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Ian Holloway defends under-fire Newcastle star Jonjo Shelvey
Jonjo Shelvey has been heavily criticised by Newcastle United fans for his performances this season under Steve Bruce, but Ian Holloway has defended the midfield maestro and believes he could come good.
Shelvey, 27, has started five of Newcastle’s seven league and cup fixtures this season, but many believe he does not have the sprightly step that he once had. His ability to dictate the tempo of a match from the middle of the park – gone.
Bruce has continued to place faith in the England international so far this season, though he did bench the former Liverpool and Swansea midfielder for the 1-0 win over Tottenham and the draw against Watford.
Holloway, who has entered the world of punditry after last managing QPR, replied to a fan on backing Shelvey and believing that with the right team – the midfielder could return to form.
I feel for him. He’s a genius in the right team. He can dictate the play if he has runners around him. I love him and hope he gets back to his best soon.
— Ian Holloway (@IanOllie7)
TBR’s view – Shelvey not in good form, but Newcastle have little else
Shelvey is an excellent player and has a natural talent that allows him to spray the ball around as a deep-lying playmaker, a term used by many Football Manager aficionados.
But even if he is not in the best of form, something which goes hand in hand with Newcastle’s current lack of points, do they have the cover to replace him? Sean Longstaff is excellent but young, Ki Sung-yueng is nowhere near as good as he used to be, while Isaac Hayden is yet to reach last season’s form.
Do Newcastle have adequate cover? It seems as though they may lack that option. Toon fans will be hoping Shelvey can finally get back to his best, the kind of form he showed following his £12million () move to St. James’ Park in 2016.
