JONJO Shelvey has moved on this summer for £6m to Swansea City, following late interest from Crystal Palace.
The young midfielder tweeted:
“[I] will miss the city very much. And the club! Owe a lot to everyone there! Thank you. Time to start a new chapter in life in Wales. Thank you.”
Jonjo joined Liverpool in May 2010 for an initial fee of £1.7m and has gone on to make 69 appearances for the Reds, although this included only 17 Premier League starts.
The former Charlton man joined with a strong reputation as a young attacking midfielder and following a promising start to his Liverpool career, where confidence was never a problem, he joined Championship side Blackpool on loan in September 2011 scoring 6 goals in just 10 games for Ian Holloway’s Tangerines.
With injury problems affecting Steven Gerrard and Lucas, Jonjo was recalled early and had intermittent games, playing mostly in the Carling Cup and Europa League, but still scoring some valuable goals.
His high point arrived with an England cap under former Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson, but inconsistent form and not sufficiently impressing when he was picked in the Premier League (never mind a harsh sending off in the key Man United game) cost him his Liverpool place.
With Countinho excelling in Jonjo’s favoured role just off a front man, Jonjo spent much of the second half of last season on the bench. With Iago Aspas able to play as a second striker, and Luis Alberto joining from Seville also preferring the No.10 position, it looked like Jonjo may go on loan again.
However, the interest has been strong in a player who has represented his country at Under 16, 17, 19 and 21 levels prior to his full England cap, and he has moved on permanently instead.
Letting a 21 year old England international go for just £5m plus £1m in add-ons seems poor business when compared to the £16m we reportedly paid for Jordan Henderson two seasons ago – another young newly capped England international midfielder. However, Jonjo has always been very ambitious, and from his comments to the press has found it increasingly difficult not being in the team.
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Jonjo has key strengths that got him to Liverpool and then got him his first England cap. He’s a physically imposing player, tall and strong, has a powerful shot, times his runs into the box well and has a very expansive passing game. Jonjo is also adept at finding space when we have the ball, and has enough awareness to play good quality through balls (though clearly not at the level of Coutinho).
However, his weaknesses have limited his game time, and unlike other young players he hasn’t progressed significantly this season. He lacks pace and is slow to get on the move. His love of shooting too often leads him to shoot from outside the box at every opportunity, regardless of better passing options being available. This was very evident during England’s appalling showing in the European Under 21 Championships. He’s a brave lad, and not afraid to make a challenge, but he continually mistimes his tackles, aggressively diving in when it is unnecessary to do so. I’m not sure he learnt anything from his Man United sending off.
In Rodgers’ system, his inability to close down effectively, partly because of a lack of pace but also because his positional sense without the ball is poor, is something of a liability. Contrast this with Henderson, who for all his other failings is excellent at using his pace and stamina to harry the opposition.
Personally I don’t think our midfield is particularly strong. Given that Lucas wasn’t at his previous level last year, Gerrard has never had such an injury free season as last season, Allen was very poor in his debut season, Henderson needs much improvement and Luis Alberto is new to top flight football, Jonjo could well have had enough opportunities to prove himself had he stayed. I would have preferred if he had gone on loan to Swansea, and seen how he did, rather than selling him before he’s had enough opportunity to improve on his weaknesses.
Having said that, if we use the funds to help us get Henrikh Mkhitaryan or go for a top quality midfielder like Kevin Strootman of Holland, then the sale is justified.
This is an important close season for Brendan Rodgers, and it’s as important he gets his sales right as he does his signings. Fingers crossed we don’t regret letting Jonjo go, so young.
You can catch more from me on my own blog: http://taintlessred.blogspot.co.uk/
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Right move for shelveys career ? Yes probably
Right move for LFC ? No. I think we will regret this big time
Agree completely. real shame to see him go, he was a player who gave his all, unlike many others at the club at this moment.
Jonjo is better than Allen that’s for sure , and has more ability than hendo . What price would we get for Allen now anyway ? 3 or 4 mil ?
Would Shelvey make it as a squad player at title holders Man Utd? No he wouldn’t!! But yet in your dull mind you think he’s good enough for Liverpool. You clearly haven’t a clue about football.
Mr .Idiot would have been a better name for you.
I presume you are about 7 years old with that reply.
He is a better player than Allen or Downing, even if you want to go by childish stats, that is a fact , so you see, you are the one who “Hasn’t a clue”.
They should have been sold before Shelvey, Imo. Shelvey is a player who is not afraid to get physical if needed, scored a few goals, had a bit of a quite spell(more due to lack of playing time, and accommodating lesser players, like Allen), like nearly all our players did, seemed to be singled out by certain fans, and hence, sold. You can usually tell if a player is going to be sold, The official LFC site will be “Loaded” with comments from fans? slagging them off in a over the top way, next minute they are up for sale. Many think the lfc sites are just spin to try n control the way the fans think, and judging by how things operate in the world, they are probably right.
Spot on comment . I’ve been saying it for ages that FSG have their little soldiers on every site defending what the greedy yank fookers do
Go and put on your tinfoil hat you nut.
Are you named after Churchill the dog?
Very true, my account on the official LFC site has all my comments now blocked/disabled. Not that i was being rude or foul-mouthed but just critical of the way the club are going. FSG are nasty manipulators.
yep!
Regret this move I thought we were buying young.May end up as the Thomas Ince saga.
We made a huge mistake in letting Ince and Shelvey go??. How many other top clubs were in for them besides Cardiff and Swansea? That’s right……none! Says it all. Stop listening to media hyped bull*. Top clubs like Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal and Spurs would be in for them if they were any use. Truth is they’re average.
Its best for both part
Shelvey has potential . Although he probably doesnt fit in with Rodgers style . He should halve been loaned out to see if he will improve enough for LFC
Being realistic here, English players are mad over priced and you could add over hyped to that as well. So judging the price we got for Shelvey on the price we paid for Henderson is completely inacurate. Just because we paid ridiculous money for Henderson dosen’t mean that Shelvey’s market value should increase accordingly. The truth is, player value should be based on talent/potential and nothing else.
There is little talent and absolutely no value in the English market and not much up and coming talent judging by the results of the England Under 21’s and Under 20’s during the summer. The England Under 21’s, including our own Henderson and Wisdom, were knocked out of the European Championships losing all three of their group games and the Under 20’s captained by our own Conor Coady were knocked out of the World Cup also at the group stage, drawing 2 and losing their other game, in fact they haven’t won a game at the Under 20 World Cup since 1997!
Another victim of Liverpool fc’s selective criticism, give me Shelvey over Allen or Downing anyday of the week, at least he knows where the goal is and you could see him giving his all, Oh wait a minute I forgot, He had a go at his majesty “Fergie”,…….of course. Wrong decision to let him go Imo, heres to “Another” season of re-building, down-grading and of course, excuses.
Selling Shelvey is very poor decision. They should have loaned him out; in fact he should have been loaned out for the last two season with an option to recall if needed. The boy definitely had ability but his decision making was not too good. Loaning him out to a promoted side would have helped his game. Worst case scenario after his loan spell, would have been if he did not improve we still could have got 6mil or more for him the following season because after all he is English with real premiership experience. I don’t want to use the words I really want to…but Liverpool year on year fail to make use of the loan system and out young talent stagnates in the reserves playing effectively non-competitive football.
Now that Shelvey is gone we should loan out, Robinson, Flanno, Coady, Suso, should go out on loan to championship or promoted PL teams where they can play in front of real expectant full crowds. The worst case scenario for Liverpool in such cases is if they are not good enough for the fact they get real first team experience increases their sale value.
Watch Jonjo improve at Swansea under Laudrup and Bodgers will be exposed for what he is. A fraud.
Christmas time & you will see the Brendon Bodgers dream turn bad,TRUST ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!