Jonjo Shelvey’s poor form at Newcastle United has come at the worst time

Jonjo Shelvey’s poor form at Newcastle United means one thing: Voldemort is running out of time for the World Cup.

Whilst the numbers may not prove it, Jonjo Shelvey has been one of Newcastle United’s most important players this season. Forming a harmonious partnership with Mo Diame in center midfield, the former Liverpool and Swansea man has rightly received plaudits for his contribution to the Magpies brilliant 2018 that has all-but guaranteed another year of Premier League action on Tyneside.

But Saturday’s 1-0 loss at home to West Brom was not the Englishman’s finest 90 minutes. Newcastle United as a team were off the pace on the weekend, but Shelvey is one of the few players in black and white capable of breaking down a defense with his excellent vision and concise passing ability, and Rafa Benitez will need him to improve if the Toon are to reverse a run of two straight losses.

It’s in these consecutive 1-0 defeats that Shelvey has looked lackadaisical. Misplaced passes and a general lack of urgency were the marks of a side that have just fought a long grueling fight to avoid relegation, but Shelvey is not in a position to daydream of a long summer vacation unlike some of his Toon compatriots.

It was only a few weeks ago in April that he expressed his desire to be a part of England’s squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, even if at that moment his chances looked slim with English manager Gareth Southgate having already named a preliminary squad a month previous.

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However, when England midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain went down injured during Liverpool’s Champions League first-leg match vs Roma, concerns were raised over whether the ex-Arsenal player would still be able to travel to the World Cup in June. Chamberlain has since been ruled out of the competition following confirmation his knee injury was both serious and long-term, leaving Shelvey one of the few logical replacements for Gareth Southgate to call up to the squad.

Unfortunately, discipline issues have always been the huge red flag for the Newcastle United midfielder. Sent off for petulantly stamping on Spurs’ Dele Alli on the first day of the season, Shelvey also recorded a second red card for a second-booking offense vs Everton in December, bringing the 26-year-old’s total to 4 red cards in his Premier League career.

Nonetheless, there have been encouraging improvements in his attitude on the pitch since the December incident. Forget red cards, Shelvey hasn’t even received a yellow card since the FA Cup fixture vs Luton in January; a match in which he scored en route to a 3-1 victory. This vast improvement in the discipline has also seen an improvement in his overall performance, as in March Shelvey recorded two assists in a 3-0 win over Southampton, and scored his first league goal of the season against Leicester in the first week of April.

It’s this form that Jonjo needs to recapture if he is going to enter the plans of Gareth Southgate. Every player dreams of representing their country at the World Cup, and even though Shelvey knows what it takes to be called up for International fixtures given his six international appearances, the last time he played for England was a friendly vs France back in 2015.

Related Story: Toon Takeaways from the loss to West Brom

It could be argued that in the role he plays, the performances of Newcastle’s strikers ultimately decide whether his excellent passing ability is rewarded on the stat sheet in the form of assists – these are after all the most tangible way to judge a midfielder. However, with time running out before the final 23 man squad is announced for the World Cup, Shelvey cannot afford any more performances like the one against West Brom if he is to make a strong claim for that final spot on the plane.