Liverpool midfielder Jay Spearing was a bit-part player at Anfield under Rafa Benitez and Roy Hodgson, but this season, he's been trusted with a lot more time on the pitch, and this appears to be paying dividends for the club. Spearing put in another good performance against Everton on Tuesday night, prompting gushing praise from Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, who claimed that his team-mate is on a par with one of England's bright young prospects.
In an interview with the Liverpool Echo, Gerrard made some bold claims about Spearing's ability, arguing:
"He was up against Jack Rodwell. People talk about him as a £25million player and England’s future, well I think Jay more than matched him if not was better than him.
"I think he’s been consistent all season. Every time the manager has called on him, Jay has been superb.
"We’re really pleased to have him. He’s such an unselfish player who keeps it ticking. You have to play with him to appreciate him".
As is usually the case after any important victory, Liverpool players are always quick to massage each others' egos; just look at the slightly exaggerated deification of Gerrard over the last couple of days.
Spearing has profited from Lucas's absence this season, but the harsh reality is that when the Brazilian returns, he will probably go back to being a bit-part player again, which is a shame for him.
Is Gerrard right though? Overall, is Spearing a better player than Rodwell?
Jaimie Kanwar
In an interview with the Liverpool Echo, Gerrard made some bold claims about Spearing's ability, arguing:
"He was up against Jack Rodwell. People talk about him as a £25million player and England’s future, well I think Jay more than matched him if not was better than him.
"I think he’s been consistent all season. Every time the manager has called on him, Jay has been superb.
"We’re really pleased to have him. He’s such an unselfish player who keeps it ticking. You have to play with him to appreciate him".
As is usually the case after any important victory, Liverpool players are always quick to massage each others' egos; just look at the slightly exaggerated deification of Gerrard over the last couple of days.
Spearing has profited from Lucas's absence this season, but the harsh reality is that when the Brazilian returns, he will probably go back to being a bit-part player again, which is a shame for him.
Is Gerrard right though? Overall, is Spearing a better player than Rodwell?
Jaimie Kanwar
Spearing is a good player but we should not get carried away. His class was exposed against Manchester United when their midfield absolutely ran over us. He needs to improve a lot if he wants to retain a regular start in Liverpool team. At the moment, he has no chance if Lucas is fit.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, I feel a lot more confident with him in midfield than Charlie Adam. It shows what we bought last summer :(
Can we just give the lad a chance? Let's see how it develops with a little time as everyone has to learn and he IS progressing at least!
ReplyDeletei'd have him in the side ahead of adam but that says more adam and his poor performances,gerrard plays better with spearing sitting there.however if we want to win titles we need better quality than spearing,he remains anonymous alot of the time and rarely pushes forward-i know this isn't his primary role but we need a bit more adventure and goals from midfield.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I can recall more than one instance of his weak play in the match against Everton. He's had good games too, but I wouldn't say it is apparent that he can be a major midfield player for us.
ReplyDeleteNo club really has two top notch DM so i feel Spearing is a good replacement. He has more of an effect on games than Rodwell.
ReplyDeleteDont think he has much chance when Lucas is fit though, he has now mastered the role!
Stevie G getting carried away about his own team mate. No surprise.
ReplyDeleteThis is not as bad as his Joe Cole-Messi assessment.
Though I agree with those that rather have Spearing over Adam
Thats a little harsh considering Gerrard and the others could get no way near United that day. I think that was more to do with the team as whole rather than Spearing alone.
ReplyDeleteI hope that Downing, Carrol, Henderson and Adam were watching Spearing play.... This kid may be more persipiration than inspiration, but he doesn't half put in a shift..... reminds me of Carra playing as left back... Won't give up and won't make it easy for the opposition...... I hope Spearing does get a chance as I do Raheem Sterling, Suso and Coady as they deserve it......
ReplyDeleteHenderson played his first half decent game.... mind you still pathetic time for the reserves and give others a chance....
Would also like to see Aqualani back... he is the one player who has guile that we have been missing....
Never usually comment on this blog, but after Tuesday night I thought I'd wait to see how long it was before the negativity crept back in!!
ReplyDeleteThe difference between Spearing and Rodwell is obvious and simple, spearing makes the most of what he's got, and never fails to put the effort in. Rodwell has immense natural talent and physique, but he didn't want it as much on Tuesday and has often gone missing. With his talent he could be an England regular, but doesn't seem to have applied himself. Spearing has done that to his immense credit and is a more than capable understudy to Lucas...as a result he should play every game whilst Lucas is injured. It brings balance to our midfield.
Can I also ask where all the downing and carroll bashers are this week? I thought the big man was class on Tuesday and showed that he and Suarez work well together. Let's get behind the team, I had become sick to death of all the sack KD talk and constant sniping at players in the last 7 days....YNWA
As is usually the case after any important victory, Liverpool players are always quick to massage each others' egos; just look at the slightly exaggerated deification of Gerrard over the last couple of days........
ReplyDeletesince you're supposed to be a fan, why even add the above? You're a clown and a negative clown at that!
The question/article was.....'is Gerrard right or wrong for thinking he's as good or if not better than rodwell'....... But yet again you display your ugly, nasty, venomous streak by being negative!
'attack the argument not the person?'....... Try it one day!
If gerrard rates him so should we!!
ReplyDeleteNot quite sure how your website has become popular with stupid analysis like yours. Massaging egos- sPearing is pretty good for the job he does. Can you think of many defensive British mid of his age who's as good as him? Getproper
ReplyDeleteI don't rate Jay much as a player but his attitude is perfect and if he can learn and improve like Lucas did then he could make a name for himself at Liverpool. Rodwell is more talented than Jay, but is still overrated and never a 25m player, not in his lifetime.
ReplyDeleteDo me a favour, not fit to lace Rodwell's boots, Stevie G needs to remember that Rodwell had been injured for 2 months and first game back. Do you think Spearing has the abiity to score the goal Rodwell scored against Man Utd, I think not!.
ReplyDeleteI'm a red and I and my friends don't rate him at all . absolute shite.. bad shout that Stevie lad
ReplyDeletegerrard is as bad as dalglish bigging up average players.i'd take no notice,it's what happens on the field that counts.if we were to belive gerrard,joe cole would would have won the b'allon dor last year he rated him so highly.
ReplyDeleteRodwell has come back from a long injury and will get better and better this season. He and a load of others had a bad game on Tuesday, no execuses.
ReplyDeleteThe difference between the clubs was Gerrard and his ability to convert half chances, no question a legend for liverpool.
Better than Rodwell? Not a chance. Will he try hard for them? No doubt. Will he be the one to replace Gerrard? Never, but i don't think Henderson or any of the other KKK buys will do, going by his recent purchases.
The erosion continues.........
Who exactly is KKK - & what erosion do you refer to? If you're an Everton supporter, 10 more years of Moyes, please,... You'll Never Win Again!
ReplyDeletebut if lierpool is to challeng the league honours they need to have players better than Spearing, no disrespecr, he still has time on his side. he is not yet there. lets get a better winger, midfileder, and a central defender please
ReplyDeleteKanwar the provocateur once more - "Spearing was a bit-part player under Rafa Benitez...". Who would you have preferred him to play in place of? Lucas, Mascherano or perhaps Alonso?
ReplyDeleteIs that because you believe that Barcelona or Real Madrid will soon be bidding for Spearing? Do let us know, Jaimie...
hopefully we can continue from were we left off on Tuesday. consistensy is what we realy need.
ReplyDeleteSeeing that Spearing's season didn't even start until the end December after being dumped by Kenny after doing well last season he has done well. Don't really see any comparison with Rodwell now, seeing that Spearing is played as a holding midfield player he can only really be compared with is our own Lucas.
ReplyDeleteWhere would Spearing be now if he had played from the start of the season?
Yes, Stevie....and we are good without you(!) (sarcasm)
ReplyDeleteTalk about making something out of absolutely nothing. He was a bit-part player under them but JK didn't say he should have played more in the article did he, Clouseau
ReplyDeleteSorry, a slip of the keyboard there. I was referring to King Kenny and not a reference to the antics of the last few months, though one could draw similarities. The erosion comment was aimed at the standing of your once great club and how far from grace it has fallen both on and off the pitch. Also, I would like to take you up on a bet for the last statement, as i'm pretty sure that we will win again at some point under Moyes's tenure. Good luck at the weekend!
ReplyDeleteFunny Enough i was only saying during the game Everton should have snatched Man Utd hands off for the reputed 25m offered few years ago.
ReplyDeleteI do not see what the hype was / is over him.
Spearing does a job every game he plays, short range of passing is good and always on the move looking for the ball so you can't knock the lad as he shows enthusiasm and passion every game.
Whether he will be the long term answer I am not sure but hopefully may make a career for himself as a squad player, JC was in a similar position at Spearing's age.
Personally would like us to go and but a world class Creative central midfielder similar to Martinez at Bilbao
more pitch time for spearing = major lucas injury. Will he get a game ahead of Lucas ?????
ReplyDeleteThe point is that it was irrelevant... Of course he didn't play much, as there were much better players at the Club, & Spearing is even now 'learning' his art
ReplyDeleteWasn't it Rafa that gave Spearing a three year contract in 2009? So he saw something in him.
ReplyDeleteit is not irrelevant; it is stating a fact: Spearing was, as a matter of fact, a bit-part player under Benitez and Hodgson. There's no negativity in that statement; you are projecting negativity onto it.
ReplyDeleteYou want to remember Spearing's season didn't even start till the end of December! Spearing in the reserves did have the ability to score goals.
ReplyDeleteFair enough, but the erosion is not 'continuing'. Liverpool are in transition, but there is improvement since FSG have been in charge
ReplyDeleteNot every single little bit of an article has to be directly relevant to the point of article. Its just a little bit of pretext/bit of history on the lad, which makes it relevant to the person the article is about. Don't see the need at all for your hissy fit over it.
ReplyDeleteSo you deny any negativity in the phrase that he's been 'trusted with more time...'?
ReplyDelete. He was voted the best player in the Torneo di Renate, a competition for under-20 sides, competing against clubs such as A.C. Milan and Parma.He won't be leaving to join those 2 but he has shown he is just as good as what AC Milan/Parma could put out in their youth system.
ReplyDeleteI'll call it improvement when in the long run, we can show that we are able to play consistently well without Gerrard, instead of mourning for Stevie G whenever he is injured whilst the likes of Hendo and Adam toil.
ReplyDeleteHow is the erosion not continuing? Liverpool are in a worse league position now than they were at the same point last season; Prior to the Everton win, Wigan - the bottom club in the league - had gained more league points than Liverpool in 2012; we're 10 points behind 4th, with practically no chance of making up the gap, and 115m has been wasted on sub-standard players.
ReplyDeleteWhy does Dalglish get a pass under the guise of 'transition', but Hodgson does not? Were Liverpool not in 'transition' when he took over?! Yes, they were, but fans were not willing to use that as an excuse back then, were they?
Problem about Martinez is that you need to go and buy him!
ReplyDeleteWhere has Spearing/Rodwell are home grown.
Absolutely; as players mature, they get trusted with more time on the pitch. Under Benitez, Spearing was too young and inexperienced to get much game-time. You're just looking for something isn't there. The article is positive: it's about Gerrard praising Spearing, and if you read the intro, I even say how his performances have been positive for the club.
ReplyDeleteWhat next: arguing that the sentence "Spearing put in another good performance' is negative because I only used the word 'good' and not 'fantastic'?
Looks as if even you & Kanwar don't agree... & your claim of someone 'fitting' is projection.
ReplyDeletewell said Mmcleanrocks! Jaimie always seems to add a negative slant to positive blogs he does right unless it starts as a negative blog in the first place. He comes across as a Utd fan in disguise!
ReplyDeleteI like the lad but I think Gerrard is overexaggurating here in saying that Gerrard is a much better player with spearing there than adam and hendo as spearing gives gerrard license to go forward more
ReplyDeleteTo Jaimie kanwar, are you a red or not? ( you're probably a goan Indian living in Singapore who's never set foot in the kop or anfield for that matter) I'm sick of your smarmy after comments at the end of your articles, here's an Idea: keep your smarmy comments to yourself and just report the facts
ReplyDeleteSpearing has one poor game and you write him off, but then you mention Lucas who was also written off has a Liverpool player?
ReplyDeleteWe may be 1 or 2 places below this time last season but we are 4 points better off, having said that there has been over £100m spent to be only 4 points better off! The buys have been appalling with the exception of Bellamy, Enrique and Suarez
ReplyDelete*over-exaggerating*
ReplyDeleteWeren't Lucas and Spearing playing together last season?
ReplyDeleteGames against Man City(3-0),Birmingham(5-0) and Fulham(2-5) plus other wins could work again?
Not in a million years. Rodwell has been consistently injured, the last of which for over two months, thrown straight back in to a team that had six changes and was unrecognisable from the side that beat Spurs, hardly ideal situation for the lad. Lets not get carried away lads, yes we played well on tuesday but that was the worst performance from an Everton team in a derby in easily thirty years, another ten years please Moyes! We have been average all season and frankly the games against Arsenal, Spurs away and utd has shown the gulf in class. The money Kenny has had and we are 7th is simply not good enough. unless we win the FA cup it should be thanks Kenny but see ya!
ReplyDeleteIf Lucas was fit - Spearing would be on the bench, and Adam should be below both in the pecking order. Adam could learn a hell of a lot from his younger colleague - specifically how to tackle and harass opponents WITHOUT giving up free kicks in dangerous areas. Adam is worse than Scholes when it comes to tackling, and his inability to win the ball back without fouling has cost us this season. Ten games left and we need to win them all - Gerrard and Spearing must be first choice midfield pairing for all of them. Sell Adam in the summer, and start to blood Shelvey who will eventually be Stevie's replacement. The quartet of Gerrard, Lucas, Spearing and Shelvey would be one of the finest midfields in England.
ReplyDeletewhat the fuck
ReplyDeletenot happy with stevies comments we have lost to may games playing with the likes of him
ReplyDeletewe need a new manager simple as. can put up with the likes of kds buys
ReplyDeleteCalm down lads, your form aint gonna suddenly improve, you beat a team who's manager and players weren't interested, a training match for unfit players, a match that had nothing riding on it, players rested for the weekend cup game. We'll show you how to beat Sunderland.
ReplyDeleteChi Bai lu, Lucas should fight for his place and the team will benefit from there on.
ReplyDeleteCarroll made one cross field pass and did three flick ons and you're saying he played class? He's the lidl version of Cavani/Gomez. As for Downing he played in two good crosses, and to his credit looks like he wants to take a player which is good to see. I'd expect better though for a 20million player with premier league experience.
ReplyDeleteDifference between KD & Hodgson is KD had £100+ to spend and mickey mouse cup. Signings have been very poor for the amount of money spent on them so no wonder we bought noone in January because the owners clearly don't trust KD with their $$$ now.
ReplyDeleteNothing to do with Rodwell just coming back from injury? How come things like injury are not an excuse for some players?
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you will still be sick of the sniping if Liverpool are in 16th place in the league, but the fact is that people are entitled to expect more than this season's rubbish and one win against an unmotivated Everton side does not change that.
Why Gerrard is not a good choice of captain of England. He shouldn't be mentioning other players who might, potentially, sneak into the squad. It's a basic error, really. And, of course, the player who could sneak into the England sqyad is Rodwell, not Spearing, despite more than 60% of LFC, i presume, supporters on here, somehow, saying that Spearing is a better player. Laughable. Although i still see people saying that we are a team in transition. Our transitions seem to take 2 years longer than everyone else's.
ReplyDeleteJust because he scored one goal doesn't make him a superstar. Although spearing hasnt scored he does actually posses a good shot and i would fully expect him to finish that chance. He has been unlucky with some great saves from keeper.s this season.
ReplyDeleteWhen you really have a close look what is jack Rodwell actually good at? He can drive with the ball but offers very little else!
I dont think wanyone belives Spearing will fil Gerrard's boots. If so they are deluded!
ReplyDeleteJonjo is the heir to the throne :)!!
Who is 'everyone else', exactly??? All of these numerous teams that win the premier league every year??? Our transitions, whatever they are, have never involved us dropping out of the top half of the league in the last 40 or so years - EVERY other club's 'transitions' have involved proper flirtations with relegation - or in City and United's case, actually getting relegated... You need some perspective.
ReplyDeleteonly when Gerrard was injured as well
ReplyDeleteSpearing is not even worth £25 pounds.....every dog has his day. Very very average at best.
ReplyDeleteI'm talking in general. For a player with his talent and physique he should be doing much more, and he definitely on paper should have the beating of Spearing. Maybe injury was the reason this week, but when fit I don't remember him fulfilling his potential. Seem to remember he couldn't get a game for a long time after he first exploded onto the scene?
ReplyDeleteHe won much more in the air than anyone on the pitch, especially helping out defensively, and going forward he was effective in creating space for others. I just think he looked a bit more like the player he was at Newcastle. Also notable that the team definitely didn't suffer for having him in it. The system worked well IMO.
ReplyDeleteAs for Downing, he looked ok, but I agree you would want more...but the abuse they both get on here is simply pointless. I'd be up in arms if we were 16th, but we aren't. We were last season and KD got us out the shit, and his first two signings played their part in that. We have also won a trophy. So I am happy that there is progress, but could do better....nothing in our performances for me which would lead me to think we need to sack the manager
Also, we aren't 16th, are we? If we were I'd be up in arms, but we aren't. We beat Everton, that always matters in my book...don't know about you. We aren't entitled to anything mate, just try and enjoy this 'rubbish' trophy winning season which has at least 11 games to go.....
ReplyDeleteHe's 21 in March, I think he's shown enough potential and still has time to fufill it. Given the choice, most teams would take him over Spearing.
ReplyDeleteMan Utd just got hammered by a side who are 7th in the spanish league. Man City are currently getting battered by Sporting Lisbon. Last season, Man Utd made the champions league final, put out Chelsea on the way, Arsenal lost to Barcelona and Tottenham lost to Madrid. This year, we have one team in the quarter finals. That suggests, to me, that, this season, the premier league is weaker than previous years. Chelsea have sacked their manager, Arsenal have had a nightmare, until recently, we've spent 100 million, yet we are still well behind them. That is not progress and people have a right to be unhappy. Turning up to beat Man Utd and an unmotivated Everton side every season is not what this club should be about. We had no European games, this season should have been our chance to get in the top 4 again. Winning a cup that the best teams don't care about, is ok, but it was never the priority and nor should it be. This season is still a failure, unless we can repeat the feat and win the FA Cup also. A competition that we know that everyone is still trying to win.
ReplyDeleteThe same stevie G who said Joe Cole was better than messi ...he is talking cr@p...when you have a central mf of Adam and spearing ....then you are a mid table team and that is what we are.
ReplyDeleteim a liverpool fan and spearing is crap. i like to call him spear rib? because thats all he is. coming from steven gerrard to say such a think is beyond me. sorry to say he is a load of bollox
ReplyDeleteNo, the teams who are above us, like Newcastle, and the teams who are not too far behind us, like Swansea, Sunderland, Norwich, Fulham and WBA. Don't see those clubs saying that they are going through transition like our supporters do.
ReplyDeletePerspective? Pardew seems to not have had a problem with the transition from the championship and integrating players like Ba, Cisse, Cabaye, Tiote, Ben Arfa, Santon, Krul into the side as first teamers. While moving on team regulars, like Barton, our own Carroll and Nolan, the club captain. What's your perspective on that? How much did they spend? Don't see O'Neill complaining about transition at Sunderland, how much has he spent? Even Hodgson, ffs, at WBA!
But none of their fans expect, nay demand, that they win the league. So there is less pressure, and more scope to integrate new players or kids. Imagine the stick Kenny would get if he tried that instaed of winning every home game. Oh, I forget, he's already getting that.
ReplyDeleteHodgson just about got WBA safe last year, which is what he'd have probably achieved at Anfield.
spearing looked a lot better last season. this season his passing as a whole has been just awful, basic passing that is. he needs to compose himself more, he looks eratic at times, but there is a decent footballer there more than wat hes showing this season.
ReplyDeletebut goes to show we are a lot better with adams out the team.plus he was certain to get a red against everton trying to be a hero.
gerrard was just trying to give the lad some confidence saying that, like a team mate might do!! wat a load of rubbish about egos, sounds bitter to me
I totally agree and also think Gerrards putting Spearing in the shop window to
ReplyDeletemove him on in the summer!! (hope so)
I didn't expect us to win the league, but, after spending all that cash, i thought that we might have been on terms with teams like Arsenal and Chelsea, with a sacked manager during their season. They come under pressure as well. Arsenal sold two of their best players, made more than they spent on transfers, we spend a fortune and still are trailing in their wake. And mental strength is not what the gunners have been known for until the last 4 games. Which makes me wonder how mentally strong some of our players are. If we are only 5 points clear of Sunderland, have spent a lot more and while they are introducing players like Mclean into their side, that is a poor return for what we have spent. Dealing with pressure should be part of what makes a player worth buying or worth playing. Adam and Downing certainly haven't managed it, but Ashley Young and Phil Jones seem to have managed it down the road.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Hodgson was an awful manager for us, but Kenny has tried to integrate new players into the team and most of them haven't performed. Why do Henderson and Carroll often look like rabbits in headlights while Chamberlain comes on for Arsenal and immediately plays his game? Ramsey, Wilshere, before that, Fabregas, Nasri? Surely the pressure on Wenger is as severe as on Dalglish? But, somehow, Wenger doesn't seem to allow this pressure to transmit to his younger players and, as a result, they perform. They've had some bottlers at Arsenal as well, but the fact that they are so far ahead of us suggests that they have less bottlers than we do. Van Persie can only explain part of the difference between the teams. And when things go wrong for Wenger, he sticks to his principles and carries on regardless. I'm still not sure what our first 11 really is.
Jamie, the difference is that although the results have not necessarily improved our play has. The passing is slicker and at a quick tempo. We are creating chances and have often been the at better team only to come away with a draw or loss! Gerrard, Suarez and Carroll have had such little time together that it is pointless trying to judge them as an attacking unit. I for one feel that by the start of next season they will be on fire. I still think KK has made mistakes (Adam, Henderson etc) in the amount paid for players not in the type of player. One quality signing up front or on the wing and we will be fighting for top spot!
ReplyDeleteU are sick mate, Gerro could move up and attack coz Jay was there covering his behind, you not a Red neither do you know your football, let the big boys talk.
ReplyDeletei,ll tell you what call yourself liverpool supporters you should be ashamed ,,,,,if the summer arrivals played with as much heart and guts as spearing we wouldnt be in the mess we find ourselves ,,the lad has came through the youth ranks because of hard work and having an ability that none of us has ,,,,spearing is playing as a defence for the back four in a season where our midfield is a disgrace and finds himself being put under pressure more than often because of adams and hendersons inability to track or tackle players when our attack breaks down,,, spearing is one for the future with the right guidance ,,i remember lucas starting his life at lfc he was the laugh of all armchair liverpool supporters ,but with the right guidance he has turned into our best player as voted for by a lfc fans pole last year.Call yourselfs lfc supporters ur a disgrace to the club with some of ur remarks about spearing supporters travel the world with there team and get behind them through the good and bad , + the ups and the downs , must of you,s would be better off supporting chelsea a team that would suit ur opinions where replacing players and managers at the drop of a hat would make you,s feel a lot better.
ReplyDeleteThe football was much better in the second half of last season. This season's football is forgettable. Might be better than Woy's football but in terms of effectiveness, it really isn't all that great.
ReplyDeleteNonsense but typical of one who has nothing worthy to contribute to the discussion, other than making something out of nothing. Cheerio.
ReplyDelete