Jonjo Shelvey (now managing Arabian Falcons)

[Kid Icarus]

5 minutes ago, Menace said:

Turkey is absolutely beautiful, speaks volumes about him that he went home "to face 4 walls" and wouldn't interact with the city. 

Not sure it does tbh. Him resorting to getting sleeping pills in order to basically not exist at all suggests he's got bigger problems than not integrating somewhere. Most people would just play games or watch films or something, taking sleeping pills in that situation is mental.

[TaylorJ_01]

He frames it as if he started because he couldn't think of a single other thing to do, in any form, than be asleep  

 

I.e. less about needing to 'escape reality'

[The College Dropout]

2 hours ago, pinkeye said:

It seems to be a really bizarre life to be a professional footballer.

All the money that you could ever dream of in one hand and absolute loneliness in the other.

 

It can be argued that it is a short career and the sacrifice to be financially secure for several lifetimes may be worth it but, the career extends through what could be argued are the best years of your life.   

How many times have you heard of an ex footballer suffering with depression and anxiety once they have retired from the game?  When all you have in your life is a dressing room and team mates to suddenly go to nothing must be a really difficult transition.

 

It is no surprise that so many ex footballers are trying to stay connected by getting involved in coaching, management and punditry even though they really do not need the extra money, it is just trying to stay connected to something...  the only thing they have known since being a child!

They aren't encouraged to do any of that especially when raised in England.

 

And it's the coaches, managers and agents that do it. Young lad (even in their 30s they are young), earning great money, known, usually working class background, spent their formative years essentially training for their profession rather than socialising or developing interests outside of the game. Most will spend their time going out and womanising. So the culture is to encourage players to have a family young and stay home with the wife and kids. Game. Play golf. Stay out of trouble.

 

I watch a lot of ex-footballer podcasts. Most of them seemingly go on nights out (Carragher, Micah), Golf (Shearer), run businesses. They are seemingly low on hobbies and interests but that's just the culture of British football.

 

 

[Lush Vlad]

I can't find the clip now.  But there was one of him from that same podcast, where he is talking about his move to Forest.  

 

Made it sound like he was desperate to stay, but Forest were offering 2.5 years on the same/more money.  He would have happily stayed for just another season on a similar deal.  Howe said he can't sign off on that and he needs to speak to Dan Ashworth.  Who just said "no"   Shelvey then called him something daft on the pod like a midget. 

 

He genuinely seems to love Newcastle and the area and wanted to stay.  But he didn't warrant a new deal.  Especially on £80k a week or whatever. 

[Deuce]

7 minutes ago, Lush Vlad said:

I can't find the clip now.  But there was one of him from that same podcast, where he is talking about his move to Forest.  

 

Made it sound like he was desperate to stay, but Forest were offering 2.5 years on the same/more money.  He would have happily stayed for just another season on a similar deal.  Howe said he can't sign off on that and he needs to speak to Dan Ashworth.  Who just said "no"   Shelvey then called him something daft on the pod like a midget. 

 

He genuinely seems to love Newcastle and the area and wanted to stay.  But he didn't warrant a new deal.  Especially on £80k a week or whatever. 

Was posted over in the Ashworth thread:

 

14 hours ago, gdm said:

 

[Lush Vlad]

Ah.  Wish I'd checked now.   Could have saved myself the hassle of trying to remember it and type it out  

[gbandit]

He has some endearing qualities alongside some qualities that make him easy to dislike. He’s a strange mix is Jonjo but overall I’d say I lean towards viewing him with affection 

[alexf]

Makes Forest sound bad in that interview. But to fair it looked that way from the outside when they were signing all those players. It helped them have a great year last season but Probably contributed to their down fall since. 

 

Shelvey was pretty honest and gave a few insights to his Newcastle years. 

Revealed what I can imagine we all assumed which was that Mike couldn't give a shot about progressing the club and just wanted to have a drink with the lads whilst Rafa was trying to talk football with him and make us better. 

 

Likewise he reveals what was kinda assumed about the players back then that for some of them they were content with being shit and having days off and easy training with Steve Bruce and 6 year deals of Mike because if the club was ambitious they would lose their place. Which is exactly what happened to Shelvey once the likes of Bruno came in etc. 

 

Contrast that to people like Schar who clearly despised Bruce and wanted what was best for the club and backed himself to grow with the club rather than just exist like alot of them did.

[TRon]

17 minutes ago, alexf said:

Makes Forest sound bad in that interview. But to fair it looked that way from the outside when they were signing all those players. It helped them have a great year last season but Probably contributed to their down fall since. 

 

Shelvey was pretty honest and gave a few insights to his Newcastle years. 

Revealed what I can imagine we all assumed which was that Mike couldn't give a shot about progressing the club and just wanted to have a drink with the lads whilst Rafa was trying to talk football with him and make us better. 

 

Likewise he reveals what was kinda assumed about the players back then that for some of them they were content with being shit and having days off and easy training with Steve Bruce and 6 year deals of Mike because if the club was ambitious they would lose their place. Which is exactly what happened to Shelvey once the likes of Bruno came in etc. 

 

Contrast that to people like Schar who clearly despised Bruce and wanted what was best for the club and backed himself to grow with the club rather than just exist like alot of them did.

 

 

This. Shelvey loved life in Newcastle, but I don't think he was that fussed about how successful we were as long as he was picking up a decent wedge. There are plenty like him tbf, especially once you reach a certain age and just want to be settled with your family. 

[Pilko]

When he was talking about Forest and how he "didn't do anything wrong" but got put to train with the kids, he's conveniently skated over him being a shite, slow luxury player about 90-95% of the time he goes near a football pitch.

[Lush Vlad]

Listening to the Under The Cosh pod. He doesn’t come across as badly as I was expecting TBF. Some parts self-deprecating, some the typical arrogant footballer lacking self-awareness. Also feels a bit misunderstood. 
 

A good few amusing and interesting tales of his time here. He was doing pretty well until he got onto Bruce. Was wide of the mark with almost everything he said. 
 

Absolutely loves Howe. Can’t speak highly enough of him. 
 

Lascelles sounds like a hard bastad. Sparking Diame and done Carroll by the sounds of it  

[trx345]

For us fans I think it's a totally different dimension in how we see Ashley, Bruce, even Pardew vs. how players see them. Dwight Gayle is the only player that I've come across on these sort of interviews that openly calls out Bruce as a rank nacker. Rowan Vine is another, but he was fresh to next weekend on his Undr the Cosh.

 

Shelvey was prodded into the days-off under Bruce, but Shelvey didn't bite - I think media training kicked in. You'll never get an honest answer out most these ex-pros. 

 

Howe willing to give him an extra year even though both knew Jonjo wouldn't play was an alarm bell - Howe was willing to give him an extra year so Jonjo could stay in Newcastle and basically never play him.. ask. Dan Ashworth said no, and fucked him to Forest. Those kind of stories, reinforce Paul Mitchell's apocryphal statement that our transfer isn't fit for business. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 15 by trx345

[Fak]

Schar and Carroll openly hate Bruce don't they?

[Lush Vlad]

It was never implied that Howe said he was happy to give him a year. Sounded to me like he pied him off and made Ashworth out to be the bad guy and the bearer of bad news. Like they wouldn’t have had that discussion at a higher level already. 
 

 

[St1pe]

4 minutes ago, Lush Vlad said:

It was never implied that Howe said he was happy to give him a year. Sounded to me like he pied him off and made Ashworth out to be the bad guy and the bearer of bad news. Like they wouldn’t have had that discussion at a higher level already. 
 

 

That’s how I took it as well. 

[SteV]

On 10/01/2026 at 13:03, Lush Vlad said:

Listening to the Under The Cosh pod. He doesn’t come across as badly as I was expecting TBF. Some parts self-deprecating, some the typical arrogant footballer lacking self-awareness. Also feels a bit misunderstood. 
 

A good few amusing and interesting tales of his time here. He was doing pretty well until he got onto Bruce. Was wide of the mark with almost everything he said. 
 

Absolutely loves Howe. Can’t speak highly enough of him. 
 

Lascelles sounds like a hard bastad. Sparking Diame and done Carroll by the sounds of it  

He’s definitely a complex character. Sometimes basic as fuck, sometimes quite deep.

 

The boot knowledge thing was also high grade OCD behaviour.

[Lush Vlad]

Just now, SteV said:

He’s definitely a complex character. Sometimes basic as fuck, sometimes quite deep.

 

The boot knowledge thing was also high grade OCD behaviour.

Considering how guarded modern day pros are, all the media training they have and how they all tend to sound like monotone robots. I found it quite interesting and engaging, TBF. 

[trx345]

4 minutes ago, Fak said:

Schar and Carroll openly hate Bruce don't they?

 

Only remember Schar's interview Southampton away regarding Bruce.

 

Maybe forgetting Carroll? What's he said?

 

He was done as a PL/Champ player when he arrived back, and was just garbage. Loads out there that he openly spoilt his talent due to off-field professionalism. Personally, don't care what Andy Carroll has to say on Steve Bruce being shit at Newcastle - he was even worse.

[Fak]

1 minute ago, trx345 said:

 

Only remember Schar's interview Southampton away regarding Bruce.

 

Maybe forgetting Carroll? What's he said?

 

He was done as a PL/Champ player when he arrived back, and was just garbage. Loads out there that he openly spoilt his talent due to off-field professionalism. Personally, don't care what Andy Carroll has to say on Steve Bruce being shit at Newcastle - he was even worse.

 

What's this Schar interview?

 

Re. Carroll: there's been snippets or what have you, but it became clear when Schar uploaded a photo of him celebrating a goal for us on his Instagram. Carroll replied to it something along the lines of, "and to think Brucey benched you" with some laughing emojis. 

[r0cafella]

11 minutes ago, Lush Vlad said:

It was never implied that Howe said he was happy to give him a year. Sounded to me like he pied him off and made Ashworth out to be the bad guy and the bearer of bad news. Like they wouldn’t have had that discussion at a higher level already. 
 

 

What Eddie did was absolutely hilarious. Basically fuck off I'm not dealing with that kick it over to Ash worth. Really bad for the structure as the should have been united but hilarious as ashworth is a rat cunt. 

[trx345]

9 minutes ago, Lush Vlad said:

It was never implied that Howe said he was happy to give him a year. Sounded to me like he pied him off and made Ashworth out to be the bad guy and the bearer of bad news. Like they wouldn’t have had that discussion at a higher level already. 
 

 

 

It sounds like that, but when you put 2+2 I think Howe would have been willing to have him here for another year. Ritchie and Dummett were getting new deals in we got Europe last year. Howe wanting Wilson to stay.

[Lush Vlad]

You put 2+2 together and get 5. I’d rather listen to what Shelvey actually said and how it played out. 
 

I’m sure managers would often want to keep players. But can also see the bigger picture. An injury riddled, immobile Shelvey on big money for another year and barely playing or suiting the system. Not going to be hard to convince Howe that he needs to

be moved on. 

[trx345]

14 minutes ago, Fak said:

 

What's this Schar interview?

 

Re. Carroll: there's been snippets or what have you, but it became clear when Schar uploaded a photo of him celebrating a goal for us on his Instagram. Carroll replied to it something along the lines of, "and to think Brucey benched you" with some laughing emojis. 

 

2-0 away Southampton - Nov 2020.

 

Looked through YT to find it, but I think it's been scrubbed or hid behind the algorithm. Etched in my memory Fab saying the whole team is shite in a rain sodden empty St Mary's. Maybe easier to go back to the date in Fab's thread or find the match thread - asked AI if it happened...

 

Key quotes from Schär's interview:

He bluntly said the whole team had a "s* game**" (everyone included – no one was spared!).

"Everybody had a **** game, to be honest. And we can't continue like this."

He admitted they knew Southampton's high press was a threat but still lost too many balls in their own half, making it easy for the Saints.

Schär expressed disappointment after picking up some good results prior: "We came here with confidence and it's really disappointing. It's a shame, what we did."

He also pleaded with fans (even though games were behind closed doors due to COVID): There was "nothing to enjoy" for supporters, but urged them to "keep believing" in the team.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 15 by trx345

[trx345]

Alarm bell that rang for me is that Howe is happy to keep players around, regardless if they play. 

 

Also gives weight to the notion that Howe is far to loyal to players he trusts. It works, until it doesn't.

 

Watched a clip of a pod Isaac Hayden did about our takeover - he was asked about it - and basically said, meh don't care if they sign Mbappe, I have a contract. And that's what he did - I think only last summer is when Ashley contract ran out.

 

I have respect for Shelvey, more so following watching that pod - he tried his best for us under Howe. He had more ability than his career showed. 

 

Didn't like how Charlton treated him. As soon as he's sold to Liverpool, he's no longer allowed to train with the club, and just isolated as a 16 year old.

 

Edit - Rarely that a Undr the Cosh interviews have any character these days, but liked the story about Mark Hudson telling John Parkin to injure Shelvey as the club want to sell him. Parky remembered playing against him at 16 and he's still impressed with him. 

 

 

 

Edited January 15 by trx345

[Ronson333]