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Transfer Rumour Sean Longstaff

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BlueToff said:
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.
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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.
 
This doesnt improve, just geting bodies in, isn't the answer... tho that said, i could take my boots down and fulfil a boyhood dream perhaps... so underwhelming
 

Scouting na. Director of football na. Mosh to Benitez... "listen I'm outta cash and I've blown a wad load on some gimps before you came ,so what can you do?"
Benitez ....."I have some contacts with my former clubs "..... mosh thinks inter, real madrid.... and benitez goes and brings in rondon and longstaff
 

davek said:
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.
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Well I went into detail using actual raw data from this season earlier to show his strengths and weaknesses defensively, as someone asked for them. Here are his possession/attacking stats for a midfielder (compared to Everton and Newcastle current midfielders to have played in the League this season)

Goals - 1
Assists - 1
Chances created - 5
Big chance created - 0
Passes/crosses into the box - 16
Passes total - 368
Accuracy - 81.25 (impressive, the best of any Efc or Newcastle midfielder to play over 10 games)
Passes in op half - 186
Passes accuracy in op half - 76.34
Long passes - 52
Successful long passes - 28
Passes into final 3rd - 46
Possessional passes - 374

So, those stats back up what I've said. He takes care of the ball well. But he is in no way creative. He is, in no way, an attacking midfielder and he doesn't play as an attacking midfielder. Howe has him playing in a 5-man, flat midfield, with wingers pushing on either side to represent a bit of a 433 in attack. Benitez doesn't play 433. Maybe he would if Longstaff comes in but, as I've said, it doesn't solve the issue we have which is Allan lacking the positional discipline to play deep and Longstaff also lacking it.

Like I said, I don't think it's a bad signing. It's a middle of the road signing if we make it. But he shouldn't be the priority with whatever money is available right now, because right now he doesn't desperately add what we need.

I do rate his ability to keep hold of the ball and i do rate his ability to press but as we've already discussed today, he gets bypassed easily because Newcastle - like Everton - don't press as a unit, or at least they didn't do under Bruce. They've been a tad better at it under Howe.

But those passing stats when it comes to playing attacking passes into the box or the final 3rd are not at all the numbers of an attacking midfielder. Because he isn't an attacking midfielder.
 
BlueToff said:
He isn't a 4th/5th option. Benitez wanted him in the summer. He'd be the primary rotation option.

Look, not saying he's an awful player, there's just far better out there. It's another player that this manager is dead set on wanting, which we were supposed to get away from.
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He offered 1 million for him. He clearly views him as the 4th/5th option, and wants him as depth. As we have found out from injuries you need depth, but its wise not to pay much for it if the player is capable at a basic level.
 
PeregrineT said:
He offered 1 million for him. He clearly views him as the 4th/5th option, and wants him as depth. As we have found out from injuries you need depth, but its wise not to pay much for it if the player is capable at a basic level.
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I've seen 1m, 3m, 5m. We were willing to go to 10 in the summer but it was funds that didn't become available.

He doesn't view him as 4/5th option though. He'd be either a starter or the first midfield option.

I'm not saying he's even bad. He has some skill sets our midfield lacks - his ability to pass the ball to his team-mates being one of them.
 

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