Player Focus: Can Shelvey Build on Strong Start to Fulfil Potential at Swansea?
Gradually, as Jonjo Shelvey continues to pick more and more of the brilliantly incisive passes that so broke Newcastle United on Saturday, you can understand why both Brendan Rodgers and Steven Gerrard spent so long trying to convince the Londoner to stay at Liverpool in the summer of 2013.
You can also see why the Anfield coach suggested Swansea City for Shelvey once it became clear that the midfielder felt he needed to get more first-team football. We’re starting to see one of those promising synchronisations between player and system. The right set-up is bringing the right play from Shelvey.
That hasn’t always been the case. Less than a year ago, Swansea boss Garry Monk criticised the player for “laziness” and that inability to fully apply himself seemed to be reflected in the way moments of haplessness would so quickly follow moments of high quality. The games against former club Liverpool seemed to sum up this drastic dichotomy, not least that 2-2 draw that saw him play a key part in all four goals. If some of this was a sign of his youth, it showed Shelvey had a fair bit of growing up to do.
That’s changed. This season, he seems to have grown up, and grown into his role. The completeness of his performances has been the most impressive aspect of all.
He ran the midfield in the eye-catching 2-2 draw at Chelsea, before giving Newcastle the run-around in Swansea’s 2-0 home win.
The stats from those games are striking.
First of all, there was the way he rose above the rest of the players on the pitch. Shelvey played more passes than anyone else on the field in the Chelsea game, at 58, and hit more of them accurately than any other non-defensive player that started the game. That ratio of 90% came despite playing more key passes than anyone else on show, too, at six. And all this against the champions.
Then there’s the way he rose above his usual returns.
In the two games so far this season, Shelvey has played at least 20 more passes per match than any point over the past three seasons at 70.5, has played more than treble the key passes he usually does at 4.5, and still hit his best pass accuracy percentage at 88.7%. On top of all of that, he's dribbling more, and offering more through balls.
So he hasn’t just been taking control, he’s been trying to use that control as productively as possible.
Obviously, these figures are from just two games and will greatly level out over the course of the campaign, but the drastic upturn even in just 180 minutes is still notable. It backs up what we’ve seen: a player taking more responsibility in a more proactive role.
The wonder is whether this is just form, or something more. Shelvey is now 23 and getting more mature, while the roots of these displays could be seen in some of his play towards the end of last season. Then there’s the changes to his lifestyle. The player has admitted he’s become obsessed with his diet to the point of appointing a chef, and has also had long discussions with Monk about his play.
The manager revealed a little of that to the media, over what Shelvey needs to do.
"Consistency is a good word - it's important," said Monk. "He's a young player but, at this level, you need to be consistent. He showed that towards the end of last season and he's showing it again. It's important he continues to work even harder, but he listens and wants to do it. Hopefully he gets even better.”
Shelvey is certainly performing at a better level than he's done at any point in his career so far. It may not last, he may not grow into a Liverpool-level player.
At the very least, though, he’s started to make the right steps in that direction - and defenders have struggled with that movement.
Can Shelvey continue his excellent early season form for Swansea? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
