Shane Long

[Snowball]

A few of the more sensible posters on this list have pointed out that some members just decide to dislike certain players,
even when the stats say otherwise. Steve Hunt & Kebe, for example, either have scored or made 60% of our league goals

But it seems that almost everyone on this list has a down on Shane Long. I think you're all wrong.

Shane doesn't get to play many full 90 minute games, and coming on as sub for 5-15 minutes is never easy.

But Shane has earned some vital points for Reading this year. His brave last-ditch header against Southampton was HUGE for us.

The home game against Norwich was headed for a 0-0 draw. Long came on in the 80th minute, won a penalty in the 84th
which Hunt scored (1-0) and then Shane scored another.

Shane won the free-kick that led to Hunts FK and Doyle's goal at Birmingham

Long made both goals at Dagenham
Long made the third goal at Wolves

This is his record in minutes-played order... scores are for his time on the park

90 2-0 Dagenham Made BOTH goals
90 2-2 Stoke Premiership side. Scored in Pens. "Emphatic Penalty"
90 1-1 Southampton SCORED. Won vital point
68 3-2 Palace Played 68, winning 3-2 when subbed
65 2-1 BURNLEY SCORED
63 2-0 Birmingham Won Free Kick for Doyle's goal
60 4-0 LUTON Two misses, two saves, "electrifying pace"
60 0-0 Ipswich
36 1-2 Watford WON PENALTY for 2-2. "Stunning effort"
29 0-0 SOUTHAMPTON
28 1-0 Wednesday Hit the bar
27 1-1 CARDIFF
22 1-0 DERBY Made a clear chance for Steve Hunt
21 1-2 Preston
18 0-0 COVENTRY
17 0-0 PLYMOUTH "Terrorised defenders"
17 0-1 Bristol Forced a save
15 0-0 Sheff Utd
14 0-0 Charlton Two fabulous crosses for Hunt & Lita
14 1-0 SWANSEA
10 0-0 BLACKPOOL
10 2-0 NORWICH Won penalty for opening goal AND Scored
09 0-0 QPR
07 0-0 DONCASTER
06 1-0 Wolves Made third goal for Cisse

[Shaka's Giant Hands]

Thanks for that Shane...I mean 'Snowball'.

[Thaumagurist*]

Long is a decent player, but he still hasn't scored many goals. Lita doesn't get many chances like Long does and I think Lita is the better player. Long should be 4th in the pecking order.

[Gordons Cumming]

I take it all back.

[Scarface]

Wow, he "Terrorised defenders" against Plymouth and "Forced a Save" at Bristol.

Thanks for the funniest post for a long long time, you've made me laugh out loud. This has to be a wind up post from one of the players.

[Plymouth_Royal]

Wow, he "Terrorised defenders" against Plymouth and "Forced a Save" at Bristol.

Thanks for the funniest post for a long long time, you've made me laugh out loud. This has to be a wind up post from one of the players.

you've picked 2 lines out of the many that snowball has actually researched as well as exclude the minutes on the pitch.

i think the stats show why shane is such a good player to come off the bench and have an effect on the game.

[Royal Lady]

Shane isn't a good player imo. He's had 4 years to prove himself and he hasn't. Some of his goals have been lucky, some have been pretty quality, but that's not good enough at this level, let alone in the Premiership. And if he *was* that good, how come he's never been linked with any other clubs!

[Royal Lady]

oh and LOL that when he was subbed after 68 mins against Palace were 3-2 up!!!! He MUST be good then.

[nickbob_sexypants]

I still believe that Shane Long has some decent ability there but needs the chance to play regular football wevery week. He is not going to get that at Reading, and is not at the standard to do so. However if he went to club on loan who would play him, Im sure he would do well and learn alot at the same time.

[Royal Rother]

I have no problem with Long but he really really needs a good run of games somewhere.

I know some posters have been saying it for a few years now but a month or 2 on loan at a League 1 club, where he would be almost certain of starting every game, would surely be of benefit.

It may well be that League 1 ends up being his level, but scrubbing around here for a few more years of bench sitting surely isn't going to allow him to develop to his full potential.

[Sun Tzu]

It's hard to judge Shane in the same way as other players as he's just not had the coaching at the right age.

He's no Doyle, but he's made a contribution to games. He'd be a regular in most Reading teams of the last 40 years.

It is clear however that Coppell and Trappatoni are wrong and the armchair experts are right !!

[Ian Royal]

Statistics are not the be all and end all of football. There is much much more to it than that.

Long has been dire almost every time he has started. He has a poor first touch and poor decision making. His record is not really in the least bit impressive, he just doesn't score enough.

Yes he's never had a decent run in the side, but that's because every time Coppell has tried to give him one he's been too awful to leave in long enough.

Add to that his attitude is extremely suspect. He gets very petulent when things aren't going his way (most the time) and he reacts badly to decisions not going in his favour and is quite rash.

He really disappointed me when he came on against Watford. His performance was ok, nothing special nothing particularly bad, but when the ball went out in front of Y26 and he wanted a throw, but the ref gave it the other way. He mimed throwing the ball in the face of the Watford player coming to take it off of him. He did in such a way that the ball just dropped to the floor, but that one act really really failed to impress me.

I think we should get rid.

[Archie's penalty]

I am still a fan of Long but he hasn't really impressed enough to be honest.

Not sure what we're going to do with him.

[Baines]

Nice lad.

Completely out of his depth.

Cox, Henderson and Tyson were all >>>>> Long

[Archie's penalty]

Nice lad.

Completely out of his depth.

Cox, Henderson and Tyson were all >>>>> Long

Disagree.

Think they're all at a similar level. Cox the worst of them.

[Sarah Star]

I agree he hasn't had a decent run in the side to really judge. Sometimes he's made a difference coming on in the final stages and mostly he hasn't. I would have thought that if he had any further ambition, he would have been begging for a loan move like Lita, just to get more games in, but it seems he's happy to be 3rd choice, coming off the bench for ten minutes every now and again.

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

Long's problem his he should have been sent out on loan the season we went up.

He's stagnated, lost his confidence and isn't going to improve as 4th choice striker.

Get another striker in, put Long out on loan for the rest of the season. We know Lita's going in the summer, maybe given some games, Long could return as more of a threat to NHunt and Doyle.

[Snowball]

oh and LOL that when he was subbed after 68 mins against Palace were 3-2 up!!!! He MUST be good then.


Don't be so DUMB

He played for 68 minutes, we were winning 3-2 when he came off.

The point is, he started, played and the side were doing enough to win.

[winchester_royal]

Statistics are not the be all and end all of football. There is much much more to it than that.
.

And yet people still wack 'em out when defending Shunt. Long has, and always will be a good impact sub who brings an extra dimension to our game. If/when we go up, we will need to replace him, but the job he is doing right now is a good one.

[Snowball]

This has to be a wind up post from one of the players.

Nope. I think Shane will be a very good player and he's under-rated.

I also think this forum is packed with knee-jerkers and 85% don't understand football.

I think Shane probably lacks confidence because he doesn't get enough games, but our top two
strikers are performing so well... but coming on for for ten minutes or less (5 games) hardly
counts as experience despite the fact that he earned us 3 points in one of those ten-minute games

Lita started ten league games last year and scored just 1 goal

Long started 7 games and scored 3

2007-8 Premiership

34 Starts 02 Sub 6 goals Doyle
07 Starts 22 sub 3 goals Long
10 Starts 04 sub 1 goals Lita

Starts/sub/On target-off-hit woodwork/goals

34-02-26-41-00-06 Doyle (3 assists) Born Sep 1983 (age now 25.5)
07-22-10-04-01-03 Long (3 assists) Born Jan 1987 (age now 22.0)
10-04-09-11-01-01 Lita (1 assist) Born Dec 1984 (age now 24.2)

The point is, Long's goal-scoring record, shots record, percentage on target, assists record is not bad for someone who
doesn't start many games. It's HUGELY better than Leroy Lita's was last year.

And Long is the youngest of the three, he was a baby in the Prem. He should not expect to be competing
with Doyle and Lita, but AT READING last year he did compete with both of them

Why did he manage half Doyle's goals and equal Doyle's asissts on a fraction of Doyle's time on the pitch?

Why is Lita so praised over Long when he scored just 1 goal and one assist in 10+2 starts?

Is there anywhere we can see total minutes-played?