Long - time for a change?

[Ian Royal]

Send him out on loan.

1) we can't
2) that'd leave us with two strikers
3) he's not going to agree to drop a division and no one else who'd actually be useful for him to go to and play is going to take him.
4) that'd definitely shatter what remains of his confidence.

Way, way too late to do that. By at least two seasons.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Send him out on loan.

1) we can't
2) that'd leave us with two strikers
3) he's not going to agree to drop a division and no one else who'd actually be useful for him to go to and play is going to take him.
4) that'd definitely shatter what remains of his confidence.

Way, way too late to do that. By at least two seasons.

1) I'm sure a number of other teams would be prepared to have him.
2) Loan him out and bring in Bignall/Mooney and a replacement.
3) Force him. He's the not the whole team.
4) Scoring goals should increase his confidence.

[Ian Royal]

Ahh I see, you mean loan him out in January. Not a great help for now and I think it's a little unlikely that forcing him to go on loan and drop a division is going to be a great motivator for him to come back play well and score goals for us.

Bignall's barely played any games even on loan and Mooney has been a pretty duff signing. I'd rather have Long.

[Snowball]

And 26 posts of your usual drivel in 4 pages - out of about 80 posts, that's more than 40% why don't you just STFU before you wear your fingers down to bloody stumps.

You are such a girlie

[Snowball]

(2.98% of all posts / 7.75 posts per day) Ian Royal (99% bollox, judges games on radio)

(0.75% of all posts / 6.72 posts per day) Snowball (09% bollox. Erudite, intelligent, known to actually watch live games)

[georgerob]

Its worth starting Church and Hunt upfront against Derby as Long is out of form. Although this could destroy Long's confidence, I remember in the championship winning season and in the premier league Long was mainly used as a substitute and was deployed as an impact substitute which he was effective at. Many occasions Long came off the bench and positively changed the game in Reading's favour. I think over previous seasons Long has a decent scoring record against Derby though?

[sandman]

Wenger was a dignified loser. ‘If you look at the stats, it’s a mystery how we lost the game,’ he said. Then he realised how hollow that sounded, since football is about far more than the simplicities of statistics.

‘We put ourselves in the right position, and we failed,’ he said. ‘That is something which is difficult to swallow, but we have to accept it’.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... z1884d7Zwk

Even Wenger accepts that in football stats don't tell the whole story Snowball, why can't you?

[Victor Meldrew]

As somebody posted elsewhere he noticed that after missing those chances Long was smiling.
It's not something that I have noticed particularly before and may be nothing but I also get the impression that Church isn't too concerned if he misses a chance,it doesn't seem to hurt( based only on his body language and nothing else more substantial).
Maybe these players are in a comfort zone-unlike in many jobs they still get paid even if they have done their job badly and at the moment our 3 know that they will be in the squad every week however poorly they have been performing.

Brian does need to shake things up because we are definitely on a bit of a slide and the first thing he really should do is to drop Long-you cannot go into every game keeping your fingers crossed that something just might happen.
Is there not a taller 17,18,19 year old knocking around in our youth set-up?
Clubs do actually blood young players (look at Watford last weekend)even if to play only a couple of games and I'm sure they are hungry to get a chance whereas our current 3 are too comfortable for their own good and more importantly for the good of the club.

[facaldaqui]

As somebody posted elsewhere he noticed that after missing those chances Long was smiling.
It's not something that I have noticed particularly before and may be nothing but I also get the impression that Church isn't too concerned if he misses a chance,it doesn't seem to hurt( based only on his body language and nothing else more substantial).

One thing I really do not like about Church is his goal celebrations. OK, he doesn't do his Bristol act any more, but I find something peculiarly odious about his chest-out posing after a goal (to be fair, he was more sheepish after the mishit goal). I don't like arrogant goal celebrations at the best of times, but at least the likes of Cantona had earned the right to strut like a ponce; Church hasn't.

[super darren caskey]

Well its just as well you dont have to sit through is goal celebrations very often then...unfortunatley

[Ian Royal]

Long's expression seemed to me to be more a wry smile asking what he had to do to score a goal. The answer is pretty obvious: Hit the oxf*rd target occasionally, without putting it straight at the keeper.

[Victor Meldrew]

Long's expression seemed to me to be more a wry smile asking what he had to do to score a goal. The answer is pretty obvious: Hit the oxf*rd target occasionally, without putting it straight at the keeper.

If it is a wry smile it is usually because normally you expect the ball to hit the back of the net.
Shane has no such expectations so I presume it might have been wind.

[FiNeRaIn]

Shane long in front of goal.



DEEEEEEnied.

[SLAMMED]

Too skinny to be Long.

[Wide and Wonderful]

Derby this weekend. Long has a particularly good goals record against Derby - 5 goals in 8 games against them? (And a red card I think?)

A goal or two against a team he seems to have success against could spur him on.

[Snowball]

5 is right


3 Goals in 42 Minutes 2005-06

and another one in 2008-09

and another one in 2009-10

[Wide and Wonderful]

5 is right


3 Goals in 42 Minutes 2005-06

and another one in 2008-09

and another one in 2009-10

Well let's hope for a few more on Saturday!

[Cookie]

Get in there my son!



We never EVER doubted you!

[rollsy]

Get in there my son!



We never EVER doubted you!

+1

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

Well, there we go - finally Long remembers where the back of the net is and doubles his tally from open play for the season.

I really hope that this will kick start a good scoring run for him - as I said in my opening post, his workrate up to the 18 yard box is unquestionable so the only thing that has been missing is goals.

However, I am still reserving judgement until he does go on a decent scoring run as "one swallow does not make a summer". Still, a very welcome 3 points and the league table makes good reading tonight!!