Long - time for a change?

[Gordons Cumming]

Wasn't it Steve Coppell who said Shane could end up being better than Doyle?

Well, things are shaping up well for Shane at the moment.

Great prophetic genius from our Steve.

At the moment Shane is proving more effective. I would say always though that Kevin is the more natural goalscorer.

[Ian Royal]

Wasn't it Steve Coppell who said Shane could end up being better than Doyle?

Well, things are shaping up well for Shane at the moment.

Great prophetic genius from our Steve.

At the moment Shane is proving more effective. I would say always though that Kevin is the more natural goalscorer.

IIRC Cork fans weren't too upset that we were taking Doyle off them as they were raving about a younger striker about to come through... I don't remember for certain if it was Long but I think it was.

Still think it's pretty early to call this run as Shane Long coming good. But things are certainly looking up for him.

[Snowball]

I have Shane on 8,973 minutes, 39 Goals for RFC, a goal every 230 minutes, about 1 every 2.55 games, not bad at all.

Add in his 5 International goals and 500 or so minutes and he's down to 44 goals at a goal every 215 minutes.

That's quite a lot better goal-scoring than Doyle, I think.

And he's closing in on Doyle's 55 goals for RFC

[Snowball]

With average luck and no serious injuries, Shane should get his 50th goal this season.

[Big Foot]

I have Shane on 8,973 minutes, 39 Goals for RFC, a goal every 230 minutes, about 1 every 2.55 games, not bad at all.

Add in his 5 International goals and 500 or so minutes and he's down to 44 goals at a goal every 215 minutes.

That's quite a lot better goal-scoring than Doyle, I think.

And he's closing in on Doyle's 55 goals for RFC

Who's scored the most goals for RFC ever? Shane is so young that he could get that record too

[Ian Royal]

Long's got a hell of a long way to go to beat Blackman or Senior. Who wiki says got a 158 & 153 respectively. Blackman's 158 is all league allegedly. Elm Park Echos says that Senior got 200+ and Blackman got 156 though... so not sure on the exact numbers. Strap can probably help.

[Snowball]

Frankly, I'm not interested in Senior & Co, but chasing Doyle and Kitson
(if the lad isn't picked off by a Premiership club) IS of interest

[Snowball]

Latest, Long now 6th top scorer


Top Scorers

Npower Championship Top Scorers


14 Graham Watford
13 Bothroyd Cardiff
13 Commons Derby
12 Becchio Leeds
12 Taarabt QPR
10 Long Reading

10 Holt Norwich
10 Iwelumo Burnley
10 McGugan Nott'm Forest
10 Sharp Doncaster

[Scarface]

I'm still far from convinced, last year he went on a purple scoring patch and then didn't score for ages, so he needs to ensure this doesn't happen again. He's still missing more chances than he scores, his first one on one which he blasted over the bar was laughable!!

[T.R.O.L.I.]

Would have added this to the original thread but it appears to have been locked.

Another game, another two points spaffed away due to Long's inability to hit the target. His workrate up to the 18 yard line is unquestionable and often is performing a thankless task, however he is first a foremost a striker and a striker's ultimate role is to score goals.

It appears the cliched nickname of "Jigsaw" is currently the most accurate summation of his efforts this season in front of goal - 4 goals in 19 league games is atrocious (especially when 3 of those goals were from the penalty spot) for the "number one striker" at any football club.

No doubt Snowball will be all over this thread like a rash stating how Long is actually not going through a bad patch and that he's actually in good form, but the biggest thing for me is the number of points we have failed to pick up recently due to Long's poor finishing. He's missed glorious chances against Cardiff, Norwich, Watford and now Coventry and, as 2-0 alludes to on another thread, it looks more and more like we are going to have to settle for a season of mid table mediocrity.

Time for a change? Well, I certainly think so and I'd venture I'm not in the minority. Whether Brian McDermott agrees remains to be seen but I'm sure there's many a Reading fan that is hoping that Santa brings them an early Christmas present - that being Shane Long being dropped to the bench at Pride Park next Saturday.

Time for you to shut the phuck up methinks.

Oh yes!

Fair play to Long - he has proved me (and no doubt a lot of others on here) wrong over the past 5 games. Hopefully he'll continue the form into 2011.

Looking at the timing of the original post and the the subsequent one - hindsight is a wonderful thing, readingbedding.

[Still Hate Futcher!]

I'm still far from convinced, last year he went on a purple scoring patch and then didn't score for ages, so he needs to ensure this doesn't happen again. He's still missing more chances than he scores, his first one on one which he blasted over the bar was laughable!!

Laughable! FFS he missed a one on one from a tight angle - it was hardly an open goal. He's been our best player pretty much since the start of the season and is now getting the goals his all round game deserves. Some people will never be happy.

[Snowball]

I'm still far from convinced, last year he went on a purple scoring patch and then didn't score for ages, so he needs to ensure this doesn't happen again. He's still missing more chances than he scores, his first one on one which he blasted over the bar was laughable!!

If a striker scores 2 goals in a game, he can miss 42.

[Snowball]

I'm still far from convinced, last year he went on a purple scoring patch and then didn't score for ages, so he needs to ensure this doesn't happen again. He's still missing more chances than he scores, his first one on one which he blasted over the bar was laughable!!

He had his purple patch as you call it, then was sent off missing half a game,
then had four games suspended.

Then he came back, scored two against Villa and one v Derby

he then had 8 blanks and scored again

21 starts (20.5 games) plus (5) for 9 goals, THAT's the stat that matters.

[brendywendy]

lol at royalee saying hed already had his scoring patch this season before the game

[RoyalBlue]

Wasn't it Steve Coppell who said Shane could end up being better than Doyle?

Well, things are shaping up well for Shane at the moment.

Great prophetic genius from our Steve.

At the moment Shane is proving more effective. I would say always though that Kevin is the more natural goalscorer.

IIRC Cork fans weren't too upset that we were taking Doyle off them as they were raving about a younger striker about to come through... I don't remember for certain if it was Long but I think it was.

Strange if they were raving about Long being the younger striker about to come through because, unless I am mistaken, he left them in the same deal that brought Doyle to us!

[Hoop Blah]

He'd also only played 1 or 2 games hadn't he?

It's a bit like a few of the numpties on here raving about Bignalls future after scoring against Burton, or the high praise the likes of Hayes, Rifat or Bocoud got on here thanks to some PR on the club website.

[Rex]

Mooney then.

[Ian Royal]

Wasn't it Steve Coppell who said Shane could end up being better than Doyle?

Well, things are shaping up well for Shane at the moment.

Great prophetic genius from our Steve.

At the moment Shane is proving more effective. I would say always though that Kevin is the more natural goalscorer.

IIRC Cork fans weren't too upset that we were taking Doyle off them as they were raving about a younger striker about to come through... I don't remember for certain if it was Long but I think it was.

Strange if they were raving about Long being the younger striker about to come through because, unless I am mistaken, he left them in the same deal that brought Doyle to us!

Yes he did, but the deal was talked about for a while before it happened and I remember Long being a relatively late addition to it.

[andrew1957]

I genuinely belive that there is a strong case for Long being the best and most effective striker in the entire Championship this season. I cannot think of another who has contributed more in overall performance to their respective teams. The only real competition is Boothroyd and Graham. But Boothroyd has been very ineffective for the last 8 games or so. Graham therefore, is arguably the only serious competition to Long.

His all round game has been superb all season, but he was lacking in his ability to convert chances. The really good news is that he has now begun to do that as well.

He has missed at least a dozen relatively easy chances - most of which he has created for himself and could well have already scored 15/20 this season. I think that if he stays fit that he does have a great chance of 20 by the season end.

[Man Friday]

Talking to oppo fans after matches, they really rate Long. Seeems like we've taken him for granted of late. He'll be gone next season of course (even if we go up, which we shan't).