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33 minutes ago, TorchyTBB said:

I really don't boo players.  If you really think Lonstaff is premier leagure quality, maybe it's not me that needs to give my head a shake.  It's my opinion and I most definitely stand by it.  We are all entitled to one and you are entitled to disagree.  That's life...

I mean we’re like almost 6 months into a season and he’s been a deserving regular in one of the best teams in the Premier League, so it’s just an anti-factual statement to make. It’s fair enough to be disappointed after today but I think your argument isn’t remotely persuasive.

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1 hour ago, TorchyTBB said:

Works his socks off, but is no where near premier league quality.  Unfortunately.

 

You don't get up to third in the league by new year by carrying a midfielder who isn't Premier League quality.

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I think longstaff's faults would be overlooked if we had other cms who were regularly scoring, running past players or having the skill to play the killer ball into the forward.

 

Big Jo, Willock and Longstaff are unable to that against defensive teams.. so the negative traits are highlighted as soon as we struggle.

 

 

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1 hour ago, Klaus said:

We will probably be playing a lot more games next season. He will be a handy squad player going forward. Will never be a world beater though.

Disagree with that, not gonna slag him off but he’s an average mid table player that’s all and we should replace him if we’re gonna have higher ambitions.

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13 minutes ago, HaydnNUFC said:

I've never rated him and I don't want to to go massively in on him as he's played a huge part in getting us to where we are but snatching at those chances at this top level is just not good enough. 

This

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2 hours ago, RobsonsWonderland said:

I think longstaff's faults would be overlooked if we had other cms who were regularly scoring, running past players or having the skill to play the killer ball into the forward.

 

Big Jo, Willock and Longstaff are unable to that against defensive teams.. so the negative traits are highlighted as soon as we struggle.

 

 


Ultimately he needs to be upgraded.

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I just think he is a slightly better midfield version of Wood. Works his bollocks off, gets in some good positions and makes good runs. But ultimately, he just lacks quality and composure when it matters. Infuriating to watch. 
 

First player out of the regular XI that needs upgrading. But he has a place in the squad, for sure.  

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Even as a big fan he'd probably be the first person in the team I'd upgrade on. But his contract is till 2026 and I wouldn't even contemplate selling him unless Rafa turns up somewhere and offers daft money. He's improved and is hopefully still improving; one stinker needn't cause us to totally reevaluate his place in the squad. 

 

His shooting is weird. He's capable of tidy finishes but those ballooned efforts over the bar are nothing new. Seems very random, how he catches them. But Howe turned Miggy into a player that wildly outscores his xG by literally just telling him to aim higher, so I've faith he can squeeze more of a return out of wor Shlongy. 

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I think of it this way...he runs his bollocks off and probably has the highest running stats in the whole team...but he has to do that because he has little else. 

 

So while it is complementing the rest of the team at the moment and contributing to our high press tactics. Ideally what you want is a higher quality player with better technical ability but gives the same physical efforts, or close to. 

 

I realise those players are rare and or expensive. But that has to be the ambition. It's easier to coach a high technical player to work harder off the ball than it is to try and coach Longstaff to be better on the ball. 

 

To reach the next level and as harsh as it seems based on this year, it does feel a priority position to upgrade. 

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54 minutes ago, alexf said:

I think of it this way...he runs his bollocks off and probably has the highest running stats in the whole team...but he has to do that because he has little else. 

 

So while it is complementing the rest of the team at the moment and contributing to our high press tactics. Ideally what you want is a higher quality player with better technical ability but gives the same physical efforts, or close to. 

 

I realise those players are rare and or expensive. But that has to be the ambition. It's easier to coach a high technical player to work harder off the ball than it is to try and coach Longstaff to be better on the ball. 

 

To reach the next level and as harsh as it seems based on this year, it does feel a priority position to upgrade. 

It’s not. 
 

Liverpool have the same problem. It’s difficult to find technically superior or highly competent midfielders with excellent stamina, pace, strength and work rate. 
 

I can’t think of many outside the top 6. One I can think of that is perhaps superior physically and technically - Rice - would cost a bomb and likely out of reach. 
 

Although I think those are the types of players Ashworth and co. can find. Bissouma, Caicedo etc. 

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6 hours ago, The College Dropout said:

It’s not. 
 

Liverpool have the same problem. It’s difficult to find technically superior or highly competent midfielders with excellent stamina, pace, strength and work rate. 
 

I can’t think of many outside the top 6. One I can think of that is perhaps superior physically and technically - Rice - would cost a bomb and likely out of reach. 
 

Although I think those are the types of players Ashworth and co. can find. Bissouma, Caicedo etc. 


 

Agree with this. Coaches can definitely improve players through getting them fitter and developing their tactical awareness and positioning however I doubt you instill an elite work-rate/ physicality into a player that doesn’t already have these traits. At least not enough to make a significant difference  at the top-level imo.

 

 

Edited by McCormick

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He’s very good off the ball doing all the unglamorous things to break things up (more away from home) but playing against a low block at home he’s pretty redundant as he doesn’t have the technical ability or finishing around and in the box. 

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I think he’s been great recently, but he had a poor game yesterday. He’s been a huge part of our success and let’s not forget, him and Willock are very much still developing.

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1 minute ago, Hanshithispantz said:

I don't want to be harsh on Longstaff like, I think players like him are massively underrated (although not so much by our fans anymore which is nice) but a front 6 containing him, Joelinton, Willock AND Wood is going to look limp at times. 

 

 


On another day we put those chances away but as more teams do this to us at home we’ll need better players to carve open chances and put them away. Maddison is basically the ideal type of player for this situation. An overlapping left full back would help too.

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7 minutes ago, ExiledGeordie said:

He’s very good off the ball doing all the unglamorous things to break things up (more away from home) but playing against a low block at home he’s pretty redundant as he doesn’t have the technical ability or finishing around and in the box. 


Don’t even think this is the case, sadly. He averages one tackle a game and less than one interception away.

 

That’s about a third of Joelinton’s defensive output and about half of Bruno’s. He’s even trailing Willock comfortably overall, who typically offers a bit more otherwise as well.

 

Yesterday was the first time he’s really been exposed, though. The two misses and then how it impacted his ability to take the third shot when it came show why he’s the first player we need to be upgrading.

 

He’s a grand fifth or sixth choice CM, but shouldn’t be starting every game.

 

 

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