Without all the other factors it's inconclusive. Stat's like this were on TV about Pope but again they didn't factor on other missing players etc. Longstaff played well that's it... if he doesn't play vs Arsenal and we lose it is unlikely to be put down to Kelly willock or krafth not playing. People just pick out one part and say look.
I loved seeing joelinton starting on 3 Chelsea players last night. They were trying to bully Gordon. Newcastle need more of that .. too often a soft touch.. the other team is always kicking Guimaraes and Gordon of the park. Schar and Joelinton are the only men we've got.
Botman and Burn would argue that point. We're just better when we have less time to think, less time on the ball. Our only maverick is Isak. Helps that Chelsea defend poorly and charge forward in numbers. We could give Arsenal a game, by the same measure, and it's got nowt to do with Longstaff playing or not! But how do we break down Bournemouth, Brentford, Forest, Everton, etc.?
Yet Newcastle fans think it was all down to longstaff playing. Both sides were completely different though so erm
I don't think anyone really thinks that tbf, that's just a jokey stat that's been thrown around. Game we probably played best in was the City home game and Longstaff was only a late sub in that.
I’m more interested in how Eddie fixes the midfield. Two Joes on the left seems better than any other option and Gordon is miles ahead of anyone on the right. But Tonalis best game coincided with him being central. Honestly every time I write something on the forum the more baffling the Barnes transfer looks.
Don’t take it to heart. It’s just like those idiots who say that Bruce did as well as Rafa and Howe just because Newcastle finished 12th and 13th under him.
I do agree the fact we have so no many players who want to or are best playing off the left is killing us. Really we would be better off selling Barnes. Thing is with Gordon really in our current situation Eddie should be telling him that he's needed to play on the right and thats his position until something changes but I know he would be really unhappy with that as I reckon he's got eyes on that left hand side starting spot for England at the WC. He's not going to shift Saka on the right.
I'd make a case Newcastle were no better on Wednesday night in fwd areas and Chelsea simply made 2 colossal errors. The absence of being dragged all over the pitch was the biggest difference. It took only a few minutes for him to almost cost us a goal doing exactly that. seems to get away with it week in week out... people instead point at every other position.
