Lee Ryder has delivered his verdict on Newcastle United’s five young debutants on Wednesday.
The Magpies were soundly beaten 4-0 by Wolves in their first game in the Premier League Asia Trophy preseason tournament, with Matty Longstaff, Sorensen, Kell Watts, Tom Allan and Owen Bailey all making their first team bows.
And even though Allan scored a late own goal, the Chronicle journalist was impressed with what he saw.
Writing in a piece for the outlet, he said: “Allan may have scored an OG but he needs to forget about that quickly, his second string performances show that he is an exciting talent going forward.
“Sorensen impressed as mentioned earlier while Watts showed his defensive qualities with a clearance off the line.
“Bailey and Longstaff will need loan deals but are good players.
“This should be the start, not the end.”
OPINION
This is really promising news for the Magpies. Resources are going to be tight this summer on Tyneside, and if Steve Bruce can utilise some youth to help bolster his ranks, then that can only be a good thing. It shouldn’t absolve Mike Ashley from having to make signings, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and the Toon Army are looking pretty threadbare at the moment. For all of these young players breaking through, they need only look as far as the example set by Sean Longstaff last season to realise that first team football is a realistic goal. The midfielder was the breakout star of United’s campaign, and his pas completion rate of 80.9% and dispossession rate of just 0.7 times per game [Whoscored] show that it is very possible to make the step up to the first team with minimal fuss. Of the quintet on display today, it could be Elias Sorensen who gets the biggest nod, with Dwight Gayle still the Magpies only senior striking option.
