Shane Long

[Compo]

Snowball ... you are giving me a headach

[Ian Royal]

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merely pointing out that there was just ONE positive comment on Shane Long in this thread, and that this comment was withdrawn by the poster a few posts later.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

Lita scored most of his goals in the Prem in the space of about 2 months. Does that make him brilliant? No, because you don't like him much do you...

[Vision]

There is ONE positive reference to Shane Long which was withdrawn two posts later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

This has to be one of the most ridiculous posts ever on HNA and frankly I feel like a pillock for even responding but Page 2 post 6 . Why I'm bothering though I really don't know as you are quite obviously intent on seeing only what you want to see.
You might also want to distinguish between throwaway banter (approx 75%) and actual discussion (approx 25%) before getting yourself in a tizzy over people's actual opinions on the merits of Shane Long.

[JoeyJoeJoeJnrShabadoo]

Equal favourite for the Golden Boot according to OS

[CMRoyal]

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.

Well done for completely missing out my later comments correcting that initial view in Shane Long's favour.

I don't know, it's got to the point where your obsession with protecting Long is almost bordering on the homoerotic. Each to their own and all that, but it's becoming an embarrassment, like two gays playing tonsil tennis just to show how out they are.

[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.

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

I'm not being dumb, I just refuse to waste too much time following the twists and turns of your demented reasoning.

Onto the foe list for you, I'm afraid.

[papereyes]

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.

This.

I don't think anyone wants him to 'fail' but he has to show, consistently, that he can lead our attack for a tough Championship season. Otherwise, as a club, we have to bring in an improvement.

The time for potential is over, Shane. You're a player I've always given a bit of slack to but its time to show that you *are* good enough.

[Maguire]

We're all agreed he's a bit shit then? Good.

[Alan Partridge]

It's negative to say that Long doesn't have the all round game or the main attributes to play up front on his own? That's just stating a belief of mine personally. Forster wasn't the greatest forward we've had nor was he the best in a 2, but on his own he was superb as his game suited it.

Long proved towards the end of last season he can offer something and score a few goals, just not on his own.

I'm starting to wonder if Snowball is actually Shane's dad, or maybe he's got a bit of a thing for him? Snowball likes a stat and I wonder how many of his total posts have been on this thread jumping to the defense at every second of poor ol Shane when someone dares to question that he might not score 20 goals and be good enough to play regularly, he hasn't been previously.

My personal opinion is Reading need another proven centre forward to partner Noel Hunt with Long as 3rd choice.

[cmonurz]

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

Goals and assists in friendlies mean very little.

[Maguire]

My personal opinion is Reading need another proven centre forward to partner Noel Hunt with Long as 3rd choice.

IMHO we will never get promoted with a front two of Hunt and Long. We need a first choice striker with one of those two backing him up.

Shane Long's been here for years now and still can't hold down a regular place in the first team. Tells you how good he really is.

[West Stand Man]

Shane Long's been here for years now and still can't hold down a regular place in the first team. Tells you how good he really is.

Or, it tells you how good the strike force has been in past seasons. I have no doubt that he would have featured as a starter in many of the CCC teams of the past few seasons.

[Snowball]

Lita scored most of his goals in the Prem in the space of about 2 months. Does that make him brilliant? No, because you don't like him much do you...

"Not liking Lita" has a lot to do with other stuff, his attitude, his lack of team-mate awareness,
his off the field antics, and the fact that in two seasons he scored two meaningless 90th minute goals.

"Not liking him" also has something to do with his overall league stats which are NOT good.

Anybody with an ounce of sense can see that a very good, possibly brilliant natural talent
has been badly messed up. Just look at his game/goals season upon season.

[Snowball]

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

Goals and assists in friendlies mean very little.

I agree and have said so many times. But "poor first touch" Shane Long's
BRILLIANT first touch as shown on the Reading site, deserved more
recognition IMO, whatever the game, whoever the opposition.

To me it showed his potential and revealed why he was bought
and why his contract was extended

[Maguire]

lol@assessing a player based on one touch. If I look at the moment in the first half where he failed to control a ball down the channel and ran it out for a throw-in could I rightfully assume that he's useless and shouldn't have been given a contract?

[Alan Partridge]

lol@assessing a player based on one touch. If I look at the moment in the first half where he failed to control a ball down the channel and ran it out for a throw-in could I rightfully assume that he's useless and shouldn't have been given a contract?

Snowball is getting more and more desperate it seems,like a boxer whose got to throw haymakers in the 12th in the hope of an unlikely knockout.

[ZacNaloen]

Can we just accept that Longs first touch is inconsistent but that he is improving?

At least it doesn't let him down everytime anymore.

[Thaumagurist*]

lol@assessing a player based on one touch. If I look at the moment in the first half where he failed to control a ball down the channel and ran it out for a throw-in could I rightfully assume that he's useless and shouldn't have been given a contract?

You know what, when I saw Cisse's first game (was against Chelsea), his first touch was awful, he was giving the ball away. I didn't think much of him then. But since then he's greatly improved.

[Snowball]

Shane Long's been here for years now and still can't hold down a regular place in the first team. Tells you how good he really is.

Or, it tells you how good the strike force has been in past seasons. I have no doubt that he would have featured as a starter in many of the CCC teams of the past few seasons.

YES, and he would have improved a LOT. It can't be easy to be behind Kitson, Doyle, an in-form Lita, a sparkling Noel Hunt
and the kid is a kid, just look at him. He is now just 22 and a half and has LESS LEAGUE STARTS than Simon Church

The first two there are what 5.5 million and 6.5 million and we almost sold Lita (getting rid) for 1.2 million
Hunt now would surely command well over a millon... Then there's this raw kid Shane Long who has
only started 30-40 league games, almost half of those in the most recent half-season

But the very first time he got an extended run in the team he averaged a goal every other game in a dispirited side.

Nine goals last season, third top scorer and that playing bit-parts.

I wonder if that's why he's favourite for the golden boot?

I say again, I DON'T think he suits a 4-5-1 (at least at the moment, maybe specific coaching will change that) and I think
we may find the "1" in the 4-5-1 constantly changing and Shane may not be first choice, and that will be the CORRECT choice
if we are 4-5-1.... But I would back him against anyone we currently have in a 4-4-2


OTOH he will probably learn week on week under Rodgers, so who knows?

[Alan Partridge]

lol@assessing a player based on one touch. If I look at the moment in the first half where he failed to control a ball down the channel and ran it out for a throw-in could I rightfully assume that he's useless and shouldn't have been given a contract?

You know what, when I saw Cisse's first game (was against Chelsea), his first touch was awful, he was giving the ball away. I didn't think much of him then. But since then he's greatly improved.

Not that much to be fair!