Sean Longstaff went from being a fan' the local hero became the scapegoat. Photo: Getty Images/Pier Marco Tacca
At one point this season, Newcastle United found themselves in a difficult position. They will lose important players, injuries and suspensions will hurt, and the lack of strength in their team will be exposed.
That was the theory—or it should be fear—anyway. Newcastle, however, had already lost the core of their team to various degrees of injury, but instead of losing momentum, they gained it.
A comfortable and drama-free victory over Burnley allowed him to demonstrate five games unbeaten, five clean sheets in a row and three wins in six days, which returned Newcastle to the European squad.
Team Eddie Howe is welcome. Kylian Mbappe and Paris Saint-Germain travel to St James' Park on Wednesday night and will be without their best centre-back Sven Botman, their powerful midfielder Joelinton, the dynamic Joe Willock, their most reliable source of goals Callum Wilson and new signing. striker Harvey Barnes.
This should cause a wave of concern on Tyneside, but just as Howe worked wonders by qualifying for the Champions League with the same core team that had been involved in three successive relegation battles until last season , he does it again and now.< /p>
Leading the squad's growth are two local academy boys: Sean Longstaff and Elliot Anderson were superb against Burnley, as they were in the 8-0 thrashing of Sheffield United last weekend.
p> Longstaff in particular has a strong case to be considered one of the most underrated and, until recently, underrated players in the Premier League. In the not-too-distant past, the 25-year-old was often the scapegoat when things went wrong, but that is no longer the case.
Since he returned to fitness, Newcastle's midfield has looked much more balanced and reliable, allowing Brazilian Bruno Guimarães to play much more freely.
When Newcastle spent £56 million to sign AC Milan's Sandro Tonali, Longstaff looked like a replacement but is deservedly kept out of the Italy international at the moment.
Considering his athleticism. , football intelligence and defensive reliability, he is approaching the point where he should be considered for selection in the England squad. He is comfortably outscoring Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips and playing against much stronger competition than Jordan Henderson, who must have known he was putting his international place at risk when he traveled to Saudi Arabia.
If Longstaff is allowing Bruno to shine at Newcastle, surely he is well positioned to do the same for Jude Bellingham in England?
Anderson left the Scotland squad last month after being convinced he could one day represent the country of his birth in the future. It seemed like a stretch at the time, but having shone in pre-season and helped convince Howe he doesn't need to sign another central midfielder in the summer, the 20-year-old is improving with every game.
His development over the past few months is further evidence of Howe's talent as a coach and his skill as a manager. All Anderson is missing is a goal for his hometown club, a brilliant save from James Trafford to deny him on Saturday when he met Longstaff's delightful cross at the far post.
And there's more to it than that. in midfield. Newcastle's players are up to the challenge. In defence, captain Jamaal Lascelles, who has not played in the Premier League at St James' Park for 19 months, again impressed alongside Fabian Schar at centre-back.
Whatever whatever happened to PSG in the Championship In the league, the ominous thing for Newcastle's domestic rivals is that they didn't need their best players to turn the tide of the season after a difficult start.
Suddenly a squad that , which we argued was too weak, looks more than good enough. cope until their star names return from injury.
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