Brendan Rodgers

[I, Ravel Morrison]

Are people really comparing Shelvey to Gerrard

It was a more a comparison of contrast when I did that, to say that Shelvey isn't of the required talent we need of a player of his position and ilk.

I mean, if you look at our developing first team picture, where does he fit in, where can he fit in? He doesn't have the athleticism and sheer engine of Henderson and mobility of Allen to hustle the midfield. Nor he the maturity to play as the quarterback to lead the line from the back. And surely he'll look an ill fit in the fluid, pacey style of our frontline.

[Charly]

He had bags of potential. Its a shame he went, but we have a lot of player in that position, and he would not have got a game.

[captainfog]

Well perhaps the guys I was talking to weren't fully representative of all Swansea fans then. I still think he's way overrated by some of you though.



Ok then, Rodgers obviously thought he was amazing but he still gave him the option of leaving? Nice of him.

While you're here though Foggy, any comment forthcoming in the FSG thread? Been waiting ages to hear if you still think they're... What was it? "Asset strippers" iirc?

I didn't say he thought he was amazing. You were insinuating that Rogers thought he was **** and that's why he let him go and I was suggesting that wasn't the case because Rogers wasn't trying to get rid of him. He told Shelvey like he told Henderson that he wasn't guaranteed a starting spot and he could stay and fight for a place or he could go. Shelvey opted to go and Henderson opted to stay.

As for FSG, I still don't trust those mother****ers. What's that got to do with price of fish though?

[MrMichael]

I didn't say he thought he was amazing. You were insinuating that Rogers thought he was **** and that's why he let him go and I was suggesting that wasn't the case because Rogers wasn't trying to get rid of him. He told Shelvey like he told Henderson that he wasn't guaranteed a starting spot and he could stay and fight for a place or he could go. Shelvey opted to go and Henderson opted to stay.

As for FSG, I still don't trust those mother****ers. What's that got to do with price of fish though?

The two were not quite the same though. Rodgers was prepared to let Henderson go when he'd only been at the club weeks. He decided to let Shelvey go after he'd been at the club a whole season, after initially having thought he "had it all". Henderson changed his mind over that season for the better, but Jonjo really changed it for the worse. I don't see how that is disputable, or that Rodgers would have let him go if he thought he was all that.

Nothing at all

[captainfog]

The two were not quite the same though. Rodgers was prepared to let Henderson go when he'd only been at the club weeks. He decided to let Shelvey go after he'd been at the club a whole season, after initially having thought he "had it all". Henderson changed his mind over that season for the better, but Jonjo really changed it for the worse. I don't see how that is disputable, or that Rodgers would have let him go if he thought he was all that.

Nothing at all

He did dip in form, after he was sent off against the Mancs he seemed to go down hill quite fast. I wouldn't argue against that at all. I also agree that often he seems to charge about like a headless chicken, but he was and still is only young and if he knuckles down then I think he can become a very good player.

Nobody but Rodgers knows why he let him go, but but my reading of the situation is he thought Shelvey was a good young player who needed regular games to take the next step, but game time was going to be limited at Liverpool this season. Manager and player then probably agreed he could leave to get that football. Shelvey is an ambitious young man who backs his own ability and I doubt he would have been up for another loan stint or for making do with keeping the bench warm.

Despite his great potential there was probably enough doubt as whether he would properly kick on and be good enough to be at Liverpool for Rodgers to be not that fussed either way. There is very good and there is very good and you need to be the later to play for us. I'm sure Shelvey will carve out a very successful career in the premiership and he'll probably end up getting a few more international caps, but I'm less certain he'll be good enough to play at a top club.

[lickedlollipop]

Are people really comparing Shelvey to Gerrard

[calvoboy]

In 21 league starts for Swansea this season he's got 5 goals (1 in 4) and 3 assists (1 in 7), which is really not bad at all for a 21 year old kid in his first season at a new club. 84% pass completion too which for someone who likes to spread the play and plays ambitious balls is also pretty good. It's his self-belief and swagger that sets him apart from most and I'd be very surprised if he doesn't carve out a very good Premier League career over the next decade.

I think he'll be a very good premiership midfielder for the rest of his career. Not quite good enough to play every week for the top four teams, but a very important player for mid-table teams with Europa league aspirations. About Scott Parker/Danny Murphy level, though a different type of player to both, obviously.

[kev776]

FFS guys, first he is ****, then he isn't, what is my official opinion? I have no idea what to believe or think, please advise.

[dww]

I think that the problem was that you can only have so many development projects in a squad at one time - we had Skrtel, Henderson, Coutinho, Sterling and arguably Gerrard. Sometimes you have to prioritize and I think Shelvey was unlucky that other things were a higher priority than his personal development. He could have been a more than useful squad player for us in the future and I agree with most that he will have a very good career. We had to look at the bigger picture and the sale was in everyone's best interest at the time I think.

Scott Parker/Danny Murphy comparisons seem to have something in them. I can see him ending up at Spurs too.

[el matador]

We do need another young central midfield player who's comfortable joining the attacks from central midfield.

Allen, Gerrard and Lucas are more defensive and only Henderson gets forward. We need another one who can work hard and score 15 plus goals from that area as well as create.

[Mattshark]

We do need another young central midfield player who's comfortable joining the attacks from central midfield.

Allen, Gerrard and Lucas are more defensive and only Henderson gets forward. We need another one who can work hard and score 15 plus goals from that area as well as create.

They are extremely rare to say the least, most strikers don't manage that.

[Daniel 7]

Shelvey plays like a young Gerrard, the same rashness, the same Roy of the Rovers swashbuckling style, but without the same level of natural ability and athleticism that made Gerrard world class.

The lack of athleticism especially, in my opinion, holds him back from being a player that can be useful for us at the highest level; the lack of tactical intelligence holds him back further.

Have you opened the Jonjo Shelvey Cliche Book and just blindly regurgitated the introductory note from Jamie Redknapp?

[Fierce]

They are extremely rare to say the least, most strikers don't manage that.

Rare?! They don't exist! A central scoring 15 goals per season?

[dom9]

While you're here though Foggy, any comment forthcoming in the FSG thread? Been waiting ages to hear if you still think they're... What was it? "Asset strippers" iirc?

[Mattshark]

Rare?! They don't exist! A central scoring 15 goals per season?

I was being polite!