Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez has explained why midfielder Jonjo Shelvey is now such an integral part of the team.
The former Liverpool and Swansea player started the season on the bench but the lack of cutting edge that the Magpies displayed in 1-0 loss against Fulham, prompted the Spaniard to have a change of heart and include the Shelvey in the first team eleven.
The 24 year old has subsequently started all but one of Newcastle’s league matches since then, scoring three goals and scoring five assists. The ability to provide a killer ball is the main reason Rafa says that Shelvey is now an automatic starter. He is quoted by the Chronicle as saying:
“We analyse the characteristics of our players, and here we have a player who we know has it in him to deliver the final pass,” Benitez said of Shelvey.”
“We have others like [Isaac] Hayden who can play in that position but Jonjo is a player who is technically good and, when he plays well, the team plays better.”
Shelvey has had to work his way back into Rafa’s plans. He failed to start any of the last six league matches after the Spaniard took over as manager last season, and he worked hard on his fitness in the summer to hit the ground running in preseason. The midfielder has not looked back since.
