Matty Longstaff made his first Premier League start of the campaign in the 2-0 defeat to Manchester City - and despite the game looking like a training exercise at times for Citizens, the midfielder impressed.
Now given United barely laid a finger, let alone a glove on City, picking a player who stood out (asides from Karl Darlow) isn't as easy as it sounds.
The Magpies were beaten thanks to goals from İlkay Gündoğan and Ferran Torres as City eased to victory.
Longstaff didn't do anything flashy or anything that caught the eye but instead offered something in midfield - the basics - which have been missing from this United side.
To be thrown in against City is bad enough but when the pressure is increasing on Steve Bruce and the players to show they have the heart and desire the fans deserve to see from their side, it makes the task a slightly harder one.
Yet the 20-year-old didn't shirk from the responsibility and put a performance which to many will only add to bemusement that he has been absent from this starting elven for so long.
The stats showed Longstaff
- Topped the rankings for pass accuracy with 90%, 26 passes out of attempted 29
- Top when it comes to ground duels winning four of seven
- Was second in the rankings for touches with 41, only DeAndre Yedlin had more (47)
- Was third when it came to duels winning four of seven
- Out of all those involved tonight, was ranked 11th out of 13th when it came losing the ball (3)
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Newcastle's midfield has lacked a character with the ability to dominate, stick a foot in as well as pick a pass - and has done for months, yet Longstaff has only been involved in three prior games, only making it off the bench once.
After all the drama surrounding him potentially walking way on a free transfer last summer before signing a new deal, many expected Longstaff to become more involved in things but Bruce has kept with Jeff Hendrick, Isaac Hayden, Jonjo Shelvey and Sean Longstaff as he struggles to find a set-up which works.
Against a dominate Manchester City - who managed more than three times the number of passes of United in the whole game (859 to 262), Longstaff showed that maybe he can offer more than those deemed worthy to be in-front of him in the queue.
