There was a huge roar when Jonjo Shelvey came on on Saturday.
The midfielder replaced Ki Sung-Yueng with 14 minutes to go with the game still level.
Most fans wanted Shelvey to start, but once again he had to wait for an opportunity off the bench. However, this time he did not take it.
Shelvey severely struggled
With a lot of talk about his future at the club, the 27-year-old really needed to take this chance to prove himself to Rafa Benitez.
But nothing really clicked for him.
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Shelvey was unable to create any openings for his teammates, with a few stray passes landing at the feet of the opposition.
He tried to force things, but to no avail.
The more desperate Newcastle got, the more the players sent the ball to Shelvey. There was huge pressure on the number eight, but he was unable to be the difference.
Shelvey looked so far off the pace when he came on. While against Everton he was at it as soon as he arrived, the same didn’t happen against the Eagles.
Maybe he just needs a run in the team, but he did nothing to prove to Benitez that he should’ve started. If anything, his performance vindicated Benitez’s decision.