Shane Long

[Stranded]

If Long has a knock as well then it does begin to show the lack of options we have up top esp. if we have to start with Kitson - which I'm sure was never the plan (bench apps for a few games first I would guess).

[Gordons Cumming]

If Long doesn't start then Seol will start............IMHO

[readingfc_4_life_and_beyo]

This is the type of thread you'll be bringing up in a couple of years, laughing at what you put... Shane Long is soon to come good. The next couple of games - if he starts - will be crucial to his career.

EDIT: I also think he'll have decent games, both times.

[Alan Partridge]

This is the type of thread you'll be bringing up in a couple of years, laughing at what you put... Shane Long is soon to come good. The next couple of games - if he starts - will be crucial to his career.

Errr no. Even if he plays terrible or really well it matters very little for his long term future, to say they are 'crucial' is just not true.

Crucial would be John Halls next game for the club as unless he does something half decent he'll be gone, if he isn't gone before then.

[Gordons Cumming]

This is the type of thread you'll be bringing up in a couple of years, laughing at what you put... Shane Long is soon to come good. The next couple of games - if he starts - will be crucial to his career.

Errr no. Even if he plays terrible or really well it matters very little for his long term future, to say they are 'crucial' is just not true.

Crucial would be John Halls next game for the club as unless he does something half decent he'll be gone, if he isn't gone before then.

It all went wrong when he wore an out of date Reading shirt at the open celebration day last season.

[Alan Partridge]

This is the type of thread you'll be bringing up in a couple of years, laughing at what you put... Shane Long is soon to come good. The next couple of games - if he starts - will be crucial to his career.

Errr no. Even if he plays terrible or really well it matters very little for his long term future, to say they are 'crucial' is just not true.

Crucial would be John Halls next game for the club as unless he does something half decent he'll be gone, if he isn't gone before then.

It all went wrong when he wore an out of date Reading shirt at the open celebration day last season.

Very true, what WAS that all about?

[readingfc_4_life_and_beyo]

This is the type of thread you'll be bringing up in a couple of years, laughing at what you put... Shane Long is soon to come good. The next couple of games - if he starts - will be crucial to his career.

Errr no. Even if he plays terrible or really well it matters very little for his long term future, to say they are 'crucial' is just not true.

Crucial would be John Halls next game for the club as unless he does something half decent he'll be gone, if he isn't gone before then.

Steep learning curves..

[Alan Partridge]

This is the type of thread you'll be bringing up in a couple of years, laughing at what you put... Shane Long is soon to come good. The next couple of games - if he starts - will be crucial to his career.

Errr no. Even if he plays terrible or really well it matters very little for his long term future, to say they are 'crucial' is just not true.

Crucial would be John Halls next game for the club as unless he does something half decent he'll be gone, if he isn't gone before then.

Steep learning curves..

Maybe, but it's not 'crucial' he's 19, not 32 and having gone for 12million throughout his career yet never really cut it anywhere *Akinbiyi*

The last year has been a steep learning curve for Shane, from hurling in Ireland to playing Premiership football in 18months or so, it's an incredible story really so he's going to be nowhere near the finished article yet especially when he hasn't started 10 games in his pro career.

That's why i find it staggering that we don't get in someone more proven at this level for the time being, allow Shane out to Sheffield Wednesday or someone where he can play 20 matches and continue that learning curve. People could argue why can't he do that here? Well that's all fine and good but this is a big big step up and at the top level it's not really the place to learn your trade especially when the rewards are so high in every position in the league you finish, something like 500k per position.

[Gordons Cumming]

Trust Sir Steve, Alan you know it makes sense.

[readingfc_4_life_and_beyo]

This is the type of thread you'll be bringing up in a couple of years, laughing at what you put... Shane Long is soon to come good. The next couple of games - if he starts - will be crucial to his career.

Errr no. Even if he plays terrible or really well it matters very little for his long term future, to say they are 'crucial' is just not true.

Crucial would be John Halls next game for the club as unless he does something half decent he'll be gone, if he isn't gone before then.

Steep learning curves..

Maybe, but it's not 'crucial' he's 19, not 32 and having gone for 12million throughout his career yet never really cut it anywhere *Akinbiyi*

The last year has been a steep learning curve for Shane, from hurling in Ireland to playing Premiership football in 18months or so, it's an incredible story really so he's going to be nowhere near the finished article yet especially when he hasn't started 10 games in his pro career.

That's why i find it staggering that we don't get in someone more proven at this level for the time being, allow Shane out to Sheffield Wednesday or someone where he can play 20 matches and continue that learning curve. People could argue why can't he do that here? Well that's all fine and good but this is a big big step up and at the top level it's not really the place to learn your trade especially when the rewards are so high in every position in the league you finish, something like 500k per position.

TBH IMO, Shane shouldn't be at a Championship club anymore. He should be learning in the premiership, to become a Premiership player. He'll learn that he can make mistakes in the Championship, in the Premiership you have to take what few chances you'd normally (or sometimes) get.

Would you prefer to wait a year or so while he learns at Championship level, making himself into a Championship player, making the runs, crosses, and headers that Championship players don't realise because of their standard, (breathe now ) then make the step up to Premiership level (possibly needing another half a year), probably doing what he did, with no effect (because the quality of the centre backs in this league are a hell of a lot better) until he learns what to do in the Premiership, or would you prefer he had a year at Premiership level, learning how to tackle the Premiership (in some cases World class) players, and probably (because of his age, learning ability, etc.) becoming a decent player.

Like I say, it'll be crucial if he plays. If he plays, the learning curve will be so steep that, well, i'm not going to predict what would happen. He's the type of lad that seems to learn quickly. If the Premiership games come soon, he will be something else.

[Uke]

Wayne Rooney could have done with some championship games and that Owen chap too

[Alan Partridge]

Wayne Rooney could have done with some championship games and that Owen chap too

LOL @ comparing Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen to Shane Long.

[3 veesinarow]

Wayne Rooney could have done with some championship games and that Owen chap too

LOL @ comparing Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen to Shane Long.

You ARE being ironic, AP, yes? You haven't just got hold of the wrong end of the stick and taken that line as a serious point?

His point is that Rooney and Owen, although very young when they broke through, weren't farmed out to lower Leagues "for experience". Their clubs knew their exceptional talents and gave them their heads from the start.
No-one is saying Long-feller is in the same class as those two - and many others - but he's got the potential to be a very good Prem player and the Prem is where he will learn his trade the best...

[skipper]

Wayne Rooney could have done with some championship games and that Owen chap too

LOL @ comparing Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen to Shane Long.

You ARE being ironic, AP, yes? You haven't just got hold of the wrong end of the stick and taken that line as a serious point?

His point is that Rooney and Owen, although very young when they broke through, weren't farmed out to lower Leagues "for experience". Their clubs knew their exceptional talents and gave them their heads from the start.
No-one is saying Long-feller is in the same class as those two - and many others - but he's got the potential to be a very good Prem player and the Prem is where he will learn his trade the best...

Agreed, so loan im to Watford when they sell Young...

[readingfc_4_life_and_beyo]

Wayne Rooney could have done with some championship games and that Owen chap too

LOL @ comparing Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen to Shane Long.

You ARE being ironic, AP, yes? You haven't just got hold of the wrong end of the stick and taken that line as a serious point?

His point is that Rooney and Owen, although very young when they broke through, weren't farmed out to lower Leagues "for experience". Their clubs knew their exceptional talents and gave them their heads from the start.
No-one is saying Long-feller is in the same class as those two - and many others - but he's got the potential to be a very good Prem player and the Prem is where he will learn his trade the best...

Agreed, so loan im to Watford when they sell Young...

Yea, let him be a part of the hoof ball, self-confidence knocking, bore. Ruin the lad

[Platypuss]

I thought the opposite happened more often against Everton - we'd play the ball well out of defence on the break and Long would make a great run out wide where he would then collect the ball in plenty of space. Unfortunately more ofte than not he then turned into a rabbit in the headlights and looked like he really didn't know what to do - either playing a poor pass or slowing his run too much so allowing him to be closed down.

Both Lita and Long need to play alongside a provider - neither have the all-round play to make them work well as a partnership.

Bollocks - Lita's shown that when he puts the effort in, he can link up well, win headers and hold the ball up.

Was he playing alongside Long?

As above - they really don't appear to have complementary styles.

[doylefan]

think Long has the potential there, but he needs a few games under his belt. with Doyle out its a great chance for him to show people what he can do!

[Millsy]

Would you prefer to wait a year or so while he learns at Championship level, making himself into a Championship player, making the runs, crosses, and headers that Championship players don't realise because of their standard, (breathe now ) then make the step up to Premiership level (possibly needing another half a year), probably doing what he did, with no effect (because the quality of the centre backs in this league are a hell of a lot better) until he learns what to do in the Premiership, or would you prefer he had a year at Premiership level, learning how to tackle the Premiership (in some cases World class) players, and probably (because of his age, learning ability, etc.) becoming a decent player.

Interesting point.

Although a leg up from the Championship doesn't seem to have done Doyle any harm. Or Lita or Kitson come to think of it. Infact it seems to have done Doyle a great deal of good - getting used to te English game etc.

And is it not possible that you can burn someoen out by introducing him to too high a standard by damaging his confidence/ drive? There's an argument for warming someone upa dn weaning them onto better things I think.

From what I've seen of Long so far in the Prem he's ok but really does look a bit lost/naive sometimes. Would hate for him to lose confidence and then never make it.

[Uke]

Wayne Rooney could have done with some championship games and that Owen chap too

LOL @ comparing Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen to Shane Long.

You ARE being ironic, AP, yes? You haven't just got hold of the wrong end of the stick and taken that line as a serious point?

His point is that Rooney and Owen, although very young when they broke through, weren't farmed out to lower Leagues "for experience". Their clubs knew their exceptional talents and gave them their heads from the start.
No-one is saying Long-feller is in the same class as those two - and many others - but he's got the potential to be a very good Prem player and the Prem is where he will learn his trade the best...

Precisely my point, also look how many players get loaned out and never come back.

Give me a single example of an RFC player loaned out for experience that has ever come back to play for us and stay - Tyson, Ashdown, etc...

[Platypuss]

Precisely my point, also look how many players get loaned out and never come back.

Give me a single example of an RFC player loaned out for experience that has ever come back to play for us and stay - Tyson, Ashdown, etc...

But then again, how many youth players have we had who we haven't loaned out and have stayed and done well?

I think this all just reflects the (relatively low) quality of our youth we have had here, not the usefulness (or not) of loans to a lower level for experience.