Shankland update

[Dazo]

Just now, Bongo 1874 said:

Upon signing a new contract, I would want him to lose atleast 4-5kg put through an extensive pre season.

 

And he could play 4312/4231 as the Central Attacking Midfielder.

 

Or central in the 433 upfront.

 

The value a fit and motivated Shankland brings to Hearts is priceless, but the big question? Can he get himself motivated?and does he want to remain at us or move on ?

 

 

Priceless ? 😂

[Pingu]

26 minutes ago, Bongo 1874 said:

Wouldn't be against him signing a new deal on reduced terms.

I think I'd be fine either way. If he wants to leave, so be it. We'll need to replace him but, based on this season's performances, it shouldn't be hard for JTA to find someone better.

If he wants to stay, I'd be willing to give him a chance on sensible wages. Two year deal and we can always sell him next summer for a small fee if needs be.

[Cruyff]

If he gets the chance to go to the MLS and make some dough, he should grab that with both hands. He'd do well there. 

 

Can't see him doing too well in the Championship based on what we've seen this season.

[BigStein]

I think Shankland has enough talent to be a useful player for us if kept on. Unfortunately it's seems to be set in stone that he wears the armband, always plays and never gets subbed. I don't see that suddenly changing so he'll continue to get special treatment if he stays on.

 

I think it's best for everyone to move on tbh

[Jim Panzee]

6 minutes ago, RustyRightPeg said:

They are focussing on younger players 100%.

 

Won’t be astronomical wages but a sizeable increase on what we can offer top end. 

👍

[Dazo]

4 minutes ago, BigStein said:

I think Shankland has enough talent to be a useful player for us if kept on. Unfortunately it's seems to be set in stone that he wears the armband, always plays and never gets subbed. I don't see that suddenly changing so he'll continue to get special treatment if he stays on.

 

I think it's best for everyone to move on tbh

That’s a good point actually, if he is to stay the special treatment needs to stop.  

[Bad Religion]

11 minutes ago, Bongo 1874 said:

Upon signing a new contract, I would want him to lose atleast 4-5kg put through an extensive pre season.

 

And he could play 4312/4231 as the Central Attacking Midfielder.

 

Or central in the 433 upfront.

 

The value a fit and motivated Shankland brings to Hearts is priceless, but the big question? Can he get himself motivated?and does he want to remain at us or move on ?

 

 

So just give him a new contract and hope for the best?

 

Weren’t you saying he was killing the club a few months ago?

[Martin_T]

Has been oozing with don't want to be here vibes all season.

 

If he wants to stay fine, but no boats should be pushed.

[Star Lizard]

1 hour ago, Jim Panzee said:

I do wonder if some of his sparkle has gone because opposition defenders & teams finally worked out how to keep him quiet. not the sole factor but contributing to his frustrations on the pitch?

It could be a part of it yeah . Honestly though mate ? And I know you like to joke about it , and dont believe it , but he is just a bit out of shape physically and out of sorts mentally for me . He is nowhere near as sharp as he was in the wee one touch and ball control situations . He used to get manhandled in every match and the officials never did anything about it . What he did to counter that was use his intelligence and body well . One move of his that I used to love in particular , was with aerial balls coming out of the sky and he would be up against an opposition player to win it . He knew the other player was going to manhandle him so instead of leaning back in to the player , he would draw the player forward a little so they could not win it , using their momentum against them and simultaneously twist his body so the ball goes over both players but he would turn on to it and use his sharp close control to take the ball down and leave the defender facing the wrong way . Saw him do it so many times . Now he is just sluggish in those situations and he looks like his whole body is too tense 

[Der Kaiser]

Some on here have questioned his desire to win yet he has always seemed one of the most animated players when others in the team score.

 

Naismith said in an interview a while back that the fact no-one came in for him when he had phenomenal back to back seasons and got his Scotland call up weighed heavy on him. I can understand that. You've scored for fun and then no offers come in and then the Scotland manager gives you a handful of minutes.....I'd be very miffed too.

He carried our team for quite a while so it was no surprise that when he went off his game we started noticing more of the problems our team and squad had.

 

Whatever happens I'm glad me and my son had season tickets to watch one of the best strikers Hearts have ever had.

[Bongo 1874]

2 minutes ago, Dazo said:

Priceless ? 😂

Yes Shankland has proved he can get atleast 15 goals a season.

 

If he doesn't want to stay happily move him on,but the club should and will in my opinion,Sit him down and see what he wants.

 

Fully trust Jta/starlizard to replace him if needed.

 

Football is a Toxic game, what i would personally be saying to Shankland, and remember I wasn't his biggest fan and wanted him gone etc,you have a chance here to redeem yourself and sign off your career as a legend son,I know you support Rangers but let's be quite brutally honest if they truly valued you?why didn't they pay the money for you,I know what shite that agent of yours has been saying/promising, I've had it myself all those years ago.

 

This is your chance to mentor the next big thing James Wilson and guide him through the mistakes you made, so he can reach his full potential.

 

2 year deal with the option of a 1 year optional clause further extension on club terms.

 

You can go down south but they will chew u up down there as you aren't fit enough yet,stay with us we will get your head right and you fit.

 

And we will put bonuses in your contract,if you can meet the terms and targets we set out for you.

[Lord Beni of Gorgie]

I think he will find it hard, current trends in the game are not suited to him

[Dazo]

4 minutes ago, Bongo 1874 said:

Yes Shankland has proved he can get atleast 15 goals a season.

 

If he doesn't want to stay happily move him on,but the club should and will in my opinion,Sit him down and see what he wants.

 

Fully trust Jta/starlizard to replace him if needed.

 

Football is a Toxic game, what i would personally be saying to Shankland, and remember I wasn't his biggest fan and wanted him gone etc,you have a chance here to redeem yourself and sign off your career as a legend son,I know you support Rangers but let's be quite brutally honest if they truly valued you?why didn't they pay the money for you,I know what shite that agent of yours has been saying/promising, I've had it myself all those years ago.

 

This is your chance to mentor the next big thing James Wilson and guide him through the mistakes you made, so he can reach his full potential.

 

2 year deal with the option of a 1 year optional clause further extension on club terms.

 

You can go down south but they will chew u up down there as you aren't fit enough yet,stay with us we will get your head right and you fit.

 

And we will put bonuses in your contract,if you can meet the terms and targets we set out for you.

So not priceless then, that’s all you had to say. 

[Le Chat]

If Hearts are even contemplating offering him new terms they should just look at the comments on this thread and the other Shankland one.

 

There should be no terms offered to him, just a 'thanks for your first two seasons and goodbye'.

[fmjambo]

1 hour ago, gordon simpson said:

he could have been a club legend 

hope he leaves asap and we never hear or see him again 

Could? I think you mean still…

 

Shankland netting a last minute winner against Celtic at Hampden in May would secure legendary status

[Jocam2325]

19 minutes ago, Bongo 1874 said:

Yes Shankland has proved he can get atleast 15 goals a season.

 

If he doesn't want to stay happily move him on,but the club should and will in my opinion,Sit him down and see what he wants.

 

Fully trust Jta/starlizard to replace him if needed.

 

Football is a Toxic game, what i would personally be saying to Shankland, and remember I wasn't his biggest fan and wanted him gone etc,you have a chance here to redeem yourself and sign off your career as a legend son,I know you support Rangers but let's be quite brutally honest if they truly valued you?why didn't they pay the money for you,I know what shite that agent of yours has been saying/promising, I've had it myself all those years ago.

 

This is your chance to mentor the next big thing James Wilson and guide him through the mistakes you made, so he can reach his full potential.

 

2 year deal with the option of a 1 year optional clause further extension on club terms.

 

You can go down south but they will chew u up down there as you aren't fit enough yet,stay with us we will get your head right and you fit.

 

And we will put bonuses in your contract,if you can meet the terms and targets we set out for you.

Oh dear 

[Armageddon]

I've seen enough of Shankland to never change my mind that I want him to stay with us for as long as we can keep him.

 

Absolute legendary status for me, the moments I have enjoyed with my son because of that man will never be forgotton, and he still has it. 

[Rudy T]

His agent is currently a first team coach at Rangers. So there’s no prizes for guessing what’s currently going on there!

[TheBigO]

I dont give a shin shite about wages and all that.  Club decides.  But the simple fact, for me, is I think we can do better on the field than the 24/25 version of Shanks.  So for that reason alone, I say we look to replace him.

 

If he stays - and it's prob a big if - I would hope it's not as a 90 min every week player, and probably not as our captain either.

[Cruyff]

I think it would be a massive mistake re-signing him. What would he be looking for, weekly 5-7k minimum maybe? 

 

Just nah.

 

He got offered a good deal and he turned it down and his head seemed to have left the building since the start of the season along with his form. If he wanted to be here, he would've signed the contract or at the very least, brought the best version of himself onto the pitch in a bid to win a move. Unfortunately, he's been a shadow of the player he was this season. 

 

We can bring in one or two players that will be hungrier and offer more to us & the team for the wages he'd want. 

 

Don't get me wrong. He was on flames for two seasons and carried us to Europe earning the club a lot of money in the process but there's no room for sentiment in football, loyalty works both ways. 

[Jocam2325]

I think he's done at Hearts. I also think he's peaked and will never hit the heights of the previous 2 seasons.  

I will be astonished and delighted if he is the level Rangers are looking at. 

Thanks for the memories Shanks but you listened to poor advice, your head was turned and there should be no way back at Hearts. 

[ford donald]

24 minutes ago, Le Chat said:

If Hearts are even contemplating offering him new terms they should just look at the comments on this thread and the other Shankland one.

 

There should be no terms offered to him, just a 'thanks for your first two seasons and goodbye'.

 I think for everybody concerned he should move on,Hearts got the best out of him for a couple seasons,he was offered a good contract ,declined so move on.

[Jambo dans les Pyrenees]

2 minutes ago, Jocam2325 said:

I think he's done at Hearts. I also think he's peaked and will never hit the heights of the previous 2 seasons.  

I will be astonished and delighted if he is the level Rangers are looking at. 

Thanks for the memories Shanks but you listened to poor advice, your head was turned and there should be no way back at Hearts. 

 

Agree with this.

 

Shanks has had a stinker of a season, and shown his fitness/discipline/attitude problems.

 

He’s 30 now, slowing up visibly.

 

He won’t get Rangers or a Championship team.

 

He might get Aberdeen, Dundee Utd or a League 1 team who hope they’ll get the 3 years ago version.  They won’t and I’ll go as far to say that I don’t think Shankland will score more than 10 goals a season for the next 2-3 years before retiring.

 

I don’t actually have any bad will towards him, but he’ll look back at Jan 2024 and think what if….

[soonbe110]

1 hour ago, RustyRightPeg said:

Ipswich presumably going to sell Delap for record money and they’ll replace him with a 30 year old Shankland for free. Doubt it.

They will be a championship team next season.  Need to cut their cost structure. 

[Debut 4]

I’d question the quality of scouting in the game if clubs in the English Championship with ambition think he’s got the game to help them get there.  

[Yoda]

1 hour ago, Bad Religion said:

You’d like to think we’ve learnt from the Boyce debacle. 
 

Knowing the club though, probably not. 

This is my worry.  I can't see any club bigger than us wanting to take him. 

[skinnybob72]

Shankland doesn’t fit the profile for Ipswich whose (permanent) signings in the last couple of windows has been young, mainly English players who can be developed and sold. Delap, Hutchinson, Greaves, Philogene & Clarke for instance. 
 

The only exception to that was Sammy Szmodics from Blackburn who is similar age to Shankland and was top scorer in the Championship last season.

 

Just don’t see him moving to Portman Road. 

[Hectormasson]

1 hour ago, Martin_T said:

Has been oozing with don't want to be here vibes all season.

 

If he wants to stay fine, but no boats should be pushed.

👍👏👏👏

[EH11 2NL]

Times up with us. Great 2 years, won't really hold any bad feelings towards him but also not really the legend we all thought for the man that finally matched Robbos numbers. Don't think he'll cope in the Championship, but his bank account won't mind! 

[Bad Religion]

4 minutes ago, skinnybob72 said:

Shankland doesn’t fit the profile for Ipswich whose (permanent) signings in the last couple of windows has been young, mainly English players who can be developed and sold. Delap, Hutchinson, Greaves, Philogene & Clarke for instance. 
 

The only exception to that was Sammy Szmodics from Blackburn who is similar age to Shankland and was top scorer in the Championship last season.

 

Just don’t see him moving to Portman Road. 

There is zero chance he’s going to Ipswich or any kind of top Championship team. 

[Haken]

I think it's all been said. 

 

Using Jamestown, we're in a far different place to where we were at the start of 24/25.  If the analytics say yes and Shankland shows the desire, then possibly a new deal but on similar terms.  I have my doubts, however, about either of those two conditions being met.

[Jim Panzee]

1 hour ago, Star Lizard said:

It could be a part of it yeah . Honestly though mate ? And I know you like to joke about it , and dont believe it , but he is just a bit out of shape physically and out of sorts mentally for me . He is nowhere near as sharp as he was in the wee one touch and ball control situations . He used to get manhandled in every match and the officials never did anything about it . What he did to counter that was use his intelligence and body well . One move of his that I used to love in particular , was with aerial balls coming out of the sky and he would be up against an opposition player to win it . He knew the other player was going to manhandle him so instead of leaning back in to the player , he would draw the player forward a little so they could not win it , using their momentum against them and simultaneously twist his body so the ball goes over both players but he would turn on to it and use his sharp close control to take the ball down and leave the defender facing the wrong way . Saw him do it so many times . Now he is just sluggish in those situations and he looks like his whole body is too tense 

yeah. It's undeniable now that he's not as trim as he previously was. He's just not as mobile on the park. Despite his apparent lardiness in past season's he still scored a few after outpacing a defender (often in the way you describe). He's not doing this now.

 

I wonder if he's carrying a niggle - not bad enough to stop him playing 90 mins, but bad enough to hinder his fitness. I'd hope this isn't the case as I'd expect Critchley to take him out of action until all sorted. 

[Rogue Daddy]

1 hour ago, Bongo 1874 said:

Upon signing a new contract, I would want him to lose atleast 4-5kg put through an extensive pre season.

 

And he could play 4312/4231 as the Central Attacking Midfielder.

 

Or central in the 433 upfront.

 

The value a fit and motivated Shankland brings to Hearts is priceless, but the big question? Can he get himself motivated?and does he want to remain at us or move on ?

 

 

I'm happy for him to stay if he meets this criteria. He is visibly a yard off the pace - from when he joined us. Lose weight and I really think we would have the Shanks, from the previous first 2 seasons, back.

There's no doubting his head was messed with pre-season and he made the wrong choice(s). 

[Gerry1874]

Liam Boyce was a better 10 than shanks. Best he can hope for is a big pay day in Saudi.

[Philfigo]

Remarkable what has happened to him in the last year! It's absolutely clear to everyone that he has bulked up in the gym. Any pace he did have is non existing now, he is physically stronger so it's now a different game for him. Out and out number 9 is not longer his game where as a number 10 role suits him. Only problem is even in that role is his mobility he is heavily relaying on his physicality. No danger Ipswich or Sunderland will be after a play with those attributes, EPL and top of Championship forward players must have pace and athletic attributes Shankland has none of those. EPL and Championship was not out his reach this time last year, but for whatever reason he has completely changed physically since then.

[RustyRightPeg]

41 minutes ago, soonbe110 said:

They will be a championship team next season.  Need to cut their cost structure. 

Parachute payments exist

[1953]

He gave us two cracking seasons so thanks for that, but I for one won't be bothered if he decides to move on in the summer. If he can get a good deal somewhere else then good luck to him because even if Hearts offer him a deal to stay on, it can't be anything like the deal we offered him last summer.

[escobri]

The current Shanks ain't making it in the English Championship, he shouldn't even be starting for us.

[Stanley_]

2 hours ago, Luckies1874 said:

I would be absolutely astonished if either Sunderland or Ipswich were interested in the 2025 version of Lawrence Shankland. Would be phenomenal moves for him. 

This. He's doing extremely well if he ends up getting a move to them after this season.

[wavydavy]

1 hour ago, Rudy T said:

His agent is currently a first team coach at Rangers. So there’s no prizes for guessing what’s currently going on there!

 

Neil McCann loves Lawrence. 😍

[Star Lizard]

There are so many moving parts for him between the end of last season and the start of this but ………….

 

Either he , or someone advising him failed him completely by not encouraging him enough to kick on and use the continuity of another good season at Hearts under contract to elevate his career and earn us good money

 

Someone somewhere made the decision to be a complete ****ing waster and huff and puff his way through last summer and the start of this season . Maybe it was himself ? If it was someone else who’s duty was to advise him however , then they should have no further influence in the future of any player anywhere

 

Shankland has absolutely shat all over the opportunity that he had so far . 
 

He is fast running out of opportunities to change that . Scottish Cup is probably the only one

 

I I have found myself resenting the guy this season , and that is sad because he was and could have been outstanding 

[Australis]

New captain and some new players in this summer.

 

Shanks has been poor as a captain.

 

Not the man you want to stand beside you and motivate you in the trenches.

 

[soonbe110]

44 minutes ago, RustyRightPeg said:

Parachute payments exist

Nothing like what they were. No at clubs that have  been relegated in recent years has had significant financial challenges. 

[Craig_]

Pretty sure the analytics will know exactly whether Shanks is worth keeping on. My gut feeling is that we'll sign someone much pacier for that role next year, or the Hof/Kartum will move into the No. 10.

[RustyRightPeg]

12 minutes ago, soonbe110 said:

Nothing like what they were. No at clubs that have  been relegated in recent years has had significant financial challenges. 

Sheff Utd, Burnley & Leeds are the current top 3. The 3 relegated clubs last season.
 

Parachutes might not be what they were but the tv revenue is at an all time high. 

Edited March 12 by RustyRightPeg

[boag1874]

3 hours ago, Hømme said:

If he leaves i hope he gets a good club and is really successful there.

 

Shanks has given us the greatest years of his career and enough memories to last a long time.

Yeah, he's modern day Hearts hero for those first 2 seasons. Behind Rudi, Hartley & Gordon but he's definitely a top 5 Hearts player in my Hearts supporting life.

[Boof]

Signs for Rangers.

Their new backer views footage of his penalty v Brugge.

Gets loaned to 49ers as a kicker.

[rocketman19]

3 minutes ago, Boof said:

Signs for Rangers.

Their new backer views footage of his penalty v Brugge.

Gets loaned to 49ers as a kicker.

🤣🤣

[Dazo]

1 hour ago, soonbe110 said:

They will be a championship team next season.  Need to cut their cost structure. 

I’m not being funny but I’m pretty sure everyone was aware of that when they said there is no chance they are interested. Ipswich aren’t signing Shankland to get them back into the Premier league ffs. 😂

[Dazo]

21 minutes ago, boag1874 said:

Yeah, he's modern day Hearts hero for those first 2 seasons. Behind Rudi, Hartley & Gordon but he's definitely a top 5 Hearts player in my Hearts supporting life.

Wow, you better be young as ****. 😂