Newcastle United fans are beginning to worry about the future of Sean Longstaff after the youngster gave another sub-par display in a humiliating 5-0 defeat to Leicester this evening.
Longstaff has missed almost the entire month of September due to an ankle injury, but returned to Steve Bruce’s starting eleven for today’s King Power Stadium clash.
The midfielder was perhaps understandably off the pace and sluggish on the ball during the match having only just recovered from his ankle troubles, but truthfully, almost all of his performances this season have been concerning.
Under Bruce, Longstaff looks lost and his tender age really shows, often picking out the wrong pass or being caught on the ball too often by the opposition.
His defensive movement has also been poor, frequently arriving late into challenges or simply failing to keep up with runners off the ball.
There is an argument that Longstaff’s knee ligament damage last year has had a detrimental effect on his game, but for most fans they believe his drop in form is down to one man.
Longstaff’s brilliant displays in his breakthrough season were in large part down to Rafa Benitez’s tactics, which saw him operate as a defensive playmaker.
But under Bruce, Longstaff looks like an aimless central midfielder with no real role, and has gone from being a midfield dictator to a passenger in just a few months.
Toon fans are now terrified that Bruce’s coaching is becoming detrimental to his progress, and that the jewel in Newcastle’s crown is quickly fading.
Toon fans on Longstaff vs. Leicester
https://twitter.com/Bix1985/status/1178352065673711617
https://twitter.com/DennyBaldwin/status/1178343744103440384
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