OPINION
If you are a Newcastle United fan you have learned to take the positives where you can find them, and so youngster Sean Longstaff’s performance against Chelsea was probably the highlight of their Saturday.
The 21-year-old ultimately couldn’t change the outcome of the Magpies’ 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge, but he did put in a display that will give the team’s fans encouragement moving forward.
Thrown in for his full Premier League debut against a trio of Chelsea midfielders in N’Golo Kante, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic who are among the finest in world football, Longstaff didn’t look out of place as he hassled and harried, and used the ball extremely well on the rare occasion Newcastle had possession.
His performance stood in stark contrast to Isaac Hayden’s safety-first approach alongside him, and was surely enough to earn the youngster a starting spot moving forward.
Rafael Benitez’s options are thin in central midfield at the moment, with Ki Sung-yueng on international duty and Mohamed Diame and Jonjo Shelvey both missing the Chelsea clash through injury, and even if those two are back for next weekend’s crucial meeting with Cardiff City, Longstaff showed enough on Saturday to earn himself a starting berth.
He combined the workrate of Diame with the passing ability of Shelvey, making him a significant upgrade on the Senegal star at least. Newcastle don’t spend large periods of time with the ball so when they do have it they need someone who will use it properly – that’s Longstaff.
He sprayed some lovely balls about at Stamford Bridge, while always keeping his discipline and remaining in shape when the hosts attacked.
His performance makes you wonder why Benitez didn’t throw him into the fray earlier, as it’s clear that he’s good enough to start in the Premier League.
Playing youngsters is always a risk, of course, and the Spaniard isn’t what you would call a gambling man. However, with the evidence firmly thrust in front of him on Saturday it’s obvious that Longstaff must be chosen for a long run in the Newcastle team moving forward.