Newcastle’s win over Manchester United has the potential to kickstart their season but they will first have to overcome a difficult trip to Chelsea, where they have only won once in the Premier League era.
One factor which could influence their chances of success is whether Steve Bruce decides to gamble on Matty Longstaff once again.
The youngster enjoyed a brilliant debut which culminated in the winner against United, and his captain Jamaal Lascelles backed him to play more often.
He said: “The hard work has recently paid off, he’s been thrown into the deep end like his brother. What you do know is that he is a young Geordie lad who is going to roll his sleeves up and play with his heart.
“Straight after the Leicester game we needed players to be like that, he was a prime example of what you can get from that.”
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However, he still only 19 and the United match was the only game he has played in the Premier League, and against an in-form side like Chelsea, who have scored 18 goals in eight league games, he could be found out.
A disappointing display could have the result of knocking his confidence, too, and Bruce may have to take that into consideration and think about the long-term.
So, with such factors at play, we asked our FFC writer’s for their views on whether Newcastle should stick with Longstaff or not, and here’s what they said.
Matt Dawson
“In the grand scheme of things, what else can really go wrong for Newcastle? Half the time Steve Bruce simply doesn’t have a clue, something that was seen with his substitution of Jetro Willems earlier in the season and their misunderstanding.
“Therefore, if you consider the bigger picture, working out whether to play someone Like Matty Longstaff is the last of their concerns and they should just go for it.
“As skipper Jamal Lascelles has stated, they need someone like him in the team because he rolls his sleeves up. The Magpies are lacking someone with grit and determination and they could really do with a young individual like Longstaff to provide a spark.
“His brother Sean provided a sense of expectation last season when he burst onto the scene under Rafa Benitez and Matty might well be able to replicate that after his goal and solitary key pass against United. It would be harsh to drop him this weekend.”
Lewis Blain
“Matty Longstaff may well have been the best player on the park against Manchester United, picking up WhoScored’s Man of the Match award, but the fact that Newcastle only managed to record one goal against a horribly out-of-sorts team speaks volumes.
“United still have the same defensive troubles as last season – Eni Aluko alluded to it being an issue of ‘lacking leadership’, and it’s hard to disagree, epitomised by the inexperienced Axel Tuanzebe partnering Harry Maguire.
“Coming up against Chelsea will offer a different test, one that maybe will require a more experienced head such as Jonjo Shelvey. He likes a goal against them too having netted this scorcher as his first for Liverpool back in 2012. The Blues’ midfield will offer up so much more flair and guile – you only have to look at Mason Mount’s breakthrough and the trophies Jorginho, N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovavic have won to see that.”
Billy Meyers “I think there’s absolutely no danger in playing him against Chelsea.“Longstaff was arguably the star of the show against Manchester United on his Premier League debut, and while you might argue that the Red Devils aren’t a fearsome side right now, the Newcastle academy graduate had no right to play as well as he did considering how inexperienced he is – even if he put the same level of performance in against a side such as Watford, it would still have been one to be proud of.“As mentioned, I can’t see any reason to drop him. He doesn’t appear to be the type of character to become cocky or complacent, and with his brother quite literally alongside him in the team, it feels as if Longstaff is in the perfect environment to keep playing and learning with no negative consequences.” Kealan Hughes
“Although Longstaff has had the international break to recover from the drama of the United match, playing in a such a big environment such as Stamford Bridge may be a step too far at the current time, and not the game for him.
“Considering the Blues’ goalscoring record, Bruce will likely set-up in a defensive manner akin to the displays against Liverpool and Spurs, and he will therefore need each of his players to show discipline and concentration in order to keep things tight at the back.
“As a result, Newcastle would be better suited playing with a more experienced figure such as Jonjo Shelvey, as he will provide the composure and know-how in periods when the visitors are under pressure.”
