Although I didn’t notice it while watching the game on TV, Liverpool midfielder Jay Spearing reportedly got a good reaction from the crowd when he shouted ‘Come on boys, let’s lift it!’ – during the first half against Steaua Bucharest last night when the score was 1-1. Spearing talked about the incident afterwards:
“It wasn’t for any attention but it’s just something I’ve always done in every game and in training sessions. I just wanted to give the lads some encouragement. I thought at that point in the game we just needed to get the ball down and start playing again like we did at the start of it.”
If there are two things a Reds supporter will ask of their players is that they show commitment and passion. Spearing demonstrated both in his performance, suggesting he may yet have what it takes to make it at Anfield. Now 21, Jay remarkably made his first start at Anfield last night and duly impressed the manager and the supporters with his display. While his vocal encouragement demonstrated his passion, he also showed his commitment playing in the holding midfield role, winning the ball back on countless occasions and playing simple passes to more attack minded players.
There was every possibility that Spearing could be loaned out again this season, after enjoying a successful loan spell at Championship side Leicester City at the end of the last campaign. Roy Hodgson has however shown faith in the player, and has rejected overtures from other clubs to keep the player in the first team squad. Jay certainly feels the faith shown in him by Roy has helped:
“I got a lot of confidence when the manager told me I would be playing and I went out there and really enjoyed it. The manager has given me a lot of confidence and I know I have to keep working hard every time I get the chance in the first team.”
Spearing looks set to appear regularly in the Europa League and Carling Cup this season as Hodgson looks to reshuffle his starting line up in mid week to ensure first team regulars are fit and healthy for weekend Premier League fixtures. Roy was very impressed with Spearing when he arrived at Anfield, and although some Reds fans were surprised at such a statement, Spearing’s performance last night no doubt reinforced the manager’s belief in the player. Some players take a while to progress to their optimum level, and at 21, Jay can hardly be called a young starlet anymore, but like Jamie Carragher in his youth, he has begun progressing well as a player since he has been given more first team opportunities.
His loan spell at Leicester last season will have done him a world of good, especially after being consistently picked as a starter in a number of matches for the Foxes, and the experience gained will hold him in good stead as he now gets some game time for Liverpool. Considering he is also a local lad too, with passion for the club, every effort should be made to include him if he performs to the standard he did last night. Alas it was only against Steaua Bucharest but if he performs equally well in games against Napoli and FC Utrecht in the Europa League, could there be a case to pushing him above Lucas and Christian Poulsen in the pecking order? Especially with both players having less than convincing starts to the season, Spearing might just be in the back of Roy Hodgson’s mind for even more starts as the season wears on.
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Not from where I sat he didn’t Spearing is nowhere near good enough and needs to be sold it was his fault for their goal he slipped over and he doesn’t win many tackles plus he’s a midget.
Could you imagine Essien v Spearing Essien could blow on him and he would fall over and its no wonder we improved dramatically once Lucas came on
You talk shot, he played better last night than Lucas has since he signed for us.
I would pick Spearing over Lucas any day of the week, Lucas has shown time and time again he is crap. How is it that Liverpool sign a Brazillian first teamer, and he is more inept than my FIFA players in the first division?
Week after week he has shown he can’t cut it here at Liverpool, and in the premiership.
Spearing, a local lad- with plenty of vigour and loyalty to the club, has already shown in what little time he has, that he can be great.
I would stick Spearing in the gym, bulk him up a bit more, give him that added strength, and the lad will turn out to be a little dynamo in the midfield.
Small or not, this guy has talent. He will be a Liverpool lad for many years to come!
Jay played quite well last night, pity he’s so small, looks like the epl will swallow him whole. Lucas is not good at where he’s been asked to play, looks more comfortable further upfield, if woy keeps playing him in centre, we’ll win nothing! Gerrard must play centre with Raul, we must go at the spastics on sunday and turn them around. YNWA.
Comeon Stop ths “Lucas does not knw to play” Quotes Ok .. SPEARING PLAYED WELL….no regreting tht fact. But he needs time 2 develop and europa League is good platform … Fr al those Lucas hateing fans…. His GOAL was a proof of things he can do he just 23 after al he no striker 2 score goal week and week out. He has developed a lot needs to improve his passing..,. YNWA
in the europa play lucas in the hole and we will see the real lucas. he is a good player remember 08-09 the games against scumchester. spearing had a good game rednick wheather i would put him instead of an expeirenced player like poulson i don know woy seems to have a lot of belief in him so maybe europa,carling,fa cup and odd prem game this season and if your gonna give youth a chance please start pacheco he is brimming with talent. rafa never had much belief in youngsters like pacheco,kelly darby. ithink in a year or 2 if kelly hasnt got in in left back hes gonna have to move johnson up because he is to talented to leave on the bench he will just say to himself if i were to leave here i could get in to anybodys team. same with pacheco so please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please play them
I think Spearing did well enough in that he didn’t screw up (everyone slips now and again). He didn’t show any exceptional talent but he was useful. Time will tell… Who really impressed me was Kelly. I think he could be another Finnan. It’s a shame he’s not left footed as right back is pretty well covered. Still I can see him becoming a first teamer before long and I reckon he could do a good job for us in the centre as well.
They should send Ngog to the gym, if he bulks up we could have a good centre forward.
If Spearing was not a local lad how many of his supporters would rate him good enough?
He is not at the level required…that’s the top and bottom of it. Stop looking through rose tinted glasses…his game during the week was mediocre..the fact that some think it was good indicates what low expectations they have now set for our club.
I’m telling you now…if anyone thinks he’s good enough to wear the red shirt then you can forget winning the title in the next 20 years.
I can’t believe some of the responses…..Spearing was mediocre at best, Steaua were getting way too much time on the ball with absolutely no challenges going in and in contrast Liverpool’s midfield couldn’t keep a hold of a ball for nearly 60 mins….it actually took Lucas to come on and solidify the midfield and push Mereiles further forward before Liverpool got an actual foothold in the game. Seeing how Lucas came on and actually showed how he has improved immensely and was head and shoulders above any other player on the pitch. Spearing was on Loan at Leicester for the majority of the end of last season where he got a good run in team and yet never really set the world alight….and that was Championship standard….what the hell has he done to suggest since then he can make the jump up to play in a top 4 sides midfield, at least Lucas has played games where he has kept the likes of Utds midfield quiet and Chelsea’s….Spearing is nowhere near that level yet. I do wish him the best of luck and hope he gets to that level, but at this moment in time he’s nowhere near that level. Now Suso….that’s a different matter altogether.
rednick, dave and david – totally agree