Long - time for a change?

[brendywendy]

it had to change soon! lets just hope it sticks around past january.
cos when he good, long has really got something

[Snowball]

Brizzle Manager

Millen also had words of praise for Long and said:

"He was terrific. He doesn't stop working and running and if you constantly run into the right areas as he does the chances will fall to you.

"As far as his work rate is concerned its harder to find someone who works harder than he does."

[LoyalRoyal22]

I hate the people that just casually abuse Long. His all round game has been brilliant all season, and now he is starting to get it right infront of goal, he literally was unplayable yesterday. Pace,Power,Touch,Finishing, he has got it all.

[PEARCEY]

Its good to see that playing 2 up-front has helped with Long and Hunt providing assists for each other.
Yesterday's second goal was so typical of what Long does best.He managed to knock the City player off the ball with consummate ease before knocking the ball across to Hunt. Its something he always been good at.
I'm pleased for Long. His work-rate and physicality have caused a lot of defenders problems this season(even when he hasn't been scoring goals). Its probably helped that McDermott has kept faith in him and rewarded him with what is probably been his longest run ofsuccessive starts since he's been at the club.
Lets hope he continues to knock them in.

[Hugo Boss]

Even I have to admit that Long was superb yesterday. Ran himself into the ground but this time with actual end product. 2 very well taken goals and superb persistence for Hunt's. 10/10 to the lad tbf.

[Snowball]

Even I have to admit that Long was superb yesterday. Ran himself into the ground but this time with actual end product. 2 very well taken goals and superb persistence for Hunt's. 10/10 to the lad tbf.

Great to see, and I think James made two saves off him also

[Gordons Cumming]

The question is?

Can we keep him?

[Snowball]

Its good to see that playing 2 up-front has helped with Long and Hunt providing assists for each other.
Yesterday's second goal was so typical of what Long does best.He managed to knock the City player off the ball with consummate ease before knocking the ball across to Hunt. Its something he always been good at. I'm pleased for Long. His work-rate and physicality have caused a lot of defenders problems this season(even when he hasn't been scoring goals). Its probably helped that McDermott has kept faith in him and rewarded him with what is probably been his longest run ofsuccessive starts since he's been at the club.
Lets hope he continues to knock them in.

Are we quite playing 442? Seemed to me that a lot of the time Hunt was a bit deeper.

I usually sit West but was in the North, maybe it was a depth of field thing.

[Svlad Cjelli]

The question is?

Can we keep him?

The supplementary question is ..... Could we buy a better striker for the money we'd get for him?

I thnk not.

[Wycombe Royal]

The last 3 games has seen a slight change in the way he plays. He has been getting in to the right positions in the penalty area. Against Leeds he missed all the chances his positioning got him, but the last two matches he has put some away.

If he keeps getting in to these positions then he could become the striker we need. Just need consistent goalscoring now, so I hope this isn't another of those short goalscoring bursts......

[Snowball]

Is it not remarkable that a player who has had countless threads about him being "useless"
and another recent one saying Time to Go (followed by this one) is now being speculated
about as a transfer target for bigger clubs?

[Svlad Cjelli]

Is it not remarkable that a player who has had countless threads about him being "useless"
and another recent one saying Time to Go (followed by this one) is now being speculated
about as a transfer target for bigger clubs?

You've obviously not been on Hobnob long .....

And, FTR, it was only in your head that everyone was against him. There were an awful lot of peopel who defended him but thought we was playing the wrong role in the team.

[Royalee]

The last 3 games has seen a slight change in the way he plays. He has been getting in to the right positions in the penalty area. Against Leeds he missed all the chances his positioning got him, but the last two matches he has put some away.

If he keeps getting in to these positions then he could become the striker we need. Just need consistent goalscoring now, so I hope this isn't another of those short goalscoring bursts......

This...I'm afraid it's the latter, although hopefully not.

[Ian Royal]

Good on him. But I wouldn't start counting my chickens about him finally having come good just yet if I were you. He's had these little scoring bursts before and then failed to live up to expectations. The question of whether he's really come good isn't going to nearly be answered for at least another 7 - 10 games yet.

Fingers crossed, but I've seen too many false dawns from him (and just genuinely don't like him a great deal) to hold my breath or get my hopes up.

[Svlad Cjelli]

As an observation, if he's going to keep scoringing from penalties he needs some variety. Everyone at Hull yesterday called exactly where he was going to put the ball yesterday, and everyone - including the Hull keeper - was correct.

[Big Foot]

As an observation, if he's going to keep scoringing from penalties he needs some variety. Everyone at Hull yesterday called exactly where he was going to put the ball yesterday, and everyone - including the Hull keeper - was correct.

Makes no sense to me why he takes them anyway.

The change relating to Long needs to be to change him for Harte on penalty duty

[Snowball]

As an observation, if he's going to keep scoringing from penalties he needs some variety. Everyone at Hull yesterday called exactly where he was going to put the ball yesterday, and everyone - including the Hull keeper - was correct.

Makes no sense to me why he takes them anyway.

The change relating to Long needs to be to change him for Harte on penalty duty

I don't know what Harte's strike rate is but I suspect it's brilliant.

Tricky for McDermott. Maybe let Shane take "his" penalties, if he wants to, but if he misses the next one, then it's Harte.

[Svlad Cjelli]

I'd assume that Long gets to take them at the moment because every goal further increases his confidence, which seems to be the difference between him being an effective goal-scorer and not being one.

But the other side of the coin is whether missing one dents his confidence!

[Arch]

I'd assume that Long gets to take them at the moment because every goal further increases his confidence, which seems to be the difference between him being an effective goal-scorer and not being one.

But the other side of the coin is whether missing one dents his confidence!

Yep. It would have been asinine not to have him take the penalty yesterday given his form, but from here on it's 50/50.

[Victor Meldrew]

So Kebe had a period when people booed him and he eventually came good
Long had a few boos and (fingers crossed it's not temporary again) has come good.
Booing obviously works so who next?