What has happened to Sean Longstaff? Some suggest he no longer looks like the player Manchester United were willing to pay £50m for.
The local lad appears to be a player who has lost his way.
It has been a tumultuous 12 months for the older Longstaff brother and the strain is starting to show. Of all the players who disappointed against Oxford United, he was by far the worst. The mistakes were frequent, the misplaced passes numerous and his poor decision making a constant problem.
Longstaff, who only made his first-team debut a year ago, was outplayed and outmanoeuvred by a League One midfield. He looked slow without the ball and ponderous with it. The crowd saw it all.
Every time he gave possession away there were groans, and the 23 year-old actually looked out of his depth.
The crowd tend to judge the local lads more severely on Tyneside, because they truly want them to succeed.
Ever since he was linked with a mega million pound move to Manchester United in the summer, things have changed.
Does he think he is better than he actually is?
His agent started demanding a second new contract in less than 12 months, with talk that he should be made one of the club’s top earners.
All well and good, but he certainly hasn't been playing like one of the club’s top earners.
Whether he is annoyed, distracted or unsettled, nobody is clear, but he should have fully recovered from the knee injury he picked up at the end of last season by now. He should be better than this. That is what makes it so difficult to watch.