Jonjo Shelvey (now playing for Çaykur Rizespor, on loan from Nottingham Forest)

[Rich]

Moving towards the opinion that Merino/Shelvey is the only real way forward at present.

[Infinitely Content]

If its two, I'd want Shelvey and Merino. Against Liverpool it made us look comfortable enough on the ball to belong.

 

It's the obvious choice and the one I'd like to see tried out for a run of games. We haven't had anyone settle in the CM position all season, Merino got injured, Hayden suspended and in and out prior, and obviously the same with Shelvey. I feel we're lacking a real comfortable duo in there who really know the others game. Which is why part of me would like to see Shelvey/Hayden given a run, but Merino probably too good to leave out.

[xLiaaamx]

I don't get Rafa's thinking. He used it once, it worked well. Since then he's never took the opportunity to do it again.

[Hanshithispantz]

Rafa needs to swallow his pride and bring back the Ginger Pirlo.

[Guest firetotheworks]

That match was begging for his involvement very early on. I can't believe he didn't come on even as a direct replacement for Hayden if he was sticking with 442. Hayden wasn't making any difference defensively in midfield, so you may as well have someone who'll make no difference defensively but can get us playing in an attacking sense. Utterly bizarre to me.

 

[Yorkie]

Moving towards the opinion that Merino/Shelvey is the only real way forward at present.

 

Agreed, have never wavered from this opinion all season. A team is greater than the sum of its parts, but I really feel we need our eleven most talented players on the pitch at once m

[Rich]

Moving towards the opinion that Merino/Shelvey is the only real way forward at present.

 

Agreed, have never wavered from this opinion all season. A team is greater than the sum of its parts, but I really feel we need our eleven most talented players on the pitch at once m

 

I’ve always been a Hayden advocate, but he’s treading water at this level.

[triggs]

Rafa needs to swallow his pride and bring back the Ginger Pirlo.

Don't it always seem to go that ya don't know what ya got till it's gone

[Rich]

Rafa needs to swallow his pride and bring back the Ginger Pirlo.

 

I was at the match and this is still the worst thing I’ve seen today.

 

[Hanshithispantz]

I don't get Rafa's thinking. He used it once, it worked well. Since then he's never took the opportunity to do it again.

The only think I can think of is he's absolutely set on this rotation and fitness policy as well as judging everything in training. It probably works when you have more than like 3 good players.

 

It just seems to me that, when fit, Gayle, Shelvey, Merino & Lascelles should play every game without fail. The alternatives have the capability to be just as bad but their ceiling is a lot lower.

[Sima]

Rafa needs to swallow his pride and bring back the Ginger Pirlo.

 

I was at the match and this is still the worst thing I’ve seen today.

 

 

[Guest firetotheworks]

Moving towards the opinion that Merino/Shelvey is the only real way forward at present.

 

Agreed, have never wavered from this opinion all season. A team is greater than the sum of its parts, but I really feel we need our eleven most talented players on the pitch at once m

 

I’ve always been a Hayden advocate, but he’s treading water at this level.

It doesn't necessarily need to be a permanent thing . I like Hayden, but it was clear as day early on that not only were the strengths in his game not suitable today, but that he was also anonymous and/or playing badly when he did get the ball. Merino too tbf, the pair of them were so needlessly sloppy throughout.

 

[Hanshithispantz]

Hayden looks like he should be your typical Mr Reliable but he's been shite a lot this season like.

[r0cafella]

Shevey lacks the dynamism to play as our 10, Rafa likes his 10 to make piercing runs and control space defensively none of which Shelvey will do.

 

Also Gayle is clearly our main goal threat and as a poster mentioned earlier it appears Rafa thinks Gayle needs a partner to be effective.

 

In an ideal world we would play 433 with Hayden sitting behind Merino and Shelvey but that would most likely leave the 3 attackers isolated.

 

It’s simply far too simplistic to assume we would have been better with Shelvey in the side.

[xLiaaamx]

Shevey lacks the dynamism to play as our 10, Rafa likes his 10 to make piercing runs and control space defensively none of which Shelvey will do.

 

Also Gayle is clearly our main goal threat and as a poster mentioned earlier it appears Rafa thinks Gayle needs a partner to be effective.

 

In an ideal world we would play 433 with Hayden sitting behind Merino and Shelvey but that would most likely leave the 3 attackers isolated.

 

It’s simply far too simplistic to assume we would have been better with Shelvey in the side.

 

We've got 1 point in 7. And him coming off the bench was a huge reason we got that point. We literally couldn't be any worse with him playing.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

If I was him, I’d be looking for a move away in January. I don’t rate him, but he’s better than Hayden, he’s better than Diame, he’s better than Joselu, he’s better than Ritchie and he’s better than Perez and yet they all start or get on.

[Guest ManDoon]

He's got to play really, and I'm hardly his biggest fan. The solution needs to be finding a way to carry his lack of defensive ability, I'd play with three in mid personally

[Guest Howaythetoon]

He's got to play really, and I'm hardly his biggest fan. The solution needs to be finding a way to carry his lack of defensive ability, I'd play with three in mid personally

 

Yep, Hayden and Merino.

[jackyboy]

Last season his 50/50 log passes were awesome and we miss that.  Problem is that at this level his long passes would be 25/75 which means giving the ball away a lot more and of course you are more likely to get punished at this level.  Rafa likes the possession game and doesn't like giving the ball away.  Look what happened yesterday with Merino, one sloppy pass and the opposition score from it.  I personally think that it's worth playing Shelvey because of his quality in passing and you just need to accept that everything he tries won't come off.

[r0cafella]

Shevey lacks the dynamism to play as our 10, Rafa likes his 10 to make piercing runs and control space defensively none of which Shelvey will do.

 

Also Gayle is clearly our main goal threat and as a poster mentioned earlier it appears Rafa thinks Gayle needs a partner to be effective.

 

In an ideal world we would play 433 with Hayden sitting behind Merino and Shelvey but that would most likely leave the 3 attackers isolated.

 

It’s simply far too simplistic to assume we would have been better with Shelvey in the side.

 

We've got 1 point in 7. And him coming off the bench was a huge reason we got that point. We literally couldn't be any worse with him playing.

 

Not really no, we were losing when he was starting games too.

 

We are just inferior to most teams in the league but the actual truth of the matter is Ashley has made us a tinpot yo-yo club with a big stadium and fans who will show up every week.

[TRon]

If I was him, I’d be looking for a move away in January. I don’t rate him, but he’s better than Hayden, he’s better than Diame, he’s better than Joselu, he’s better than Ritchie and he’s better than Perez and yet they all start or get on.

 

I'd be okay with it if we sold him tbh. I don't like central midfielders who don't have a good engine and work rate. Hayden is probably the only one of our midfielders who has that, but he's clumsy. I don't know how he looked a decent player with Arsenal, maybe their attacking style suited him more. I think it's the same for Ritchie in that regard.

[xLiaaamx]

It would need to be a huge fee and it would need to all be spent. Otherwise it would be a suicidal decision.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

If I was him, I’d be looking for a move away in January. I don’t rate him, but he’s better than Hayden, he’s better than Diame, he’s better than Joselu, he’s better than Ritchie and he’s better than Perez and yet they all start or get on.

 

I'd be okay with it if we sold him tbh. I don't like central midfielders who don't have a good engine and work rate. Hayden is probably the only one of our midfielders who has that, but he's clumsy. I don't know how he looked a decent player with Arsenal, maybe their attacking style suited him more. I think it's the same for Ritchie in that regard.

 

At Arsenal a midfielder has to be able to pass the ball and have good feet. They don’t have to be great passers, they just have to be able to get the ball, look up and play it, be it 5 yards or 30 and they have to be able to be back on to get the ball again. In that kind of set up it’s easy to see how Hayden ended up at Arsenal whose midfielders don’t have to do a lot of work or have to put in crunching tackles. Here at Newcastle we need players that can do more because they have to. I like Hayden, I think he has some good attributes, but what we need in there is someone with more nous going forward, someone with more solidity. He puts himself about, but he’s quite weak in the challenge and doesn’t impose himself enough. Shelvey is similar but more clumsy when he does put himself about.

[Guest ManDoon]

It would need to be a huge fee and it would need to all be spent. Otherwise it would be a suicidal decision.

 

Yeah selling our only creative outlet would be madness

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Back to Shelvey, I think Rafa had high hopes for him this season and wanted to make him an integral part of the team, but that red card against Spurs probably was the last straw. If he could do that, how can he be relied on to build a team around?