Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
PREMIER LEAGUE NO TYNE FOR LOSERS
Shelvey: I’ve still got mates at Swansea but it’s cut-throat business at the bottom so it must be us winning.. and not them
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European Tour, SA Open – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Golf, 8am & 12pm.
ATP, Sydney International – Eurosport 2, 10am and 2pm; WTA, Sydney Int’nal – BT Sport 1, 7.45am.
BDO World Championship – Channel 4, 12.05pm, BT Sport 1, 6.45pm. JONJO SHELVEY has urged Newcastle to pile the pressure on his old club Swansea this weekend.
The midfielder clocks up two years on Tyneside today after signing from the South Wales club.
Shelvey has billed tomorrow’s relegation six-pointer at St James’ Park as a “must win.” And he reckons Rafa Benitez’s side are ready to climb away from the relegation scrap after two wins in a row.
Newcastle are without a home win in the league since October and
Shelvey said that was down to the players freezing amid the expectations of the
Toon crowd.
“I think there is a huge expectation playing at home in front of our our big crowd. As players we have to be able to deal with that,” he said.
“Swansea is a massive game. It is a must-win game for them, and for us as well.
“If we win, we will pile pressure on Swansea. I hope we can go and get three points and take us further away from the relegation zone. That’s what we want, to get away from there as quickly as possible. We have given ourselves a chance and now we face a massive game on Saturday.” Shelvey, who quit Swansea in a £10million deal, says he has “never had any regrets” about heading to Tyneside. “As soon as I knew Newcastle were in for me there was only one place I was going,” he said. “I don’t want Swans to go down because I have mates in their team but football is a cut-throat business and we both find ourselves in a relegation battle.” Shelvey believes Swansea’s readiness to sack their manager has backfired on them.
“They have chopped and changed the managers and that has not helped them,” he said. “In the past, visiting teams would not see the ball for a long time at Swansea. Even the top teams. But they have moved away from that.”
Shelvey, who has been linked with a move to West Ham, has not been an automatic pick under Benitez (left). Mikel Merino has taken his playmaker role, but Shelvey (above) is not downhearted. “It is a good place to live and I enjoy the city,” he said. “The fans are first class with me. It is nice to come and train every day with the lads.
“There have been ups and downs, relegation, promotion, now the Premier League. I can never say I regret joining Newcastle.”
Shelvey knows all about new Swans boss Carlos Carvalhal after facing his Sheffield Wednesday side twice last term. He added: “He beat us twice last year with Wednesday so he knows how to do a job. They won’t sit back, they’ll have a go.
“But we have picked up of late. It has been about turning good performances into results.”