With a brash persona and willingness to talk trash, Jonjo Shelvey could be Newcastle United’s version of Dennis Rodman.
If you are watching The Last Dance, ESPN’s excellent documentary about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, you’ve certainly noticed that trash talk and bravado are featured throughout their final championship run. While Jonjo Shelvey may not be the club’s MJ, he certainly can be Newcastle United’s Dennis Rodman.
This week, Kyle Walker-Peters talked about making his debut for Spurs against Newcastle United in 2016. In the discussion with Copa90 and Rio Ferdinand and Dele Alli (around the 26:20 mark of the video), he highlighted a moment that occurred before the opening whistle. Newcastle midfielder Jonjo Shelvey gave some banter to the young defender, saying that he wanted the ball at kick-off and that he would “put it on his head”. According to Walker-Peters, Shelvey did exactly that. For a Newcastle United side that seems destined to climb the Premier League ladder, that type of edge and trash talk from Shelvey could be a boost to the Magpies.
Obviously, like Rodman, Shelvey has gone too far with antics in the past. He definitely should not cross that line and we don’t condone some of that previous behavior. But, as long as he can stay under control, the mercurial midfielder can give NUFC a mental edge if he can psych out some nervy, young opponents or let the players at bigger clubs know that the Magpies are not afraid and won’t go down without a fight. As you can see in the ESPN documentary, a big part of getting past a perennial power is showing that you don’t fear them and that you are ready for the challenge. Not everyone in sports is built for talking trash or antagonizing an opponent, but Shelvey doesn’t shy away from that.
Tactically, Rodman’s main contribution to the Bulls was his rebounding. For Shelvey, it is his long passing and vision. Both Rodman and Shelvey are elite in their specific skill and if Shelvey can master that role, and provide some banter, he could be a key cog for a successful Newcastle United run.