Even though Jonjo Shelvey caught the eye in the fantastic comeback win last Saturday against Everton, we expect Ki Sung-yueng to again start the game on Saturday afternoon at the Vitality Stadium against Bournemouth.
The Cherries are a smaller club who are very well run, and they have done so well under young manager Eddie Howe and are becoming a top half Premier League club under his guidance.
Both Ki and Jonjo need playing time – as does Mo Diame who looks he will leave Newcastle this summer if he doesn’t get a two-year deal from the club.
Ki is a talented player who can hold the ball, and he has vast experience in the Premier League having played a total of 178 league games with 12 of them being in Newcastle’s colors.
We reckon Shelvey has made around 170 Premier League appearances.
Ki Sung-yueng in action during the win against Huddersfield
Ki believes Newcastle can keep climbing the league table given the confidence the team has after winning five of the previous eight games:
This is what the former South Korean captain has said on the Newcastle website today:
“As a player, of course you want to go higher – you don’t want to stay at the bottom of the table all the time.”
“Now we have games that we can have a go in. We don’t underestimate the teams who are below us, but we have to have more confidence that we can go even higher.”
“Confidence gets higher which is very, very important at this stage of the season, because we are still fighting relegation.”
“Of course we are in a good position, but it’s not finished yet. We still have eight games to go and we have to win as many as we can.”
“I think with the atmosphere from all the fans and among the players now, we think we can do better and we can stay in a higher position.”
Those are really good comments from the impressive South Korean.
30-year-old Ki signed a two-year deal at Newcastle when he became a free agent from Swansea last summer, and he will be hoping for an extension to his contract to stay at Newcastle past next summer.
He can do a job for Newcastle over the next two or three years.

Comments welcome.
110 comments so far
Ron Knee
Mar 14, 2019 at 5:39 PM
Comment #1Exit Paul Scholes.
lesh
Mar 14, 2019 at 5:58 PM
Comment #2Ron Knee
Among your many qualities, you’re The Blog’s ace obit reporter…
Exit Paul Scholes?
RobLeenio
Mar 14, 2019 at 6:00 PM
Comment #3Great for Perez to be receiving the plaudits of the press not only here but in Spain. Richly deserved.
RobLeenio
Mar 14, 2019 at 6:01 PM
Comment #4Good words from Ki too. I think he’ll start again Vs Bournemouth while JonJo picks up his match fitness from the bench
sing in the corner
Mar 14, 2019 at 6:02 PM
Comment #5The game at the weekend was clearly tough for Ki. Passed him by.
He’s nowhere near match fit, it’s going to be a battle between him and Jonjo over the next few weeks and I actually think he’s behind JJ after the weekend’s showing.
lesh
Mar 14, 2019 at 6:04 PM
Comment #6Ed’s comment that ‘If Rafa stays on board, Newcastle will continue to pick up these bargain buys, through Rafa’s contacts and also the excellent scouting team Rafa has put in place’ has a lot of validity.
But how can Ashley be convinced to drop his myopic under 25 policy? If Rafa was intent on only signing over 25, I could understand Ashley, but surely he must check Rafa’s history and see that that’s not the way Rafa’s worked. Ashley needs to trust Rafa and if he (Rafa) thinks an over 25 player like Rondon’s worth signing, then back him with the assurance that such signings won’t be the norm.
Jib
Mar 14, 2019 at 6:04 PM
Comment #7Lesh
Sacked by Oldham after 10 days ish
Jib
Mar 14, 2019 at 6:08 PM
Comment #8sing in the corner
You cannot fight Father Time
Ki was 30 in January
Jonjo 27 last month
RobLeenio
Mar 14, 2019 at 6:10 PM
Comment #9Mister Tuff thanks for sharing that article again. It’s well written and enlightening.
However, I think there’s a world of difference between the injuries of Robert Pires and Sean Longstaff. Bear with me.
Robert Pires was 28 at the time of his injury. Longstaff is 21.
Pires had played 42 games already that season. Longstaff has played 26.
Pires was injured in 2002 when sports science was a far less well developed discipline than it is now. Clubs are able to support their players better through a heavy schedule.
The Pires injury was caused on landing from a jump whereas Longstaff was injured due to over extension in a tackle.
I think we’ll have to agree to disagree on this. In my opinion Longstaff was not injured due to being over fatigued, but due to over eagerness caused by inexperience. The match situation, his hyping by the media and us and the fact he’d been directly compared to Declan rice were probably all contributing factors in him attempting a tackle he never normally would have done.
He’s young and he’ll learn from this, thankfully the injury is not too serious
Jib
Mar 14, 2019 at 6:10 PM
Comment #10Oldham say resigned
and it was 31 days
ronaldo aarons
Mar 14, 2019 at 6:24 PM
Comment #11Picture above. Philip Billing. Racially abused on Twitter by a Huddersfield ‘fan’ recently. With them going down, he could maybe look to leave. I’d take him in a heartbeat if Hayden is going and Diame looking like leaving too.
Jib
Mar 14, 2019 at 6:30 PM
Comment #12Olivier Giroud 2 Kiev 0 after barely half an hour in the Ukraine
ronaldo aarons
Mar 14, 2019 at 6:38 PM
Comment #13Scholes probably got sick of not being able to sit on tv and tell managers how to do their jobs.
ronaldo aarons
Mar 14, 2019 at 6:58 PM
Comment #14That’s our kadar for Kiev right?
welshgeordie9
Mar 14, 2019 at 7:14 PM
Comment #15Summer transfers i think will happen
Rafa out
Pardew in
Jib
Mar 14, 2019 at 7:14 PM
Comment #16Correct
Tamás Kádár
his 28th birthday today actually
Jib
Mar 14, 2019 at 7:20 PM
Comment #17Summer transfers I think will happen
Swansea after losing 4 and winning one
in their last five games having no Chairman
will spiral out of control and plummet through
the divisions – ending up with Swansea being twinned
with Sunderland
welshgeordie9
Mar 14, 2019 at 7:26 PM
Comment #18Jib
Swans are rubbish aren’t they, I mean only getting relegated once in the time they were there and winning the league cup, you right, utter shite club.
Ha ha ha
Tsunki
Mar 14, 2019 at 7:29 PM
Comment #19They’re not very bouncy though these swans are they welshie?
Jib
Mar 14, 2019 at 7:29 PM
Comment #20Errrm you can only get relegated once
if that’s the only time you’re there !
ha ha ha
Jib
Mar 14, 2019 at 7:32 PM
Comment #21Jeepers
Kiev 0 Chelsea 5 !!!!!!
Jib
Mar 14, 2019 at 7:35 PM
Comment #22The Chelsea fans now have to get out of Kiev alive
Good luck with that
welshgeordie9
Mar 14, 2019 at 7:38 PM
Comment #23Jib
Swans were there six or sevens years and in that time swans went down once,
I know you are not the sharpest tool in the shed but even you should work that out.
Ha ha ha
Jib
Mar 14, 2019 at 7:44 PM
Comment #24Once is all it takes if you don’t bounce back
Essex Geordie Bill
Mar 14, 2019 at 7:45 PM
Comment #25Now the club want to sell (or let go) Cal Roberts who has been outstanding for the U23s, especially with Sorensen, he’s also never looked out of place in the few games he’s had with the 1st team albeit in preseason friendly’s plus a couple of cup ties. What sort of message does that send to the other young hopefull’s.
If he is let go I reckon some club will be getting a future star.
Jib
Mar 14, 2019 at 7:47 PM
Comment #26If Arsenal can rescue it against Rennes
that will be all PL top 6 through !!!!
welshgeordie9
Mar 14, 2019 at 7:47 PM
Comment #27I rest my case, jib I’m seriously getting worried about you, I don’t want you turning into jail.
Ha ha ha
welshgeordie9
Mar 14, 2019 at 7:48 PM
Comment #28Looking forward to the arsenal match.
Mag52
Mar 14, 2019 at 7:48 PM
Comment #29How often does Giroud score when he is given a chance ?
For a team which often struggles for goals, he should be starting every match.
Jib
Mar 14, 2019 at 7:49 PM
Comment #30The draw for both Euro comps in Geneva tomorrow
is going to be very interesting
Jib
Mar 14, 2019 at 7:53 PM
Comment #31Welshie
I stood your corner for ages
but
It looks like the usual suspects
were right you are a wum (sadly)
welshgeordie9
Mar 14, 2019 at 7:55 PM
Comment #32How do you work that out.
welshgeordie9
Mar 14, 2019 at 7:57 PM
Comment #33Usual suspects
What, you mean mean jail
Ha ha ha
If you say so
sing in the corner
Mar 14, 2019 at 7:59 PM
Comment #34Essex GB
I agree on Roberts. Yes fair enough Rafa and the coaches see the players a helluva lot more than I do, and it’s their job to make big decisions. But surely Roberts is worth a contract, or at least give hm a few games. I’m surprised to be honest.
Even if he doesn’t make it really big, him being a young English lad he would fetch a decent price if given a go and proving he is a player. He has ability. Contract would pay for itself, and defo worth a punt IMO
Jib
Mar 14, 2019 at 8:01 PM
Comment #35welshgeordie9
How do you work that out.
Mar 14, 2019 at 7:14 PM
Comment #15
Summer transfers i think will happen
Rafa out
Pardew in
Ron Knee
Mar 14, 2019 at 8:01 PM
Comment #36BBC website:
“Arsenal manager Unai Emery is the joint most successful manager in Uefa Cup/Europa League history.
“He won it three times in a roe with Sevilla,…”
Interesting typo!
welshgeordie9
Mar 14, 2019 at 8:06 PM
Comment #371-0 gunners
Game on
Jib
Mar 14, 2019 at 8:07 PM
Comment #38Are not the Sterry , Roberts , and Sorensen cases
not precisely why NUFC are appointing a Loan manager ?
welshgeordie9
Mar 14, 2019 at 8:07 PM
Comment #39Jib
So you think Rafa will be here in the summer then cause I don’t.
Jib
Mar 14, 2019 at 8:07 PM
Comment #40Ron that sounds fishy to me