BBC pundit Garth Crooks has picked his Premier League team of the week.
The former Tottenham forward has picked the Newcastle midfielder Jonjo Shelvey in his team of the week but he seemed rather critical of the former Liverpool player.
Crooks has made his fair share of surprising comments in the past but his assessment of Shelvey is quite bizarre.
The BBC pundit claimed that he prefers to pick ‘footballers’ in his team of the week and Shelvey is someone he did not enjoy choosing.
He said: “I had no choice but to include Jonjo Shelvey in my team of the week. I have to be honest, I don’t enjoy putting players like him in my team. I like footballers and there has been far too much over-physicality where Shelvey has been concerned. However, his performances of late have been impressive. With greater levels of fitness and a more reliable temperament, Magpies boss Rafa Benitez could turn him into a top-class player.”
Crooks is perhaps trying to establish that the Newcastle midfielder is not technically gifted enough. He also questioned Shelvey’s temperament.
There is no doubt that Shelvey can be quite aggressive at times and he needs to develop that part of his game. But to label the 26-year-old as someone who is not a footballer because of a physical style of play is absurd.
The BBC pundit went on to pick Milivojevic in his midfield as well. Apparently, the Crystal Palace star ‘had an incredible amount of bottle’.
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