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He makes other player in our team play better, Just see how comfortable Bruno play along with Longstaff, Bruno is not afraid to do his trick passes, dribbles, and whatever he could do because he knows that Longstaff will 100% covered it for him if there is something wrong in the trick. 

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I wouldn't want Longstaff to become the new England whipping boy. We all know he's great cause we see what he does for the team, every week. 

 

I reckon the rest of the country still see him like we see McTominay. 

 

He's our best kept secret. 

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I think he's very good at enabling better players to play their game. Especially good passers of the ball. I don't see that skill translating to the England set up as well. They lack guile in the middle. Well, everywhere tbh.

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The sight of him smashing the ball into the net on Wednesday will be filed away as one of those treasured memories. It really lifted me off my chair, I think because it meant game over. I was very pleased for him as well, given the journey he's made over the last two years.

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9 hours ago, Weezertron said:

I wouldn't want Longstaff to become the new England whipping boy. We all know he's great cause we see what he does for the team, every week. 

 

I reckon the rest of the country still see him like we see McTominay. 

 

He's our best kept secret. 

 

McTominay actually is shit though.

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From a selfish point of view I hope he keeps getting ignored. Having one of our main 4 central-midfielders fresh after the internationals is going to be handy.

 

 

Edited by Optimistic Nut

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On 05/10/2023 at 12:02, STM said:

Future club captain?

Nah. He won't be more than a stand in for a stand in on that side of things, he hasn't really got the character for it. But that's alright, it's not everyone's calling.

On 05/10/2023 at 13:53, Lush Vlad said:


I still think it’s Bruno. I think you could get away with a midfield three of Joelinton, Bruno and Tonali/Anderson a lot of the time. Whereas our build up play and passing without Bruno would be shite and since he became a starter. It has been whenever he’s not played. 

Overall you're probably right but I'm hoping that's not so true now and that Tonali can play the role. I can see Tonali, Longstaff and Joelinton being more effective than Tonali, Bruno and Joelinton. Longstaff really does seem to be the straw that stirs the drink.

20 hours ago, Weezertron said:

I wouldn't want Longstaff to become the new England whipping boy. We all know he's great cause we see what he does for the team, every week. 

 

I reckon the rest of the country still see him like we see McTominay. 

 

He's our best kept secret. 

Agreed. I'd worry about him playing for England, I could see the experience draining his confidence. I don't think he'd be used right and he'd be wrongly blamed for it. After all, some of our fans are only just 'starting to warm up on him' after two full seasons!

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4 minutes ago, David Edgar said:

Big injury must've been the final nail. Hopefully he rebuilds his career and somehow makes it back to us in a few years.


He will never play for us again. 

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1 hour ago, 80 said:

Overall you're probably right but I'm hoping that's not so true now and that Tonali can play the role. I can see Tonali, Longstaff and Joelinton being more effective than Tonali, Bruno and Joelinton. Longstaff really does seem to be the straw that stirs the drink.


Could not disagree more. Early days for him here. But in the games he has played. Tonali has looked more at home and comfortable in that 8, charge around like a mad man in Howe’s system role. But not particularly composed on the ball. He was awful against City playing deeper, for example. His touch and awareness was miles off. 
 

All of the scouting videos, clips and analysis from his Milan days. Suggested he was going to be a Longstaff ‘upgrade’ or one of the two 8’s in Howe’s midfield. It’s a testament to Longstaff that he is still so important and this is not meant as a slight on him. He has rightfully kept his place since coming back from injury. 
 

I genuinely think that Bruno makes football look so easy. That some fans, not necessarily yourself, don’t realise just how fucking good he is. He has set the bar so high that he’s made a rod for his own back. He is held to some ridiculously high standards, where a 7/10 gets labelled a shit performance. 
 

He’s the only player in our squad that will demand the ball, back to goal in his own half, whilst under pressure by two players. Apart from his tame shooting and occasionally over playing. There isn’t really a weakness in his game and can play anywhere in midfield. 
 

Skillful, gets stuck in, can pick a pass that most others don’t see, dictates the tempo, a powerful runner with the ball, despite not being the biggest, covers shit loads of ground. I could go on. 
 

I think we have at best, a handful of elite world level players in the squad and he is right at the top of the pile. 
 

There are not many players in world football like him.

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11 minutes ago, Lush Vlad said:


Could not disagree more. Early days for him here. But in the games he has played. Tonali has looked more at home and comfortable in that 8, charge around like a mad man in Howe’s system role. But not particularly composed on the ball. He was awful against City playing deeper, for example. His touch and awareness was miles off. 
 

All of the scouting videos, clips and analysis from his Milan days. Suggested he was going to be a Longstaff ‘upgrade’ or one of the two 8’s in Howe’s midfield. It’s a testament to Longstaff that he is still so important and this is not meant as a slight on him. He has rightfully kept his place since coming back from injury. 
 

I genuinely think that Bruno makes football look so easy. That some fans, not necessarily yourself, don’t realise just how fucking good he is. He has set the bar so high that he’s made a rod for his own back. He is held to some ridiculously high standards, where a 7/10 gets labelled a shit performance. 
 

He’s the only player in our squad that will demand the ball, back to goal in his own half, whilst under pressure by two players. Apart from his tame shooting and occasionally over playing. There isn’t really a weakness in his game and can play anywhere in midfield. 
 

Skillful, gets stuck in, can pick a pass that most others don’t see, dictates the tempo, a powerful runner with the ball, despite not being the biggest, covers shit loads of ground. I could go on. 
 

I think we have at best, a handful of elite world level players in the squad and he is right at the top of the pile. 
 

There are not many players in world football like him.

I agree with pretty much all that. It's just that the non-Longstaff combo consistently looks unassured without him. He seems to force multiply all the players around him meaning Bruno is less Brunoey when he's not around.

 

That's why - potentially, and with more training time for Tonali - I could see Tonali-Joelinton-Longstaff overcoming Tonali-Joelinton-Bruno. That's intended as a criticism of Tonali and Joelinton rather than Bruno, to be clear!

 

 

Edited by 80

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22 hours ago, Skeletor said:

 

McTominay actually is shit though.

 

I may have worded it wrong. I think he's shit too. My point was that fans of other clubs probably see Longstaff as a do-nothing, hiding midfielder. Not that McTominay is secretly good too. 

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McTominay is an above average player in a average team that isn't suited to how he plays and cares nothing for what he offers them.

 

Longstaff is also an above average player but he's playing in a much better TEAM where is strengths are magnified and weakness hidden away (for the most part). 

 

So hard to judge players playing in the wrong position for teams struggling for confidence and form, you only need look at Gordon whilst playing at Everton to see how it can affect players ability levels.

 

McTominay is a different player entirely for Scotland because he's used in a way that expresses his strengths. Same goes for Longstaff in our team right now. I don't want McTominay here but he's certainly not shit by any means.

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19 hours ago, David Edgar said:

Big injury must've been the final nail. Hopefully he rebuilds his career and somehow makes it back to us in a few years.

 

I fear he won't. Matty always looked a bit short of pace, and it looks like that injury has robbed him of what little he had. I know the club were continuing to provide treatment for him, but perhaps that's over, I don't know. 

 

He came across as quite a strong character, so hopefully with the support of family and friends, he can move on from all the disappointment.

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On 05/10/2023 at 23:06, AJ9 said:

He's becoming the player we hoped he would be after that breakout under Benitez. He is an absolute inspiration.


If ever there was a player that summed up the farce that was Steve Bruce it’s him (and probably Schar). So great to see. 

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