Long to WBA

[Ian Royal]

If we keep Shane, I'm optimistic he'll have more support in terms of weighing in next season. Nunt is starting fully fit and getting in a pre-season. Manset looks slimmer and is being worked on by both the fitness and coaching teams. Maybe we'll see Church fulfill some of his 09/10 promise.

Whether that's enough to fill Long's shoes if he leaves is a different matter altogether.

Hunt was injured on tour. Other than that I'd agree with the positive hopes for him, Church and Manset.

[Sarah Star]

If RFC are offered the reputed £8m asking price they will - obviously - accept it...

This will test their resolve then. West Ham are offering £8m - but that's £8m as in £5m +£3m in add-ons
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011 ... shane-long.

[Ian Royal]

I'd be mighty pissed off if he went to West Ham. We should tell them to feck off out of hand on all sorts of principles. Don't think Long will go to another Championship club. Especially now we seem to have done a decent job at sorting out our defence. We look pretty strong at the moment.

[Big Ern]

I think it is highly unlikely he will go to another Championship club and even if he did, the buying club would probably have to offer all the money up-front.

[Barry the bird boggler]

WBA are current favourites but I see this dragging on for a while yet..... no doubt we'll sell late on 31st August and Brian will say how happy he is with what we have left.

[Friday's Legacy]

i don't want to lose shane any more than the next man, but we can't turn down money like that if indeed it has been offered to us. it all comes down to who the replacement would be. with or without shane long i still feel we're an 7th to 10th placed side this season. without long's goals and an adequate replacement then it could well be a 12th to 18th placed side.

[anR]

This rumour's on the BBC page again, as has probably been mentioned. I'd be gutted if he went to a Championship club, mostly because we'd have to play against him! I was watching the playoff final coverage yesterday and when the pundits talked about Reading, all they seemed to do was big up Shane Long as if we have nothing else. They can give us 8+3+(someone like Freddie Sears) though...

[Tamworth_Royal]

Bid in from wet sham ?

http://www.getreading.co.uk/

[Barry the bird boggler]

And this gives a profile of him

http://www.gopack.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/sutherland_craig00.html

[Focher]

And this gives a profile of him

http://www.gopack.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/sutherland_craig00.html

[Barry the bird boggler]

Sorry wrong thread!!

[gazzer, loyal royal]

Bid in from wet sham ?

http://www.getreading.co.uk/

I very much doubt we'd accept a bid from a club in the same division.

[ZacNaloen]

IF we don't need the money, then there is absolutely no reason for us to accept that bid. Shane wants to play in the premier league not the championship.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Bid in from wet sham ?

http://www.getreading.co.uk/

I very much doubt we'd accept a bid from a club in the same division.

Matt Mills. McDermott can say all he wants but if Madejski wants to sell him..

[brendywendy]

there is a difference in attitude between the two players imo, that would mean shane wouldnt go elsewhere in the championship

[Cypry]

Bid in from wet sham ?

http://www.getreading.co.uk/

I very much doubt we'd accept a bid from a club in the same division.

Matt Mills. McDermott can say all he wants but if Madejski wants to sell him..

Have you ever thought that the reason that we accepted the bid for Mills was so that we didn't HAVE to sell Shane?
If Shane wants to go then there's little we can do to stop him, but given SJMs off the cuff "valuation" of £20M after the playoff, I strongly suspect that neither McD or SJM WANT to sell Long, but they accept that there's little they can do if someone comes in with a crazy offer and the player himself wants to go......

FWIW I think it's highly unlikely that Long himself would want to go to a Championship club, especially one who could easily turn out to be a weaker side than Reading this season...

[rhroyal]

If Long does go at the last minute on 31st August, I'd like to think the club would be prepared and have potential replacements lined up. It's not like we haven't seen it coming.

[brendywendy]

already got the replacement in manset last january

[Friday's Legacy]

already got the replacement in manset last january

manset was not a future replacement for anyone. he came in to give us something different up front and offer a fourth choice centre forward. three strikers was/is never enough. if long does go we will bring someone else in.

[Ian Royal]

Bid in from wet sham ?

http://www.getreading.co.uk/

I very much doubt we'd accept a bid from a club in the same division.

Matt Mills. McDermott can say all he wants but if Madejski wants to sell him..

Mills isn't as good as Long and he was significantly less important to the team. The club and management here meant far less to him. He's far more likely to be motivated by large wads of cash alone. If West Ham want Long, they'll have to pay through the nose, to a much greater degree than a Prem club, mostly upfront. And I'm not convinced he'll want to go there.