Of course, should Shelvey go on to break into the first team fully on his return, it could spell bad news for another player that people have been raving about since his performance against Sunderland – Jay Spearing. In a lot of ways, both players are vying for the same spot. They may not necessarily be the same type of player but given that Lucas, Gerrard and Meireles are all but guaranteed a starting place in the Reds midfield, they are certainly looking to occupy the same spare place in the middle of the field.
If both go head-to-head, I can only see one winner: Shelvey. He automatically has a massive advantage over Spearing in that he is 6ft tall. For a lad 2 years younger than Spearing, he may well grow slightly more still. He is also a better passer of the ball and from what we’ve seen makes less mistakes when on the ball. Given that he hasn’t been at the club long and was signed from a Leaue One side, Shelvey has made a superb and impressive beginning to his Liverpool career. If he comes back from injury and gets a few more games in before the end of the season, he can end 2010-2011 confident that he has made a good impact going into the summer.
Once 2011-2012 rolls around, I fully expect Jonjo Shelvey to be a key member of the squad and he will be expected to start contributing a few goals here and there too.
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This week it is former LFC WAG Edita Hortova!
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1 for d future
Feel really sorry for Shelvey. He was just putting in some minutes in the first team, albeit from the bench, then he got injured. He has shown promise so far. But you can see he has confidence. He gets forward well, offers team mates options, has the confidence to try long range shots. He has been a positive attacking player and that is where I see his future. He could be the new Gerrard and to be honest, training with him and learning from him and kenny will prove him in good stead.
Shelvey was already forcing his way into the first team when he was 18 and still only 19 now. The next 2 years will be crucial for his development although he still has a lot to learn. His performances thus far hasn’t been really impressive to be honest and it’s clear that he isn’t quite ready yet. However, at 19 the guy has a bright future and maybe a loan spell next season at a smaller Premier League club would benefit him. Shelvey is promising and he’s almost certainly one for the future unlike the average-at-best Spearing who’s already 22.