Newcastle United’s loss to Sheffield Wednesday once again highlighted how much the club miss Jonjo Shelvey.
It’s no secret that Newcastle United have been dominating the Championship for the most part so far this season. Their form has often been impeccable and whilst there have been a few stumbling blocks, they are widely expected to gain promotion back to the Premier League. With that being said, Jonjo Shelvey has been a big part of their success story.
The 24-year-old midfielder is on the sidelines due to suspension as we all know, and it’s becoming painfully obvious how badly the Magpies miss him in the middle of the park. As demonstrated by the loss to the Owls, there is a very particular type of team that continually best Benitez’s men in the Championship.
Fernando Forestieri of Sheffield Wednesday in action with Jamaal Lascelles of Newcastle United
Any kind of team with a rigid style of play come to St James’ Park looking to frustrate Newcastle and more often than not, they succeed. Where Shelvey tends to thrive is when he can get under the skin of the opposition and make the gritty tackles necessary to move the play forward for his side, which is something that not many others in the starting XI are willing or capable of doing.
Derby County’s Johnny Russell in action with Newcastle United’s Jonjo Shelvey
Many supporters were expecting problems with his absence, and obviously Shelvey only has himself to blame. However, Newcastle need to find the answer quickly as this stage of the season can make or break a promotion campaign as we have seen on many occasions throughout the years.
Newcastle United’s Jonjo Shelvey celebrates after he scored their second goal
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