Time for Jonjo to shelve his England hope

BACK in July, Jonjo Shelvey suggested England were crying out for a central midfielder, and he could fit the bill. Sunday’s match against Tottenham showed why that is so much hooey. As Fabio Capello pointed out, international football, like the Champions League, is a cut above. Once the early stages are over, success means beating the best in the world. That is close to impossible with 10 men — and, on Sunday, Shelvey reacted to the mildest provocation from Dele Alli by treading on his ankle in front of the referee. A red card was inevitable. At the time the score was 0-0 and Newcastle were holding on, under pressure. Tottenham walked away with it after that. Alli can be hotheaded, too, but he possesses talent that makes him worth the trouble. Shelvey does not. He is a journeyman midfielder with an inflated sense of his ability and a penchant for trouble. England need him no more than they ever needed Joey Barton.

JUST a thought. If Roman Abramovich really wants to save money and avoid selling his best players to Manchester United, instead of divorcing all those women, why doesn’t he just send them out on loan?