I've been on many forums over the years but you, mate are without doubt the most obnoxious Swans 'fan' I've ever come across. Try debating instead of abusing, mocking and being so damned condescending and you'll have more fun and maybe people will actually start respecting your opinions. Give it a try.
If that is true then it is a terrible indictment of his character .... as many have noticed, this season he's not so hot and has weaknesses that despite his professional experience (made is debut at the age of 16) he does not have the discipline control. It just occurred to me that Robbie James would be a good player to compare with Shelvey. Robbie made his debut when he was barely 16, on the last game of the '72-'73 season on the right wing - a very tidy debut it was too. Interesting to compare where Robbie was at Shelvey's age in terms of ability and most importantly maturity. By rough reckoning, Robbie had played over 220 league matches v 135; scored 65 goals v 22; and had started to play for Wales seniors. Robbie never looked knackered in the second half and didn't lose his s**t with stupid fouls .... I don't think Harry Griffiths or Toshack would have put up with it.
I do worry about Shelvey's temperament at times. He always looks on the edge of losing his rag to me. Don't get me wrong he clearly has bags of talent but needs some top coaching to bring it all together imo. I met him once very briefly and he seems very shy and reserved - some would say surly, even though he was very polite to me. Alopecia in a youngster can have a devastating effect and I wonder whether that's affected his character. As for the U-21 situation, I suppose if he did refuse to play he must have had good reason and it's not something he would have done lightly. Paid off though didn't it? Still don't think that he deserved a cap ahead of Routledge or Dyer though.
Robbie was exceptional. I played against him a few times when we were under 16s (Leighton James too) and even then, on the field with little professional coaching, he was a man a mist boys. Although we'd only met a few times as youngsters he always had the courtesy to stop and ask how things were going if we met (very rarely). Died far, far to young. On Shelvey. 'The 22-year-old has been called up for England’s games against San Marino and Estonia this coming week, despite Hodgson admitting that the former Liverpool man has refused to play for the Under-21 side since August 2013. “He would have been asked, if you like, to step back down after, in his eyes, stepping up,” Hodgson said. “I believe Gareth [Southgate, the under-21 coach] spoke to him and he was reticent, maybe, to play and as a result Gareth chose other people.” The ex-Under-21s manager Stuart Pearce, who resigned after a horrendous display at the European Championship in 2013, has a strong opinion about Shelvey’s return to the side. “I’ll ask the question why hasn’t Shelvey been involved in international football for the last year. I’d like to know the answer, he’s been fully fit,” he said. “If he’s not made himself available how the hell has he got an England senior call-up?” The Nottingham Forest manager does have a fair point. If Shelvey is unwilling to play for his national side at youth level, or believes it to be beneath him in some way, then why should he get an England call up when there are so many others who are proud to represent their country and are willing to put the effort in to climb the international ladder properly?' http://www.caughtoffside.com/2014/10/07/stuart-pearce-slams-jonjo-shelvey-how-the-hell-has-he-got-an-england-senior-call-up/
You could argue that Routledge is too old to start an international career at 29(30 in Jan). Hodgson is going for youth at the moment and Shelvey is only 22. Dyer is 27 next month so he's still in contention I guess.
I heard Glen Hoddle talk about age and his opinion was, youth development and development of players from 21 - 24 was especially important, but England should have been picking players in form and evolving the team, with younger players coming in for friendlies and not overloading the senior team with developing players. If you go for youth because you think they will gel in time for tournaments there's a good chance you won't qualify or will stutter to qualification and the team will be heavily criticised (as happened last week) which can make young players lose confidence when playing for England. The Euros is a two year campaign so players who get you to the final may not be the players who get picked in the final stage. It seemed to make sense to me.
"You could argue that Routledge is too old to start an international career at 29(30 in Jan)." Lambert? 31 on his first callup.
Thought he was OK but didn't stamp any sort of authority on the game. Missing our regulars today for sure.
I thought he played a good game. He played well with Ki, which allowed Ki to be more offensive and this created most our good chances in the first 30 minutes. We did not cough up possession by banging long balls to nowhere. He played up to the tempo of the game, was busy making himself available for the pass from the back four. I'd start him again without reservation. The way we played for the first 30 minutes was the best we have played all season. Once they scored, it went down hill, but that's not his fault. In fact, once he went off Stoke pretty much owned midfield. We couldn't get nor keep possession to save ourselves.
K He was ok, didn't show enough to suggest he is first team material yet. But Stoke was owing the midfield long before he was subbed, that is obvious by the comments in the match thread.
Same as against Everton - really slick passer and moves well into space to give options for a pass but lost out once Stoke started rough housing. A lot of comparisons with Leon but Leon learned his game in the lower leagues and worked his way up, Carroll is being thrown in with the elite. If I was advising him it would be have a season or two in League 1 or Championship with a good passing team, acclimatise to senior football. As I've said before, I'm not sure why he came to us if he expected a lot of game time!
