Sean Longstaff played the entirety of Newcastle’s 1-1 draw with Watford, and some fans weren’t happy with his performance.
The midfielder is still trying to recapture his form from last season, struggling to get back to his best after a knee injury.
The 21-year-old has started three of the Magpies’ opening four Premier League games, and his performances have certainly got supporters talking.
Against Tottenham, he was everywhere. Full of running and putting challenges in, this was the Longstaff that won everyone over at the start of the year.
However, his performance against the Hornets opened him up to criticism. There were multiple occasions when the youngster was sloppy in possession. He was able to get on the ball all afternoon, but far too many times he dawdled in possession and gifted it to Watford.
This hasn’t gone unnoticed by fans, with many being disappointed with his latest performance.
Longstaff feels the wrath of Toon fans
But is the criticism unfair?
It was far from a vintage Sean Longstaff performance. The moment in the first half when he kind of crumbled in possession and just handed the ball to Watford was inexcusable. But were some of his other errors totally his fault?
The lack of movement on Saturday was a real worry. Longstaff often spent so much time on the ball because no one in front of him was making a move to create space and receive a pass.
He was his usual energetic self and his delivery from set pieces was superb. It’s the first we’ve seen of Longstaff as a set piece taker, but it’s something we must use going forward. More often that not he was whipping balls into the box with pace. His crosses were dying to be headed home. But alas they were not.
There is certainly room for improvement, but some of the criticism aimed at Newcastle’s number 36 seems unfair.
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