Shane Long

[Vision]

CM, I'm only talking about this thread. it is titled "Shane Long" and I see only condemnation of him (up to your post)
I have been away teaching, missed the game. I read this thread and then saw the goal.

Personally I think if Doyle or Church or HRK had done what Shane did to win that
free-kick there would have been dozens publicly creaming themselves over it.

I see you're as selective about what you read as what you choose to staticize (I think I've invented a word!).

[Hoop Blah]

snowball, you must be selectively reading to have missed some of the praise for Long and Kebe.

Having said that, I confess to having underplayed Long's part in the second goal. He did control, turn and run with the ball like a Premier League forward. I still think he should have laid the ball off, but his second burst of pace into the box was impressive and got just reward. Now - bookmark that and read it every time you're tempted to write off the opinions of the whole "list".

CM, I'm only talking about this thread. it is titled "Shane Long" and I see only condemnation of him (up to your post)

I have been away teaching, missed the game. I read this thread and then saw the goal.

Personally I think if Doyle or Church or HRK had done what Shane did to win that
free-kick there would have been dozens publicly creaming themselves over it.

Go back to the Chelsea build up thread and you'll see he gets plenty of credit for his one moment in the game.

I was suprised to see Terry bring him down because I think they had him pretty well covered between them, but then all players make the odd mistake, especially in a pre-season game like that when they're a couple of weeks away from match sharpness.

[Snowball]

If I got a name wrong, why does that matter?

The worst player in the Chelsea side would walk into the best team in the Championship.

Two years ago Carvalho was "the best defender in the Premiership" according to many
and wasn't he just about to go to Milan?

On Saturday the Reading web-site said it was Terry/Mikel and I obviously ran with that.

I see that now it doesn't

The Irishman showed sublime skill to collect and control a long ball, before breaking away and taking on both Terry and Ricardo Carvalho, slipping between the two centre-backs.


But the real point, quite typical of too many on this list, is that a young player's good play
is less important than scoring points against another poster.


And BTW, Long is now ahead of Church by two assists, I believe.

[Snowball]

CM, I'm only talking about this thread. it is titled "Shane Long" and I see only condemnation of him (up to your post)
I have been away teaching, missed the game. I read this thread and then saw the goal.

Personally I think if Doyle or Church or HRK had done what Shane did to win that
free-kick there would have been dozens publicly creaming themselves over it.

I see you're as selective about what you read as what you choose to staticize (I think I've invented a word!).

Not at all. I'm way behind because I was away five days. Why would I read a thread about "the build-up" to a game
in order to learn about THE GAME. Whereas, obviously, being interested in Shane Long the player, I would read a thread
entitled "Shane Long", see him damned yet again (after now totaling four goals and two assists) and doing at least one
thing spectacularly... a great piece of work by Shane Long saw Reading double their advantage. The Irishman showed sublime skill
to collect and control a long ball, before breaking away and taking on both Terry and Ricardo Carvalho, slipping between the two centre-backs.

[CMRoyal]

snowball, you must be selectively reading to have missed some of the praise for Long and Kebe.

Having said that, I confess to having underplayed Long's part in the second goal. He did control, turn and run with the ball like a Premier League forward. I still think he should have laid the ball off, but his second burst of pace into the box was impressive and got just reward. Now - bookmark that and read it every time you're tempted to write off the opinions of the whole "list".

CM, I'm only talking about this thread. it is titled "Shane Long" and I see only condemnation of him (up to your post)

I only needed to get as far as the second post on the thread to find contradictory evidence:-

"His touch was good today.
He also closed down and gave his fair share of shoulder barges."

[Hoop Blah]

It doesn't really matter Snowball, we're just pointing out that you're obviously commenting on something you don't have the most knowledge on having not seen the game, and not having the best recollection of the passage of play your trying to sound all knowing about!

It also highlights how poor the match reports can be....I seem to recall that you often used these as a source your spastictics last season. Perhaps you should remember this infalibity next time you droan on about FACTS and STATS.

[Hoop Blah]

CM, I'm only talking about this thread. it is titled "Shane Long" and I see only condemnation of him (up to your post)
I have been away teaching, missed the game. I read this thread and then saw the goal.

Personally I think if Doyle or Church or HRK had done what Shane did to win that
free-kick there would have been dozens publicly creaming themselves over it.

I see you're as selective about what you read as what you choose to staticize (I think I've invented a word!).

Not at all. I'm way behind because I was away five days. Why would I read a thread about "the build-up" to a game
in order to learn about THE GAME. Whereas, obviously, being interested in Shane Long the player, I would read a thread
entitled "Shane Long", see him damned yet again (after now totaling four goals and two assists) and doing at least one
thing spectacularly... a great piece of work by Shane Long saw Reading double their advantage. The Irishman showed sublime skill
to collect and control a long ball, before breaking away and taking on both Terry and Ricardo Carvalho, slipping between the two centre-backs.

So that's a very selecive yes then!

Either that or it's just a chronic kneejerk reaction to a couple of post. We all know your not a kneejeker though right?

If you want to have a bit more insight into what 'the list' thought about Long's contribution to the game I'd suggest you go and read that thread to digest the comments on the game before being so critical of people's opinions on that game.

[Terminal Boardom]

I watched it on the radio and he was rubbish.

[Snowball]

This is the total reference to Long up until he went off. Considering he's playing world class players
and should not be expected to get a sniff, and considering that that one touch and run WAS "sublime"
I consider this response (below) fairly unfavouable in general/as a whole.


TOTALLY NEGATIVE: Ian Royal wrote: Long's one touch so far awful.
BASICALLY NEGATIVE: (Later) Long - worked hard against Mikel, he'll work and fight and fight and work, but on this showing his poor touch has returned
POSITIVE. (Later) IR Long had an excellent run to win the free kick and in a real game Terry could have been off. If Long had got through that was a clear goalscoring chance if ever I saw one.
TOTALLY NEGATIVE Deathy (Long is) awful. Might have a decent shot on him, but the boy needs 3-4 touches and is easily dispossed. Just hope he either comes good this year or he's sent on his way this season.
NEUTRAL ??? Not looking good so far Long although it's a tough ask vs Chelsea ...

POSITIVE Wow. wow. And was that Shane long? the SL of last season would have lost the ball on his first touch. Just before the foul, he showed really nice skills; the ball looked glued to his feet.
POSITIVE WITH A LITTLE DIG Excellent play by Long to win the free kick. His first touch to take the ball away from Carvalho and Terry was exactly the sort of thing he doesnt do enough of
NEGATIVE Long hardly touched it , not sure this formation is for him
POSITIVE I've been super-impressed by Davies, Pearce and Long this half.
FAIRLY NEGATIVE Long, apart from his run to win the free kick he looked out of it (which isnt surprising considering the oppo)


So that's the list, for what became a great goal against a top-top team

2 TOTALLY NEGATIVE
1 BASICALLY NEGATIVE
1 NEGATIVE
1 FAIRLY NEGATIVE
1 NEUTRAL

1 POSITIVE WITH A LITTLE DIG AT THE END
3 POSITIVE

[Snowball]

It doesn't really matter Snowball, we're just pointing out that you're obviously commenting on something you don't have the most knowledge on having not seen the game, and not having the best recollection of the passage of play your trying to sound all knowing about!

I didn't see the game live but I have watched the move and the goal and in context it was brilliant.

[CMRoyal]

2 TOTALLY NEGATIVE
1 BASICALLY NEGATIVE
1 NEGATIVE
1 FAIRLY NEGATIVE
1 NEUTRAL

1 POSITIVE WITH A LITTLE DIG AT THE END
3 POSITIVE

So, that's an admission that you were wrong when you dismissed us all as having slagged him off. Glad we cleared that up.

As for that range of opinions - it's a good reflection of his performance I'd say, given that it comes out even. He started a little off the pace, touch was quite poor and some passes went astray. He also seemed a little off the pace. I'm not sure he managed a shot on goal all game, but he grew into it, his overall link-up play got better and that control, turn and run was an excellent one-off moment. That alone was probably enough for him to have earnt a starting place on Saturday.

[Hoop Blah]

It doesn't really matter Snowball, we're just pointing out that you're obviously commenting on something you don't have the most knowledge on having not seen the game, and not having the best recollection of the passage of play your trying to sound all knowing about!

I didn't see the game live but I have watched the move and the goal and in context it was brilliant.

So you didn't watch the rest of the game but feel well equipped to be critical of the assesements of Longs play by those that did?

And you say you're the enlightened one who doesn't jump to narrow minded conclusions and only base your opinions and posts on here on pure fact!!

WOW!

[Vision]

CM, I'm only talking about this thread. it is titled "Shane Long" and I see only condemnation of him (up to your post)
I have been away teaching, missed the game. I read this thread and then saw the goal.

Personally I think if Doyle or Church or HRK had done what Shane did to win that
free-kick there would have been dozens publicly creaming themselves over it.

I see you're as selective about what you read as what you choose to staticize (I think I've invented a word!).

Not at all. I'm way behind because I was away five days. Why would I read a thread about "the build-up" to a game
in order to learn about THE GAME. Whereas, obviously, being interested in Shane Long the player, I would read a thread
entitled "Shane Long", see him damned yet again (after now totaling four goals and two assists) and doing at least one
thing spectacularly... a great piece of work by Shane Long saw Reading double their advantage. The Irishman showed sublime skill
to collect and control a long ball, before breaking away and taking on both Terry and Ricardo Carvalho, slipping between the two centre-backs.

Skipped the 2nd post of this very thread then? Underlines the point about selectivity pretty conclusively I'd say.

Perhaps if you stopped with the siege mentality with regards Long and actually read what people wrote you might realise that not everybody is out to damn him.

[Snowball]

2 TOTALLY NEGATIVE
1 BASICALLY NEGATIVE
1 NEGATIVE
1 FAIRLY NEGATIVE
1 NEUTRAL

1 POSITIVE WITH A LITTLE DIG AT THE END
3 POSITIVE

So, that's an admission that you were wrong when you dismissed us all as having slagged him off. Glad we cleared that up.

As for that range of opinions - it's a good reflection of his performance I'd say, given that it comes out even. He started a little off the pace, touch was quite poor and some passes went astray. He also seemed a little off the pace. I'm not sure he managed a shot on goal all game, but he grew into it, his overall link-up play got better and that control, turn and run was an excellent one-off moment. That alone was probably enough for him to have earnt a starting place on Saturday.

PLEASE do not be dumb, CM. I thought you were one of the good guys. I SAID I was referring to the thread marked "Shane Long", that is THIS ONE, and on THIS ONE it's almost 100% negative, despite a quite brilliant piece of play resulting in a free-kick and a goal against a side in the top 2 in England and the top 5-10 in Europe

as for the other thread, 5 clear negatives, one neutral, one half-hearted positive and three positives
for a brilliant piece of play against the England Captain, is not, IMO, serious support for a Reading player

[Snowball]

Skipped the 2nd post of this very thread then? Underlines the point about selectivity pretty conclusively I'd say.

Perhaps if you stopped with the siege mentality with regards Long and actually read what people wrote you might realise that not everybody is out to damn him.

No I did NOT skip the second post which is the ONLY positive post but was WITHDRAWN later

Steve Royal (Positive Reply)
His touch was good today. He also closed down and gave his fair share of shoulder barges. What are you on?

Ian Royal NEGATIVE REPLY Not in the game I watched it wasn't.

Then Steve Royal (previously positive) AGREES with IR.
ok. better than it used to be.

[Snowball]

There is ONE positive reference to Shane Long which was withdrawn two posts later

There are thirteen negative posts about Long

There are also three posts saying that we need another striker.


That isn't positive support, not even neutral suppost. That's Shane-Bashing as per usual.



This is a summary of all the posts

TBM (TOTALLY NEGATIVE)

It is just me or does anyone else think Long looks lazy, over-weight and like he can't run. Apart from being fouled for the 2nd goal he didn't do anything to help his team mates - no closing down, no off the ball runs and basically gave their defence an easy time. We need a new striker, Doyle needs to be replaced like for like.

Steve Royal (Positive Reply)

His touch was good today. He also closed down and gave his fair share of shoulder barges. What are you on?

Ian Royal NEGATIVE Not in the game I watched it wasn't.

Then Steve Royal (previously positive) AGREES with IR.
ok. better than it used to be.

Jeffers 217. TOTAL NEGATIVE Spot on Ian Royal- Long was pretty poor today and couldn't control it. I was impressed with what I saw from the team but MAJORLY worried about the lack of firepower up top.

Another Negative from Ian Royal (who ALSO said it was Mikel…)
Long did very little except out-muscle Mikel and get felled for the free-kick.

West Stand Flash NEGATIVE
New striker is needed so so badly, I just cant see where the goals are coming from.

Wicked Whispers NEGATIVE
Much, much, much fatter than Lampard.

Alan Partridge NEGATIVE
To play up front on your own, you have to have an excellent all round game or be as good at running with it and as quick as a vintage Nicky Forster. Long is neither.

CMRoyal NEGATIVE Agreed. Long improved as the game wore on, but doesn't have the touch to play the role up front. And although snowball's stats next week will show that Shane got an assist for the second goal, the better option was to play Kebe in. It was a bit of a soft free-kick for Chelsea to give away - the two defenders should really have dispossessed him easily.

Forbury Lion (Slightly Negative)
Long looks a bit bulkier, Muscle or fat it's potentially going to be at the expense of speed, which was one of his best assets.

TBM (Slightly Negative)
but he (Long) now has an arse like a black man

Barbie Dumped Len (Negative)
As my chant went "who ate all the pies?" I couldnt decide from my position if it was muscel or fat long now has.
He did need bulking up but i think maybe a beer belly is coming along.

Compo’s Hat (NEGATIVE)
Playing up front on your own is an art and an art that Long hasn't got!

[floyd__streete]

5 clear negatives, one neutral, one half-hearted positive and three positives
for a brilliant piece of play against the England Captain, is not, IMO, serious support for a Reading player

Get over yourself won't you, for f*cks sake? Quoting parts of people's posts, their opinions are as valid as yours negative or not. No wonder you are about as popular around here as swine-flu, you self important prat.

The moment Long starts doing that consistently in league games rather than in a trumped-up training match people will start coming round to him. People just call it as they see it. And before you start bitching at me, I am one of those who actually has some time for Long - as I have said countless times before he is strong and decent in the air and a good finisher, shame about the quite appaling first touch.

Do we really see him starting regularly as the main front man in a 4-5-1? If so, he will have to improve exponentially.

[Compo]

5 clear negatives, one neutral, one half-hearted positive and three positives
for a brilliant piece of play against the England Captain, is not, IMO, serious support for a Reading player

Get over yourself won't you, for f*cks sake? Quoting parts of people's posts, their opinions are as valid as yours negative or not. No wonder you are about as popular around here as swine-flu, you self important prat.

The moment Long starts doing that consistently in league games rather than in a trumped-up training match people will start coming round to him. People just call it as they see it. And before you start bitching at me, I am one of those who actually has some time for Long - as I have said countless times before he is strong and decent in the air and a good finisher, shame about the quite appaling first touch.
Do we really see him starting regularly as the main front man in a 4-5-1? If so, he will have to improve exponentially.

Hes not lyeing, he does have the time for long so dont go bitching

[Snowball]

Get over yourself won't you, for f*cks sake? Quoting parts of people's posts, their opinions are as valid as yours negative or not. No wonder you are about as popular around here as swine-flu, you self important prat.

The moment Long starts doing that consistently in league games rather than in a trumped-up training match people will start coming round to him. People just call it as they see it. And before you start bitching at me, I am one of those who actually has some time for Long - as I have said countless times before he is strong and decent in the air and a good finisher, shame about the quite appaling first touch.

Do we really see him starting regularly as the main front man in a 4-5-1? If so, he will have to improve exponentially.

Hi, Sweetness. I am merely pointing out that there was just ONE positive comment on Shane Long in this thread, and that this comment was withdrawn by the poster a few posts later.

There is no "selectivity". Every word referencing Shane Long is quoted verbatim.

Simple facts, my love, easily checkable. It's just that folks aren't good at handling the truth and are far more interested in scoring points


As for 4-5-1, I'm on record as saying that, in my non-professional opinion, I can't see him as a regular starter as the "1" in a 4-5-1. I hope to be wrong.

The moment Long starts doing that consistently in league games rather than in a trumped-up training match

Oh, you mean like 9 goals in less minutes than 18 games last season?

Or scoring half the club's total goals from the Sheffield Wednesday game to the season-end? Six in 12? That's NOT consistent?

[Ian Royal]

Credit where credit is due. Long's run against Carvalho and Terry was excellent. The problem is he did nothing, apart from hassling Mikel into one or two ridiculous errors any decent player of a defensive nature could and should have easily avoided.

His touch was poor, if not very poor. He contributed virtually nothing other than what I've noted above. He worked very hard. But you don't get prizes in football for trying, or I'd be a professional.

It's nice to see snowball wade in, in a situation where he's clearly admitted he knows nothing, which is a change from the situation where he doesn't admit it but still posts in such a way that you'd think he was at the game whilst havng the benefit of zooms, replays and multiple angles.

I know I'm not afraid to share my opinion, but I'm at least honest and upfront about how I caught the game.

The fact remains, that Long was poor in a half where Reading played (after the first 15-20mins anyway) as near equals with Chelsea. The defence looked solid up until the last gasps of the game. The midfield did fine without excelling on the most part and bot hfirst half wingers looked very dangerous. Yet Long was anonymous for most of the half.

What does that tell you? Because it tells me he's failed to capitilise on his good end of season form and has returned to pretty much te point he was at a year ago. A player who performs badly with a poor first touch whenever he starts.

Hopefully it was a one off poor performance. But frankly, one good pre-season game against a pub team, does not fill me with confidence that he has what it takes to score 10 let alone 20 goals for us this season.