling him he needs to go on loan to get playing time? Klinsmann is pushing him to make this move because he wants to put him on the team.

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      • you’re right…otherwise Shea would just be sitting there off the roster, not interested in making the USMNT team on his own or getting playing time… I believe that Shea wants to play in Brazil, but if Klinsmann’s thinks Shea will be on the roster in addition to, or in place of the following LW options (Donovan, FJ, Zusi, Bedoya, Castillo, Beasley, Dempsey, Corona), I got a solution for his RB problems right here, at Nottingham Forest…

      • Klinsmann has always liked Shea and has brought him in many times when he wasn’t even getting minutes. I wouldn’t even be too shocked if he is with the team in Scotland. If it was just Shea I think he’d be fighting for a spot but wouldn’t pushing the move so much in public already. Of those guys listed none play every week at left wing. Anyway I hope Lichaj gets a look at some point as well.

  5. You always want to see Americans start for their clubs over seas. Whether or not he is good enough or deserves a call up for the nat team, I hope he can get first team minutes in the PL or in the Championship because the next World Cup cycle (2018) could be his big break as a 28 year old should he miss out this summer

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    • I had the exact same thought. I always thought it was funny in the FIFA games when players said “the gaffer” when you were managing a team in the US or Spain or wherever that wasn’t England.

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      • For a brief period there Brek Shea had a blog on Goal.com. It was so terrible that I started to feel sorry for him. You can’t even find any traces of it in the Goal.com archives anymore.

    • What are you talking about he most assuredly took his lorry down to the pitch to talk to the gaffer about how he’s being treated in the footy side.

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