When Matty Longstaff joined Mansfield Town on loan in January until the end of the season (NUFC.co.uk), some fans thought it was a move to a league that was beneath him. But the 22-year-old deserves respect for leaving Newcastle in search of minutes.
So far he’s proving that notion to be true. Longstaff has 3 goals to his name, and this past weekend he registered his first assist. It was a vital one as Mansfield won 2-1 against Oldham Athletic as they pursue promotion to League One.
It’s the midfielder’s fourth goal contribution for Mansfield this season from seven appearances. Some Newcastle fans may have been paying closer attention to Elliot Anderson who is also tearing up League Two, but Longstaff is also proving to Eddie Howe his qualities are better than League Two.
Longstaff’s impressive form will add to Newcastle’s midfield dilemma
Competition for places in the Newcastle squad is something that Howe wants at the club. In the Toon’s current squad there have been some strong midfield contenders for the starting XI.
Joelinton, Joe Willock, Jonjo Shelvey and new boy Bruno Guimaraes have all impressed in 2022. Matty’s brother Sean is also rated highly by the Newcastle boss. It has made selecting the right midfield a tough decision for Howe.
With Matty also impressing and improving it will give the manager something to think about when he returns. Maybe Longstaff will get another loan move next season. Hopefully, it’s to a side in the Championship – it will be a test to see how much the midfielder has really improved.
The 22-year-old was initially on loan in Scotland with Aberdeen. He really struggled and Longstaff ended up going back to Newcastle at the end of December.
His form has been the perfect response to a miserable first loan move away. There was a lot of excitement around him when he netted on two separate occasions against Manchester United.
Hopefully, there’s still time for Longstaff at Newcastle. But his spell with Mansfield so far is definitely a step in the right direction for him.
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