Shane Long

[pea]

If Celtic have got him for less than £4 million thats a poor deal for us when you consider the likes of Chopra went to Sunderland for a couple of million more a few years ago.

No bids made yet, the figure being banded about is fantasy. Shane only has a year left on his contract though and it would be a significant profit for the club for a player who hasnt always been a hit.

[blueroyals]

His house is up for sale:

http://www.lovejoystevens.co.uk/Propert ... ire/LJS381

[reading_fan]

Well he ain't going to Everton, that's for sure. My British Mlitary Fitness instructor (who also does fitness coaching at Wolves), knows his counterpart at Everton and they're not in for Long as they've just signed Bothroyd on a free and are sorting out the personal terms on a £4m deal for McKail-Smith.

Everything else he's told me regarding transfers in/out at clubs has been right thus far so no reason to doubt this one

[soggy biscuit]

Well he ain't going to Everton, that's for sure. My British Mlitary Fitness instructor (who also does fitness coaching at Wolves), knows his counterpart at Everton and they're not in for Long as they've just signed Bothroyd on a free and are sorting out the personal terms on a £4m deal for McKail-Smith.

Everything else he's told me regarding transfers in/out at clubs has been right thus far so no reason to doubt this one

Everton said yesterday that they were unlikely to sign Bothroyd while the Scottish press say he was at Celtic yesterday doing a medical.

[The Prisoner]

Wow! Can't believe I had to go down three pages to find a thread!

Maybe Shane is being a touch diplomatic (Mr S Hunt take note), but he is talking about staying and playing here next season. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_6973305,00.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Yes...I know....I know...he is hardly gonna turn round and demand to leave in the press, but I am guessing someone might have had a word to the effect of.....sign a new contract, give it half a season, we'll give you a pay rise and add a release figure in there that suits us both........if we are up there you at Christmas stay....if we are missing by a mile you can go........

I understand the club are looking to discuss a new deal with him.

Similar to Kevin Doyle, Gylfi etc. Obviously nobody is mad keen to buy as something could have happened by now. He clearly wants to be there with us....wouldn't bet against him being here next season.

And for those of you who might have missed it Matt Mills has nailed his colours to the mast in wanting to stay http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/football/readingfc/s/2094117_mills_keen_to_stay_with_reading_fc

Must admit if I was good enough to be a pro footballer the sort of failure we have just had would spur me on to put it right next season.

[Terminal Boardom]

Anyone remember the summer clearout after we lost to Bolton in 95? We lost the likes of Simon Osborn, Scott Taylor and Shaka. The replacements were not good enough and we struggled. IF we keep the squad together, plus the number of talented youngsters coming through, plus a couple of key signings, it will be interesting.

[Drew_3]

I was hoping for more, don't really see anything there to make me think he will be staying.

[NTRoyal]

I can't grasp why any good Championship player would want to join either of the Old Firm. Obviously a few thousand pounds a week is a nice thought, but playing the likes of Kilmarnock, St Mirren and Motherwell every week is really not worth it. The standard of football is shocking, and the few competitive games he will play each year are hardly enough to counteract the utter shite that they will be up against in almost every other game.

[RoyalJames101]

http://twitter.com/#!/ShaneLong09

Anyone know if this is his actual twitter? If it is a couple of interesting tweets.

"I'm happy where i am. No change."

"Thank you Reading FC. In the words of Oprah: I won't say goodbye, I'll only say until we meet again. HUGE love"

[readingbedding]

If I was Shane I'd leave.

[Snowball]

If I was Shane I'd leave.

If you were Shane we'd ask you to leave...

[Terminal Boardom]

What possibly helps is that Shane has seen how Kitson, Blakey, SHunt, Lita and Sidwell have fared since leaving Reading. The grass is not always greener.

[readingbedding]

If I was Shane I'd leave.

If you were Shane we'd ask you to leave...

Same thing isn't it.

Anyone says that he should stay is talking out of their hoop.

[Snowball]

I think going to Celtic would be a bad move.

Going to a Prem team likely to struggle/be relegated isn't a great move except for the money.

I think Shane is an unusual case in that 50 starts made him twice the player (as at least one person predicted )
and should he get another full season with RFC always top-six he could become a much, MUCH hotter property.

Meanwhile he's a star in a place where he feels at home, where his GF prefers to be etc.

If the team stays together and has a great season, winning auto, how would that compare to being bottom 4 in the Prem.

Of course if Everton came in, they are likely to be top half, aiming for 6th/7th... that would be different. Tough choice.

[Stranded]

I can't grasp why any good Championship player would want to join either of the Old Firm. Obviously a few thousand pounds a week is a nice thought, but playing the likes of Kilmarnock, St Mirren and Motherwell every week is really not worth it. The standard of football is shocking, and the few competitive games he will play each year are hardly enough to counteract the utter shite that they will be up against in almost every other game.

Playing in front of 50k every home game, winners medals and guaranteed European football.

[Snowball]

If I was Shane I'd leave.

If you were Shane we'd ask you to leave...

Same thing isn't it.

Anyone says that he should stay is talking out of their hoop.

Totally seriously, in Shane's position I would want to STAY (on better money with a huge bonus for promotion)
unless I could move to a top-half Prem team where it wouldn't be a 9 month struggle.

It must be reasonably exciting to think, "We could be Champions if we stay together"

Not saying that's bound to happen, but I don't think it's AUTOMATIC that he'd leave (or want to)

[readingbedding]

Not a tough choice at all.

[Snowball]

You get guaranteed European football playing in the Welsh League.

Don't Celtic usually get hammered in Europe?

Celtic-Rangers big games.

Half-decent v Hearts

Quarter-decent v Dundee Utd/Aberdeen

But HAMILTON with gates as low as 2,000?

Promoted club Dunfermline had home gates under 3,000

The 3rd club was thirty points behind the top two. It's not a LEAGUE is it?

[Snowball]

Not a tough choice at all.

Not everyone in the world has their primary motivation as money.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

You get guaranteed European football playing in the Welsh League.

Don't Celtic usually get hammered in Europe?

Celtic-Rangers big games.

Half-decent v Hearts

Quarter-decent v Dundee Utd/Aberdeen

But HAMILTON with gates as low as 2,000?

Promoted club Dunfermline had home gates under 3,000

The 3rd club was thirty points behind the top two. It's not a LEAGUE is it?

Yes and a league where Michael Duberry was fans player of year at St Johnstone