Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey has revealed that he expects to be on the bench for Saturday’s game against Watford.
The Magpies welcome Watford to St James’ Park looking to make it consecutive wins in the Premier League and the 27-year-old admitted that he wouldn’t change the team if he was the manager.
Speaking with the Guardian, Shelvey that he is ready if called upon, but doesn’t expect the manager to change the winning formula at the club.
“I don’t expect to play,” he said.
“If I was a manager, I wouldn’t change the team that won at Tottenham. It’ll be a big game and, if I’m called on, I’ll be ready.”
Shelvey came back into the lineup for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup defeat to Leicester City in which he missed a penalty that ultimately led to Steve Bruce’s side being eliminated from the competition.
OPINION
The situation Newcastle have come through during the summer with a new manager, and a squad overhaul, it doesn’t seem strange that their highest earner at the club [Source: Spotrac] has admitted he expects to be on the bench. Despite scoring their consolation goal against Norwich City, the 27-year-old was dropped for the Tottenham game to add an extra man into the attacking third, a change that worked wonders for the Magpies. The England international seems to accept that decision and did claim that as long as the team are winning he would be happy – something that didn’t seem to be true when he was pictured walking straight down the tunnel after that win over Spurs. It was Sean Longstaff and Isaac Hayden who anchored the midfield in his absence, with the duo both having averaged considerably more tackles per game compared to Shelvey, according to WhoScored. Newcastle fans shouldn’t expect Bruce to change a winning formula so Shelvey is all but certain to start on the bench against Watford, a fact he seems to have come to terms with already.
