Jay Spearing

[doogle]

JimmyRiceWriter Jimmy Rice
Another shout for my latest column: Jay Spearing, a growing lad. Including some interesting Opta stats http://thekop.liverpoolfc.tv/_Jay-Sp...95/173471.html #LFC
7 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Muddled]

His passing was atrocious against Spurs on Monday, but he certainly mopped up well in front of the back line and was unlucky with that pop from the edge of the box.

[Chris]

Yeah was odd that, it's usually really good.

[Muddled]

It was, he was pinging it around nicely against Wolves and found his range early. Against Spurs, he seemed to see the angles, but not the Spurs players.

[The Birdman]

Comes to something when a players biggest strength is basically standing still, not vacating the space in front of the centre backs and passing 5 yards which is what Jay does.
He does it well against mid/lower table sides, haven't seen him have an effective game against a good side yet.
Saturday will be a great test of that, if Jay plays he'll have to stop Rooney dropping deep and influencing the game. If he does well on Saturday against the Mancs then I'll be more than happy to start to change my mind.

If he doesn't or isn't picked then it will just re-enforce what I think which is he isn't good enough for a top 4 side.
He gets praise because he's a local lad, in Lucas's first couple of seasons with us he was miles better then than what Jay is now yet he got slated.

[doogle]

Although I prefer Lucas I also have no worries any more when Jay is playing instead, good squad player as previously mentioned

[Shaggy]

He gets praise because he's a local lad, in Lucas's first couple of seasons with us he was miles better then than what Jay is now yet he got slated.

Definitely agree with that.

[Chris]

haven't seen him have an effective game against a good side yet.

Did you miss the game when we battered City 3-0? The draw away to Arsenal? His passing might have been off on Monday but Modric was non existent aswell.

If he does well on Saturday against the Mancs then I'll be more than happy to start to change my mind.

Thats really nice of you, though I suspect if we win he wouldnt get any praise it'd be "he was ok".

He gets praise because he's a local lad

And you criticise him because he's a local lad.

in Lucas's first couple of seasons with us he was miles better then than what Jay is now yet he got slated.

Nonsense. And Is it by the same posters/people? Or is this your usual made up drivel when you are struggling to make a point?

[PTP]

he's a decent enough squad player/job doer - and when you look at (dare i say this ) united over the years, they've always had their 'water carriers' - non spectacular local lads, willing to die for the shirt, made up to be at the club, and happy if they just feature 15-20 times a season - which is what we should hopefully do with spearing

he's never going to be a full first teamer and to be honest, even since last summer imo we still need a top centre mid to play alongside lucas as first choice....

for me i'd like to see...

top centre mid>>>adam
Lucas>>>spearing
gerrard>>>henderson


we'd look much stronger

[GTi]

I think Jay is a player who will improve with age. I remember thinking exactly the same thing when Carra first appeared in the first team, but he went on to be a Liverpool stalwart.

[PTP]

having said that...right now, with lucas out, gerrard not quite 100%, henderson still finding his feet and adam being unable to tackle or move - spearing has suddenly become vital

[PTP]

I think Jay is a player who will improve with age. I remember thinking exactly the same thing when Carra first appeared in the first team, but he went on to be a Liverpool stalwart.

difference is though spearing is 24 this year and has only really broken into the squad last year, and only featuring much this year due to a horrific injury to Lucas and as I say, imo, us not buying a top box to box midfielder i felt we needed.

He's only made 40 appearences (according to wiki), since joining the first team in 2008 (5 seasons) aged 23

carragher made 70 appearences by the end of his 3rd season with the first team squad at the age of 21

[RedReet]

difference is though spearing is 24 this year and has only really broken into the squad last year, and only featuring much this year due to a horrific injury to Lucas and as I say, imo, us not buying a top box to box midfielder i felt we needed.

He's only made 40 appearences (according to wiki), since joining the first team in 2008 (5 seasons) aged 23

carragher made 70 appearences by the end of his 3rd season with the first team squad at the age of 21

Surely his age shouldn’t make that much difference. Players get better with experience, not their age as a number. It’s different if they are still developing physically, but I think that ship sailed for Jay when he was about 12.

I have no worries at all seeing Jay in our starting line-up and ATM think we are a better team with him playing, but also think there is still more to come.

[Darkon]

difference is though spearing is 24 this year and has only really broken into the squad last year, and only featuring much this year due to a horrific injury to Lucas and as I say, imo, us not buying a top box to box midfielder i felt we needed.

He's only made 40 appearences (according to wiki), since joining the first team in 2008 (5 seasons) aged 23

carragher made 70 appearences by the end of his 3rd season with the first team squad at the age of 21

Spearing does decent when playing, but if he had first team potential then we would have seen him far more in action earlier in his career. He only plays now because Lucas is injured. He has proven himself a good backup for a first choice and I'm happy to have him as that - but no more than that. His passing and movement is to slow for a top club IMO, he almost always needs 2-3 touches on the ball before passing and slows the play, and he needs to improve that A LOT before being first choice.

It's important to have players in the squad that are satisfied by being backup to the first team, and it's good to have a player such as Spearing that fills that role.

[dww]

Spearing does decent when playing, but if he had first team potential then we would have seen him far more in action earlier in his career. He only plays now because Lucas is injured. He has proven himself a good backup for a first choice and I'm happy to have him as that - but no more than that. His passing and movement is to slow for a top club IMO, he almost always needs 2-3 touches on the ball before passing and slows the play, and he needs to improve that A LOT before being first choice.

It's important to have players in the squad that are satisfied by being backup to the first team, and it's good to have a player such as Spearing that fills that role.

Not sure that's true. Players develop at different rates, he's come on massively in the last year and a half.

Agree with most of the rest. Just don't see there is any need to write off players when they are still obviously improving. The positioning he is learning is also a specialist one. Even if he never quite becomes in the class of Lucas he will be an almost invaluable squad player.