OPINION
When Ki Sung-yueng came on to replace Jonjo Shelvey against Watford back in November, it is safe to say that nobody would have predicted the impact he would make.
He was magnificent that afternoon, and he then went on to have an extended run in the team, something which proved dividends for Rafael Benitez as his team went on to collect more valuable points.
Fast forward to January, and we come to a time when injuries start to rip their way through the midfield. One by one, the likes of Ki, Shelvey and Mohamed Diame were struck off, leaving young Sean Longstaff to pick up the pieces – something which he did with tremendous ability.
That could not be more different now that Longstaff himself has been struck off for the rest of the season. This has given those three players the chance to fight it out for a spot in the starting XI, but to be honest, it should be Ki who is Benitez’s number one choice to play alongside Isaac Hayden.
Hayden has been excellent in the weeks leading up to the international break, so it is a no brainer that he should keep his spot in the team. It is just a question of who takes the other spot.
It should without a doubt be Ki. Diame is good – mostly – when it comes to defensive work, something which shone in the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth recently.
However, the 30-year-old South Korean is a player who has the ability to make things happen – Diame does not. What Benitez needs now is game changers, and he has proved that he is certainly one of those. It would be a shame to see his talented wasted on the bench rather than it being showcased on the pitch.
He must be unleashed once again in their upcoming match against Arsenal. Diame – who is on £45,000-a-week [Spotrac] – is not going to be able to make much of a difference in the final third. Ki could well be a game changer.
