One of the highlights of last season was how 21-year-old Sean Longstaff made such an impact when he was given a chance in early December in the Newcastle first team.
Jonjo Shelvey and Mo Diame were injured, and Ki was off to play in the Asian Cup when Sean and Isaac Hayden were given their chance in central midfield.
Both did brilliantly, and while Isaac Hayden will be leaving us for family reasons in the summer, Sean wants to continue playing for his home town club.
There are still rumors that Manchester United are interested in the star Geordie, but Sean thankfully has no desire to leave his home town club.
His character and temperament are absolutely first class.
He picked up a knee injury in early March, so his first season in the Newcastle side was cut short.
But he is on the mend, and this is what he has said in the Chronicle today about Newcastle’s fixture list announced yesterday by the Premier League:
“It’s tough. “
“It doesn’t look as bad as last year’s [start] but I think in the Premier League every team has so much quality, so there is no real easy game.”
“There’s no game you look for and think: ‘Good, we’re playing them.’ It’s [just] not like that – it’s going to be tough.”
“We know the situation we’re in, in terms of the teams you play against, and the top teams have got so much money these days, but it’s exciting.”
“It’s a challenge.”
“Hopefully we can build on last year and see if we can pick up more points than we did then.”
Newcastle have a tough first nine games of the season when we play five top six clubs, and three of those fixtures are in the first five games.
But it’s a chance to get off to a good start if we can pick up enough points in those first nine games.
We don’t know if Rafa Benitez will still be the manager when we kickoff at home on Sunday 11 August against Arsenal.
And it’s notable the current manager did not issue any comments on the fixture list yesterday.
Comments welcome.
15 comments so far
DubaiMicky
Jun 14, 2019 at 8:21 AM
Comment #1Last!
droppy in Wallsend
Jun 14, 2019 at 8:27 AM
Comment #2I see some of the papers still think this lad is off to Manure.
Apparently GBC has plans for him.
bill
Jun 14, 2019 at 8:29 AM
Comment #3Papers print a lot. How much of it ever happens?
bill
Jun 14, 2019 at 8:31 AM
Comment #4They are only interested in selling newspapers. The rubbish I see coming out of most newspapers is scandalous.
droppy in Wallsend
Jun 14, 2019 at 8:33 AM
Comment #5Bill
I totally agree.
We’ve said he’s not for sale and he’s said he’s staying but let’s not let that get in the way ha ha ha
bill
Jun 14, 2019 at 8:55 AM
Comment #6It makes me laugh when I see headlines on NewsNow from the Chronicle, Shields Gazette, etc regurgitating the same rubbish day after day, but with a different headline. It’s pathetic.
WLtoon
Jun 14, 2019 at 9:01 AM
Comment #7This lad could be something really special in the not too distant future,, and he,s ours. I doubt he will want to go anywhere anytime soon especially if we have new more ambitious owners.
I just hope this takeover happens bcos i think a lot of our senior pros are ready to jump ship if the unthinkable happens,, Rafa gone and FCB still owning the club.
Longstaff may be a local lad but even he will have had a belly full of Ashleys antics eventually,,and we will lose him too,
Frank pingles come sock
Jun 14, 2019 at 9:01 AM
Comment #8This story isn’t false
Man united do have genuine interest and do want to sign him.
Longstaff is aware and is giving it thought (IF Rafa leaves)
If Rafa stays , he wants to stay
He has to think about his own future , and if Rafa leaves it shows the club have no ambition at all
Longstaff has ambition
If Rafa goes he has a hard decision to make , he lives newcastle , but he also wants to become a better player and progress
He also thinks if Rafa leaves a few others will want to be away (mini revolt)
He also knows nothing in regards to the takeover
Same as us.
He is back in now at training and has had a painful recovery , learning how to walk again properly as his leg has bent out of line
He’s running now and getting further abs stringer by the day , but this injury has knocked his confidence
All the above is 100% true
Frank pingles come sock
Jun 14, 2019 at 9:02 AM
Comment #9* loves newcastle
Frank pingles come sock
Jun 14, 2019 at 9:03 AM
Comment #10*and stronger
droppy in Wallsend
Jun 14, 2019 at 9:03 AM
Comment #11Bill
My dad has taken to calling the chronicle the chronicles of narnia as it’s all made up.
I skim the headlines on news now but generally get more from this blog than all of them combined.
I used to read the Mag when it was a fanzine, even had a subscription for a few years but all of the humour and quality has disappeared from that and a lot of the comments on their make our doom and gloom merchants seem positively ecstatic.
They also have a few Ashley apologists on there and I can’t abide that.
Frank pingles come sock
Jun 14, 2019 at 9:03 AM
Comment #12*was bent out of line
droppy in Wallsend
Jun 14, 2019 at 9:14 AM
Comment #13Frank
I don’t doubt for a second that Manure hold an interest in him.
Too many undecided factors involved though.
None of us know what’s happening at SJP at all.
If the unthinkable happens and we continue with Ashley in charge and no Rafa then I think most fans would understand anyone wanting to leave, why stay to fight relegation every year?
bill
Jun 14, 2019 at 9:33 AM
Comment #14Same as me droppy
magpie6699
Jun 14, 2019 at 10:35 AM
Comment #15Am I the only one who hates seeing headlines – “United want Longstaff”. He’s at “United” already !
If they mean Manchester Disunited they should say so.