Think it has more to do with us buying a squad player who can't get into a team fighting to stay in the league....
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That's actually true - that first sentence - Dave. He does want to do just that.
The issue is the other midfielders we have can't cover him, because their strengths are doing the same things.
Get it?
So signing Longstaff to then not play him to his strengths would be mad, as he's a very average player so you don't want to be exposing his weaker sides of the game. But I don't know how Benitez manages to play to his strengths because he doesn't play a system that allows him to do that and the one natural sitter we have in the squad is Delph.
That's where I'm at with the signing. And I've watched him more than you or @Saint Domingo by the sounds.
Not a bad signing but I don't see how he at all allows us to fix what's going wrong in midfield, because it's just another square peg in a round hole in a 2, unless Benitez can find a way to make Allan a sitter (which he hasn't done so far, and takes away from what he's good at anyway) or Longstaff a sitter (which as you've pointed out, would take away from what he's good at).
No other manager would be looking at Longstaff and think he's the answer to our midfield problem. Then again not many other managers would play Coleman at LWB.
kenada_blue
Welcome to Barcelonaton FC
We will not progress or look for European football with Sean Longstaff in the team or squad.
Fact.
kenada_blue
Welcome to Barcelonaton FC
davek
Player Valuation: £150m
He looks ok to me. Then again, I come to judging this without prejudice...
If he was ok he'd be getting in that Newcastle team which is absolutely dire.
Honestly wouldn't surprise me!
Thing is, I think the only way we can muddle through with Longstaff and Allan in midfield would be to play Doucoure as basically an advanced midfielder. We do not play 4231, so we don't play a 10. We play 4411 with that player that Benitez thinks is the 10 pushed right up alongside the striker, leaving another massive gap between defence and attack.
If he's willing to be more adaptable, there's a chance having Longstaff and Allan as deeper players, with Doucoure pushing on behind a front three, would work. It'd give Doucoure licence to roam and carry the ball, the wingers could get back and help out if needed, and there'd be two other players in midfield too.
However, neither Longstaff or Allan sit well. They just don't know how to play the position. So Benitez would have to show coaching skills he must have been hiding away from us all for the past seven months and instill that discipline and nous. I think that's hard because it takes away from what both Longstaff and Allan are actually good at.
Longstaff does have his strengths. He's a big lad, he's got a decent passing range and he definitely presses well. But Allan presses nearly just as well too, and since Benitez doesn't have his team pressing as a unit, then it's pointless.
billyblue80
Player Valuation: £70m
Agree what we really need is a good DM with mobility, a new Gana if you will not another bog average box to box player
davek
Player Valuation: £150m
Your posts this morning were telling me his major fault was being dribbled past and poor pass completion. Well that is understandable if he's an AMF.
If the manager has played him there for Newcastle then he'll know if he has the personnel to sit in behind (Doucoure did a job for Ancelotti there dont forget, and Ancelotti also played Allen deeper than Benitez has thus far).
It also doesn't rule out another midfielder being bought alongside Longstaff (if he is bought and we can get shut of one or two) nor that Benitez may be buying with this and another window in mind to complete his midfield.
You are being far too inflexible on this. And your appeal to be seen as some sort of authority on the player looks way off to me.
BainesontoastNEW
Player Valuation: £40m
Literally speaking, a long staff is a mighty weapon. Not sure what all the complaints are about. We could be moving into the sport of range fighting because we can't press?
The_Riddler
Player Valuation: £500k
I can live with Longstaff if we bring Bruno in as well (and I don’t mean Frank).
He isn't an attacking midfielder at all. He was actually initially a player who played like a 6, as I said, in a bit of a Carrick mould but it became quickly apparent he lacked the awareness to sit. He's a central midfielder, water-carrier a bit like James McCarthy but not as energetic as McCarthy was in his prime. He can take care of the ball pretty well, he likes to hassle, but he's not an attacking midfielder in any sense of the word.
He played nine league games for Benitez. Nine. I thought it was 19 but no I misread - it's nine. It's hardly a wealth of knowledge of the player.
I am not being inflexible. I think for the right amount it is an okay deal. But what I don't like about it is it's only because this manager is here that it's happening. Like Townsend, like Rondon. And we were supposed to be getting away from that model. Like I said, we have a lot of issues in midfield but I can't look at it and think that Longstaff is in any way the answer. He's basically Tom Davies, he's just a Tom Davies that Benitez brought through.
And yes, I know that Ancelotti played Allan deeper too and I disagreed with that at the time. He's not a sitter and never will be.
Think we need a player who can sit and get the ball from the defence and open the pitch up. An ability to pick a pass and drive if needed. I know that player isn't easy to get. I know that there's a place in the squad for a player like Longstaff. I just don't think he's going to help solve our current midfield issues and they are, currently, huge.
Sorry! Misunderstood you, good point!
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.
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