Newcastle team-mates 'bemused' by Steve Bruce's decision to axe this player - The Athletic
According to The Athletic, Newcastle players are baffled by Steve Bruce's decision to axe Matty Longstaff in recent months.
Despite coming in from the cold to put in steady displays against Man City and Liverpool at the back end of 2020, the midfielder hasn't played a single minute of our last 10 games.
Not only that, he's been left out of the matchday squad entirely in five of our last six games and demoted to the U23's in recent weeks.
As a result, The Athletic claim that both Matty and fellow Toon team-mates have been left 'bemused' by Bruce's call to freeze him out of the first-team picture - especially when he was convinced to sign a new two-year deal last month; presumably with the promise of increased game time!
Chris Waugh's piece also reveals that the 20-year-old was heard shouting “Get in. Come on, son!” when Jamaal Lascelles headed in a 94th minute equaliser against Aston Villa - which is some effort when he was 50 yards back from the bench and up in an executive box!
I'd understand why the two Longstaff's had fallen down the pecking order had we signed an array of top class midfielders, but it's bizarre and damaging to see the club's most promising young talents getting less of a look in than the Jeff Hendrick's of this world.
He was convinced to stay last summer by Steve Bruce, so you can only assume he was given a host of false promises given what was billed as a big season or him has instead seen his career stagnate.
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