Jay Spearing

For maybe the last 18 months one player has stood out as the one I would love to see progress to the first team more then others including Nemeth and thats Jay Spearing. For 2 reasons first hes a local lad and second hes a good player. But Ive had to listen to experts say hes to small! To me thats sh*te talk hes a fine footballer brain wise and as he showed against Lazio for Voronins goal he has an eye for a smart pass. He has the the heart to do well I mean Ive seen bigger men with less balls going into a 50 50 tackle in fact this boy will win 60 40 tackles because he has the balls to do it! Basically Id like to know if the rest of ye think he can make it or will it be a case of 3 years from now hell be a star for Man City or someone and well curse not giving him a chance?   

Yes he can make it. Plain and simple.

Yes he can make it. Plain and simple.

Striaght to the point ha ha

Anytime I've seen Jay playing for the reserves and in the friendlies he has looked like he can play at the top level.

He has all the attributes of a top midfielder as he can tackle, has good positional sense, very good passer and also can chip in with a few goals.

Like Brian I would love to see him make it in the first team as he is an excellent prospect and a local lad but the only problem is the amount of midfielders at the club will make it very difficult for him.

There's only one way we're going to find out.

Would Steven Gerrard have made it with Liverpool if Jamie Redknapp hadn't have got that injury and our midfield have been so sparse that he was thrown in to the mix?

Good point JD, he could have been moved on prematurely as well.

As for Spearing, the first I've seen of him was against Lazio so I can't really comment but his pass showed a great reading of the game and for someone so young that's rare.

I think the Spearing is the closest we have to Gerrard in terms of playing style coming through in the reserves but it's more likely that Rafa will play Plessis in the absence of Gerrard on Wed night.

OK, I've said he can make it, he's as good as any central midfielder in the world of reserve football. He's like a bullterrier and would run through a brick wall for this club. He's committed to every tackle, without ever being malicious. He's vocal and durin the pre-season hasn't looked out of place tellin the senior players where to go and what to do. With the absence of Mascherano, I think Spearing is more like our Argentine star than Plessis. Plessis is more an Alonso type player, likes time on the ball to spray the passes. Spearing is the one in your face, breakin up play and gettin stuck in. On the flip side to that, continential refs blow up for a free kick if you breathe too heavily but certainly while Masch is away and Gerrard is strugglin for fitness I'd have Spearing next to Alonso/Plessis. It should be who plays with Spearing for the Standard Liege game.

As for the longer term, I don't see a problem either, because although there are plenty of similarities between himself and Masch, Jay is also capable of gettin forward and playin a more attackin role. He's not the kinda lad who's gonna spray the play 40 yards which would usually say don't play him along side Masch because then we'd have no threat from the middle, but because of Jay's eagerness and determination to get forward and help the front line, Masch is probably the perfect partner to have sat in the middle of the park with him.

As far as I'm concerned the quicker Jay Spearing is in Liverpool's first team the better. I'd have him ahead of Lucas and Plessis in the peckin order.

height has nothing to do with it, Masch is'nt exactly tall. Spearing has the ability to make it and he has shown that during pre-season

Im going to be straight to the point aswell.

Not in this current team no. If you think rafa will place spearing ahead of

1. Gerrard
2. Mascherano
3. Alonso
4. Lucas

And then it seems the number 5 is Plessis. I'll be very suprised if jay gets more than 10 games in the EPL in the next 2 seasons

Phenominal little player. Depends on alot of things i think, he can though in my opinion.

Although i think he's great i dont agree with 'It should be who plays with Spearing for the Standard Liege game'. As good as Spearing is i think it should be who should partner Alonso really, Alonso has been nothing short of fantastic as the leading CM in pre-season so i think him as the attacking CM in the Standard Liege game is essential, then either Spearing or Plessis partnering him. 

I think Spearing has the potential to be good enough to be a good Premiership player and a player who we can use in the times where we need to have more of the local born and train players to fill out our quota. The problem with him which is what Guthrie had is that we are over-run with good CM/CDM.

I called for him in another thread to be our next central midfielder and the heart of this club. He is small but tell me how tall Masch, Yossi and Dirk are.

He is a brilliant midfielder no matter where or what style he plays and reminds me so much of Gerrard at times. He could be the next best thing if given a crack.

My concern is we let him go too early and he shines at another club due to us having a congested midfield. I want to see him shine at this club, he has every attribute talnt wise to do so but his heart is what makes me want him to perform even more. Once Stevie retires, we wonthave that inspirational local lad running around and saving our asses. You cant buy that. I hope he stays and fights and gets a crack because i know we wont regret it.

I'm going to be straight to the point aswell.

Not in this current team no. If you think rafa will place spearing ahead of

1. Gerrard
2. Mascherano
3. Alonso
4. Lucas

And then it seems the number 5 is Plessis. I'll be very suprised if jay gets more than 10 games in the EPL in the next 2 seasons

Your right Magillionare, as good as Spearing is, he will find it very hard to get a game.

We will find out on Wed. If Alonso plays, then we are keeping him for the next season, because he will not be-able to play in the CL with anyother club.

If Rafa is going to move StevenG out to the right and play Alonso and Mascherano, but I don't think so, Rafa likes Kuyt on the right.

If I am right, that would put Alonso and Lucas on the bench, and these will get a game before Spearing.

But the lad is still young, and he will get a few games, and who knows what will happen next season.

Its all very good for the team, to have a strong midfield, and some very very good players waiting to get there chance.

Out of all the young players on show in the friendly's Jay Spearing was the one I liked the most, I noticed he always made room for himself and would give little penetrating passes going forward and even when the way was blocked the guy would play a short pass to someone around him, rarely did he waste a ball or kick it long but what really impressed me for one so young is he was always available,defiantly one for the future or (bench) this season...

Hopefully he can get a few Carling Cup games, sub appearances this year. really dont see his height being a problem. unfortunately for him there are many players ahead of him. i think in a liverpool squad houllier/evans era he'd stand a much better chance. he has a lot of potential..reminds me of danny murphy for some reason.
I'd like to see him with Plessis in CC games with Lucas in the Gerrard role in a 4-2-3-1

reminds me of danny murphy for some reason.

Because they may look the same?

I agree with what some people are saying about it's going to be tough for him.

Ever since I watched him play for the youth team I thought he was a Liverpool type of player. But he's got some competition in the short term with Gerrard, Alonso, Mascherano and Lucas. Also Plessis.

As long as he doesn't get shipped out on loan and has his fair share of cup games, I reckon he'll break through in the long term.

I also feel that Jay Spearing is going to find it extremely difficult to break into the first team squad and stay there.

For me......Damien Plessis is going to push really hard for a regular place in the squad this season and he has the right qualities to have a good career which will hopefully be with Liverpool. This could be at the expense of Jay Spearing.

Although they are two completely different players (spearing is in the Gerrard mould with drive and energy whilst Plessis reminds me of Didi Hamann) I feel that only one young midfield player is going to get a regular look-in on the bench this season.

Plessis will be that player when we are looking to shut out games and decide to revert to five across the middle of the park.

I actually believe that part of Rafa's decision to allow Sissoko to leave was based on the knowledge that Plessis was almost ready to make the step-up to first team football and it was only a matter of time before Momo was deemed surplus to requirements.

Plessis looks very relaxed and controlled and keeps the game simple but also has a similar commanding presence which you could liken to someone like Patrick Viera. Basically.....he can do everything that Momo could do but his ball retention and passing ability is far superior!

Jay Spearing will probably end up leaving to join another Premier League or Championship club who can offer him football at a good level on a more consistent basis and if we can get a reasonable fee for him then I wouldn't have a problem with that.

One thing that Benitez does better than any other manager possibly barring Wenger....is make sound investments in the transfer market that can be sold on for a handsome profit if they don't quite make the grade at Anfield.

Ive thought about this alot and it will be very difficult for Spearing to make it and get in front of our current midfield. But who knows what will happen in the future players could get injured or fall out and want to leave. Spearing could develop into the finest midfielder at the club! Only time will tell. But my money is on another young local lad to make the break through. Stephen Darby has played well when had the opportunity and the full back positions are positions no one has seemed to nailed down as their own at Liverpool for a couple of seasons now. Maybe in Darby we have the next local lad who will be a first team regular.

One thing that Benitez does better than any other manager possibly barring Wenger....is make sound investments in the transfer market that can be sold on for a handsome profit if they don't quite make the grade at Anfield.

Agree with it all except this bit.

Rafa has managed to sell even his flops for a profit while Wenger, once his youngsters dont make it are shipped off for peanuts.

yeah i hope he gets more games at the club this year. i would defo pick him instead of plessis after a flippinshocker yesterday. if he doesnt get games they should loan him out to a fellow prem side. let him get experience.

I think we could have done with him last night to add a bit of heart and fight as there where times Liege waltzed thru our midfield