Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey is facing an uncertain future at the club under manager Rafael Benitez, according to journalist Andrew Musgrove.
The Chronicle reporter claims on his personal Twitter account that the England international’s erratic form and lack of consistency when it comes to his passing means that he does not fit the mould of player the Spanish boss is looking for, casting major doubts over whether he has a future at the club.
The thing is with JJS, his passing success rate is not good. Too many passes go astray – I really don't think he fits into what Benitez is trying to build.
— Andrew Musgrove (@ADMusgrove) March 4, 2019
Injury has curtailed the amount of playing time the 27-year-old has picked up during the current campaign, with just 12 appearances to his name.
Opinion
On his day Shelvey is a master of passing but the problem for the Magpies is that those days can be few and far between. Sometimes the opposition can find a way to mark him out of the game while other times can see him have an off day but the fact of the matter is that no matter how dazzling he can be, his moments of magic do not come regularly enough for Benitez or the Toon Army. You just have to look at the type of players that the manager relies on to realise that Shelvey does not tick the same boxes. The likes of Ayoze Perez, Matt Ritchie and Salomon Rondon are by no means the most technically gifted in their roles but what they do possess is an excellent work ethic and the ability to carry out their jobs to a tee. Shelvey does not offer that and it is clear to see why Shelvey’s time at St James’ Park might be coming to an end.