Joe Willock or Sean Longstaff: Who should start for NUFC?

As Newcastle United gets ready for the 2023-24 season, with the Champions League in the front mirror, one consistent issue may arise for the team. Who should start, Sean Longstaff or Joe Willock?

The reason for this issue comes after the Magpies brought in AC Milan midfielder, Sandro Tonali, who is likely to help build up the already stellar midfield for the Magpies. The squad now has an abundance of talent available.

“In the second half of the season, we’ve carried four midfielders, so you’re one injury away from a very difficult situation,” said Eddie Howe when referencing his midfield prior to the summer transfer window. “So, we need a little bit more depth, certainly with three games in a week next year.”

Well, the club has found that needed depth that Howe was looking for, but could it cause a rift within the locker room?

With so many midfielders, the former starters could become frustrated with their lack of involvement and playing time. Towards the tail end of the 2022-23 campaign that was the case for Joe Willock, who grew increasingly frustrated with his little playing time.

Now with a player like Tonali ahead of him, those minutes could shrink even more.

Another player that would get dealt a bad hand is Sean Longstaff, who was a crucial member of the Magpies last season. Whether it was offense or defense, he shined under some of the brightest lights in helping the team succeed.

Longstaff was characterized as one of the team’s most consistent and proficient threats on any given match day.

However, even at his best, he is not a better player than the likes of Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes, leading that third spot in the midfield to be fought over.

In this case, though, Newcastle will more than likely utilize four midfielders and have either Willock or Longstaff as the fourth with Tonali as the third.

So, who should get the reigns, Willock or Longstaff?

This question is actually fairly easy to answer when you analyze the games of the other three midfielders.

First off, Joelinton is a duel threat that can provide very consistent offensive firepower whether it comes in the form of goals or assists. He also acts as a very solid playmaker that can push the pace of play and set the team up for opportunities on goal.

He had prior experience playing as a center forward and striker, so when you utilize Joelinton you are looking for someone to find you a goal when he is given the chance to.

Secondly, Bruno Guimaraes is widely known to be the definition of a bulldozing midfielder. He is always back on defense to help keep the ball away from the goalkeeper, while on offense he sits towards the edge of the box helping to extend plays.

So already right there you have two opposite players that work well together. Their strengths and weaknesses work off of one another to solidify the midfield.

Then, you have that third midfielder.

In this case, it would be the new transfer, Tonali.

Tonali excels in a multitude of facets such as leadership, work rate, tackling and set-pieces. This gives the Magpies that Guimaraes like play, so understandably, that fourth option seems like it would be Willock.

He offers the most versatility in the midfield with the players he is surrounded by.

Throughout his career, Willock has been described as a quick, agile and athletic playmaker that can help extend possessions for a team. He was relied upon as a playmaker for the Magpies this past season, and just like Joelinton, can score when he needs to.

So, I would expect the Magpies to utilize Willock as their fourth midfielder over Longstaff.

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