Sean Longstaff

[Lush Vlad]

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.  

[Yorkie]

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. 

[alexf]

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. 

[The College Dropout]

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. 

[McCormick]

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 January 1, 2023 by McCormick

[ExiledGeordie]

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. 

[Hanshithispantz]

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. 

 

 

[AJ9]

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.

[ExiledGeordie]

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.

[ExiledGeordie]

1 minute ago, AJ9 said:

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.

Spot on

[Rich]

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.

 

 

[ExiledGeordie]

1 minute ago, Rich said:

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.

 

 

We’ll upgrade the midfield this window and next summer id imagine anyway but he’ll still be a useful squad member. 

[Stifler]

1 hour ago, AJ9 said:

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.

Yeah I also think his ceiling is the Championship or lower Premier League level at best.

We have a squad full of players like him which it will take time to go from pushing them off the bench and out of the club. Just think a year ago he would have been a regular starter.

4-5 months ago we were saying the same about Almirón, a year ago Joelinton. Some players will be able to step up with the right coach, some will have hit their level no matter what.

[Adam]

4 hours ago, Rich said:

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.

 

 

 

But it's not just about how many tackles you make. It's about being in the right place, putting opposition under pressure that force them in to your team mates. It's clear from the games I've been to that our midfield are channeling opposition in to team mates (manily Bruno) who then win the ball. 

[ponsaelius]

To suggest his ceiling is the Championship is just nonsense. He's been performing well in a side that is in the CL places. He's easily a solid PL player even at his current level.

[gbandit]

He’s never going to be top class but he’s proved he can play a role, he works tirelessly and does a lot of good work tracking back and pressing. However, if he wants to remain in the squad long-term he has two major weaknesses to work on. 
 

1) Getting a pass off earlier or at the very least shielding the ball better so that he doesn’t dawdle and get it nicked off him so much

 

2) Improving his striking from 15 yards+
 

I think both of those areas can improve with coaching. His movement is generally good and he’s still young so he can get better but I can’t see a place for him in the squad in two-three years if he doesn’t improve those areas 

[ponsaelius]

The biggest issue is that he's just not really the right kind of player for home games against teams who are looking to defend. Especially when we also play Joelinton on the wing. What works in away games and against big sides isn't right against the weaker sides at home.

 

The biggest missing piece in the squad for me is a creative and versatile midfield player for these kind of games. I personally don't have much interest in signing a 'no6' or any of the physical box-to-box players with terrible goal records we seem to keep being linked to. Certainly don't think it would make an immediate difference to our short term results.

 

 

Edited January 1, 2023 by ponsaelius

[Rich]

1 hour ago, Adam said:

 

But it's not just about how many tackles you make. It's about being in the right place, putting opposition under pressure that force them in to your team mates. It's clear from the games I've been to that our midfield are channeling opposition in to team mates (manily Bruno) who then win the ball. 

Understand that, aye, but as much ground as he covers he’s consistently a yard or two off it when it comes to the press, which does bear out in the numbers.

 

His positioning, speed of thought, and anticipation are far from strengths of his, for me. He’s making fewer tackles than Miggy does, which can’t be right given the respective roles they play.

[Cronky]

21 hours ago, ponsaelius said:

The biggest issue is that he's just not really the right kind of player for home games against teams who are looking to defend. Especially when we also play Joelinton on the wing. What works in away games and against big sides isn't right against the weaker sides at home.

 

The biggest missing piece in the squad for me is a creative and versatile midfield player for these kind of games. I personally don't have much interest in signing a 'no6' or any of the physical box-to-box players with terrible goal records we seem to keep being linked to. Certainly don't think it would make an immediate difference to our short term results.

 

 

 

 

You may have a point there. I tend to think that Longstaff gets scapegoated after disappointing results, and for me, it's Willock whose place looks most vulnerable. However, I agree that we need a midfield player who can unlock a deep defence, and the obvious choice for me would be Maddison.

[Tiotes Witch Doctor]

He's developed into a decent premier League player, but that isn't enough for where our aspirations lie.

 

 

[Coffee_Johnny]

On 31/12/2022 at 17:56, gbandit said:

Always baffles me how players at this level who have trained their entire lives to play football can’t strike a ball with good technique when it’s one of the easiest things you can work on in training 

He most likely does strike the ball beautifully, more often than not, in training. 

[JonBez comesock]

Decent premier league player 

Not good enough for where want to be (champions league) 

 

[80]

I think he can be a solid squad member for years to come. Just very much someone who knows the ethos of the club and just rotates in when the main players need a rest, rather than being a lynchpin as he has this season.

 

We're not going to be in a position where we can have 30 galacticos in the squad, many happily warming the bench, for a little while yet... Fact is, we've proven we can win difficult games with him in the team repeatedly this season, and that's with other less than stellar players like Wood alongside him, too.

[M1tche]

If we could give him Matty's shooting technique he'd be another level up already. He's played his role brilliantly for me so far this season ad now and again pulls off some lovely creative passes (the one to Isak vs Liverpool being the 1 that springs to mind) He definitely needs to scan more and half decide what he wants to do before he controla the ball so he gets caught on it less. These 2 pretty simple improvments will keep him in the squad for a good few years yet. 

[SiLvOR]

Not to gun one of our players immediately after a well fought draw, BUT, Longstaff was anonymous today. His position has to be under threat. Would hope we upgrade this window.