West Ham fan and Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey has come out with a quite astonishing claim about the two teams ahead of their clash this weekend. As the two squads prepare to go head to head on Saturday afternoon they have very different aims for the remainder of the season. The former Liverpool man, however, does not seem to think that the two squads are that different despite the whopping 23-point gap between the two.
Jonjo Shelvy said: “The squad we’ve got on paper, I don’t think theirs is better than ours, to be honest. I think we’ve got a great squad, we just haven’t performed to the level we can. It’s only recently we’ve picked up a few better results. That’s given us the belief to finish this season strong, then come back next season and kick on.”
Shelvey might believe the two squads are even on paper but the league table does not lie and after 31 games this season, the two are looking at very different ends to the campaign. The midfielder grew up a Hammer and as a fan of the team is hoping to see his boyhood club on the biggest stage next season.
Jonjo Shelvy said: “Growing up as a West Ham fan, it’s great to see them where they are and what they’re doing. I used to watch them every week – it will be great if they get into the Champions League next season, with their fans coming back.”
Shelvey also singled out his teammate Allan Saint-Maximin as Newcastle’s star performer and the man West Ham need to watch out for on Saturday.
Jonjo Shelvy said: “He’s absolutely outstanding, he’s what you want in a team, he’s a game-changer and he gets fans off their seats. He’s a big character in the dressing room and it’s just important he stays fit now and gets us back to where we can be.”
