Exactly. I just think because he's 21 it's impossible to already say he's 'tailed off', he's got 12 years of football left at least. 'He got worse last season' if anything he was great at the start of last season then stopped being played as much and was nowhere near as good in 2/3 games later on, that was all. Same with Sterling really. Shouldn't sell a player that young when yes he's not shown consistently good form but he's not been totally crap either. Far from it.
You'd think after the equivalent of 48 full matches at a truly competitive level, the manager and staff would have some idea about where he's at and where he's heading though? What's the point of holding onto him to trudge out for the reserves as our eighth choice midfielder? He's had three years here, he's had a really good crack of the whip, he's had a chance to cement himself into the first team and, for whatever reason, it hasn't happened. Agree with wickedbark in my own little substandard way, I think in a few years time with a lot of regular games there'll be some interest in him from a few decent teams. Has every appearance of being a player who'll hit a point in his career and something will click in his head and he'll have a few very decent seasons for someone. In the meantime, he isn't where he needs to be for us now, he hasn't done enough to hold down a first team place in spite of being given the opportunity, doesn't look like holding down even a place in the matchday squad over the next few seasons, and the manager obviously feels that selling him now is the right call in getting us moving forwards in the shorter term rather than looking six or seven years down the line and hoping that he'll eventually come right. Let Swansea take that risk now. Isn't this sort of decision precisely how players brought in at a young-ish age to us is meant to be done? If they're great, brilliant, if they just fail to make the grade required, wish them well and move them on, hopefully with a wee bit extra to put back into the next one.
Do get the feeling at times some of ours are locked into this perpetual depressive cycle where everything is wrong, always will be, can't change, never will change. Is it fear of being wrong? Covering your arse in case some twat five years down the line goes through your post history? (Disclosure: I thought Anderson had a chance of being a really decent winger, he's currently at Bristol City). Don't get it. Thought Kris Walsh's
piece on Jonjo was very fair and had none of the misty-eyed guff being bandied about. And, yes, my toys will still come out of the pram when Reina goes. Never claimed to not be a hypocrite.
Good luck to Jonjo. Hope he gets a good reception every time he returns to Anfield.
