Transfer Rumour Sean Longstaff

[BlueToff]

He's better than Gomes and Davies, looks like he can pass it better than Allan and Doucoure, is cheap and pretty young. Hardly a glamorous signing, but I'll go with it.

Depends what you're wanting. If you want a player to drive with the ball then even this version of Slomes is better. If you're wanting a player to sit, then Davies is better and that is the only role the lad should ever play btw, and it would purely be to allow Doucoure and Allan to do their stuff.

Longstaff does keep the ball well, that's for sure. He doesn't do much with it, but he keeps it well. However, he isn't a sitter, as he likes to press and be energetic, so he would have to play in a three-man midfield, which Benitez seems intent on not playing, and would have to play in one of the two wider roles in said midfield as he currently is doing with Newcastle.

A lot needs to be done right by the manager for his signing to have any impact on our midfield other than just being another pair of legs running aimlessly around, basically.

 

[ZissouBlue]

Depends what you're wanting. If you want a player to drive with the ball then even this version of Slomes is better. If you're wanting a player to sit, then Davies is better and that is the only role the lad should ever play btw, and it would purely be to allow Doucoure and Allan to do their stuff.

Longstaff does keep the ball well, that's for sure. He doesn't do much with it, but he keeps it well. However, he isn't a sitter, as he likes to press and be energetic, so he would have to play in a three-man midfield, which Benitez seems intent on not playing, and would have to play in one of the two wider roles in said midfield as he currently is doing with Newcastle.

A lot needs to be done right by the manager for his signing to have any impact on our midfield other than just being another pair of legs running aimlessly around, basically.

When he supposedly did well under Benitez, were Newcastle playing with a midfield three? I trust everything you're saying about him, but I'm just curious about how he would be utilized here. I genuinely don't remember watching him play (don't watch Newcastle often), but to me it sounds like a pointless signing until we clear out our logjam of mediocre midfielders. As you say we definitely need something different.

 

[Carlito]

Has he been injured a lot or something? He doesn't seem to play much.

 

[Neiler]

That description defies the evidence in that youtube video. Either that's unrepresentative (and you pretty much agreed he does like to get into the final third) or you're not being consistent in your presentation of Longstaff's weaknesses.

He’s a no 8 all day for me.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

The sort of player who'll be a none inspiring water carrier then one day rifles a GBLAMMO in from outside the box and sends the Park End da's bonkers with joy

 

[COYBL25]

He looks like he wants to get up the pitch and put pressure on the opposition, and he has decent close control at times for a big lad.

Of course, the real issue for the Benitez Out Barmy Army (BOBA) is that the player is associated with him.

The golden rule on transfers for these poeple is that anyone who is considered poor or mediocre will be opposed and denigrated by the Barmy Army, and any player thought to be decent will be "a Brands / Ancelotti" hangover signing from their time here.

They are off the scale Branch Davidians.

Unlike your balanced and measured views on the lad from Rangers then

 

[coleman=quality]

He’s never coming back and nor should he

I’d rather have Barry Manilow

Yes wasn’t ideal the way he left but not surprised he did all he used to get was abuse from the fans absolutely ruined him as a player but I’d take him back in a heartbeat over longstaff.

 

[Noisy noise annoys]

Yes wasn’t ideal the way he left but not surprised he did all he used to get was abuse from the fans absolutely ruined him as a player but I’d take him back in a heartbeat over longstaff.

I agree with all that, we were brutal to him

 

[Billy Dean]

I’m not sure you can get worse than Davies. For me he’s the worst in the league. Can’t run, can’t tackle, can’t pass, can’t shoot, no good in the air. What exactly is the point of him being on the pitch? Most PL midfielders can do something well. I’ve watched him just pass simple balls out of play under no pressure, take bad touches and cough up possession under no pressure, and fluff simple chances in front of goal under little pressure.

He’s unbelievably poor in my view which is a shame because at 17 he was a lot better. Sometimes I catch a highlight from Koeman’s first season and it’s Davies getting into the box, getting goals, getting assists, playing with some personality. What happened to that player?

Played further forward under Koeman. Since then he’s played as more of a 6

 

[BlueToff]

When he supposedly did well under Benitez, were Newcastle playing with a midfield three? I trust everything you're saying about him, but I'm just curious about how he would be utilized here. I genuinely don't remember watching him play (don't watch Newcastle often), but to me it sounds like a pointless signing until we clear out our logjam of mediocre midfielders. As you say we definitely need something different.

I can't remember so I'll have to look back. But he played nine league games under Benitez. His best form came in that early part of 2019-20 when he was a regular - under Bruce!

I think he does add a player who could help us keep hold of the ball and press, but the second strength doesn't equate to anything unless Benitez gets the team pressing as a unit.

 

[BlueToff]

Played further forward under Koeman. Since then he’s played as more of a 6

He did fine in that role last year and should have been kept in the side when Allan came back to allow us to go back to the 433, albeit Doucoure did then pick up that foot injury just a week after Allan was back fit so we never really got chance anyway.

I don't think he's ever going to be good enough but in that one sitting role then he can be useful. Longstaff isn't a sitter but is better in possession than Davies.

 

[BlueToff]

@ZissouBlue so in 18-19, in his 8 league starts under Benitez, he played 7 times in CM in a 541 (which Benitez now seems to want to use here and it's absolutely horrific) and then once in CM in a 352.

 

[nsno-chris]

Another non-goal scoring, not creative midfielder to add to the ranks.

just what we need

 

[maccavennie]

Another non-goal scoring, not creative midfielder to add to the ranks.

just what we need

I mean, this really is important. We need others contributing. We need a dynamic midfielder. We need to shift some of the absolute crap before adding more crap to the pile of crap we have.

He's about as creative as a scared little virgin in a bedroom of pornstars is our Benitez the horrible whopper faced meff.

 

[Milkman]

Depends what you're wanting. If you want a player to drive with the ball then even this version of Slomes is better. If you're wanting a player to sit, then Davies is better and that is the only role the lad should ever play btw, and it would purely be to allow Doucoure and Allan to do their stuff.

Longstaff does keep the ball well, that's for sure. He doesn't do much with it, but he keeps it well. However, he isn't a sitter, as he likes to press and be energetic, so he would have to play in a three-man midfield, which Benitez seems intent on not playing, and would have to play in one of the two wider roles in said midfield as he currently is doing with Newcastle.

A lot needs to be done right by the manager for his signing to have any impact on our midfield other than just being another pair of legs running aimlessly around, basically.

To be honest, a midfielder that can keep the ball is an improvement to the squad we have. None of them are good in possession - even that pointless 3rd season Martinez passing for passing's sake type of possession.

I don't think he's a great player, and he's not going to get us into the top 7 on his own, but if he has something that we're missing (like Townsend and Gray have shown), then I can at least see the logic in it.

What's depressing is that we've gone so far backwards that signing a player with the same attributes as Morgan Schneiderlin is now a positive step.