OPINION
Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey hasn’t been involved in the first-team as of late due to injury but he made his long awaited return against Watford on Saturday.
Yet the 26-year-old’s display would have had fans wishing that Rafa Benitez had kept him on the sidelines a bit longer as he had a horror show against the Hornets by all accounts.
Shelvey replaced Isaac Hayden in the 79th minute of the match when the Magpies were leading 1-0 and played a huge part in the game ending 1-1 instead.
The midfielder entered the game and seemed to have his head in the clouds by not being prepared to battle for his side in order to get their victory over the line.
In fact Shelvey seemed willing to let his teammates do the dirty work and this is why the Magpies came undone.
Instead of marking Watford’s Abdoulaye Doucoure in the 82nd minute like he was clearly suppose to, Shelvey was nowhere near his man.
The Hornets midfielder took advantage of the situation to score from free header and see the Magpies earn only one point instead of then three they were destined for.
Shelvey then seemed to be clashing with Magpies defender Fabian Schar as if he was trying to make a case for why the goal wasn’t he fault, and that was poor to see.
The midfielder has long been one of the key players at St James Park and it seems to have gone a little bit too his head and he’s need a wake-up call in order to get back to his best.
Benitez needs to give Shelvey a harsh reality check by leaving him on the sidelines for a couple of games, despite not having a ton of midfield options, as it’s the only way he may improve.
While some may argue that the 26-year-old just failed to get up to speed against Watford after his recent injury, it’s worth noting his form ahead of the thigh issue this season wasn’t stellar to say the least.
