Shane Long Interview - Mentions HNA?

[Snowball]

It's hard to disagree with Starfish's point about jealousy of Snowball. These complaints are only now being made because so many nobbers scorn Snowball's earnest nature. Well, if you want to influence events like Snowball has done, you have to put in the work as Snowball has done - who else was willing to put in the hard yards to prove just how effective a footballer Shane is?

Shane, and whoever is teaching him better close control

[Baines]

It's hard to disagree with Starfish's point about jealousy of Snowball. These complaints are only now being made because so many nobbers scorn Snowball's earnest nature. Well, if you want to influence events like Snowball has done, you have to put in the work as Snowball has done - who else was willing to put in the hard yards to prove just how effective a footballer Shane is?

Shane, and whoever is teaching him better close control

It's good of you to share the credit, but there's no need to be too modest. There's a lot of us on here who were too scared to speak out in support of Shane. Your wisdom has given us strength.

[Snowball]

I'm running short of urine now
as you see to have taken it all

[facaldaqui]

Sorry, sounds like total fiction. Clearly, the reason Long was out of form earlier in the season was injury problems, as he has said himself to the press, and as Brian has said.

I'm a fan of Snowball, though. Always find his stats fascinating, even if I sometimes read less into them than him.

[leww_rfc]

Got to be a wind up surely

[Dirk Gently]

Any internet searches for the supposed author or that publication fail.

A wind-up, but a well-executed one.

[southstand67]

Any internet searches for the supposed author or that publication fail.

A wind-up, but a well-executed one.

We should do a poll on whether we think Snowball was the author or not!

[Starfish]

Any internet searches for that publication fail.

As I have already pointed out, the name given under the original post is my mate's (and not even accurately - his name is Brian) - poor editing of an email that contained other things too.

That The Tipperary Star does not exist either, is something that is greatly surprising considering there have been HNA? posters all over the site all afternoon, judging by previous posts. If their site is currently down, then I am sorry. Why don't you put the title into Google and see if there are no answers.

So much 'negative wisdom' on this thread - I sort of wish I had not bothered now.

[Sarah Star]

You don't doubt it at all yourself then, Starfish?

[Maria Kr.]

Any internet searches for the supposed author or that publication fail.

A wind-up, but a well-executed one.

Why then did I get this right off the bat? http://www.tipperarystar.ie/

Also popped up in the suggested thing on Google

[Gus the teenage cow]

There is no doubt in my mind that it's a fabrication, my only regret is that I didn't come up with it

[rfcjoe]

Hi gus.

[Dickie's Spear]

This excerpt from the Tipperary paper clearly states Shane Long faced the media and fielded questions on his Reading career, which is probalbly where the information sent to Starfish came from


''Another proud son of St Michael's is Gortnahoe man Shane Long who faced the media and fielded questions about his role in the squad, his club Reading and his hopes for the coming season. A joint favourite to be top scorer in the Championship, Shane said that he is happy to have gotten the number 9 short in Reading and is looking forward to taking his chance. And, with Kevin Doyle just recovering from a hernia operation, the former Tipperary minor hurler was hoping to get the nod from Trap to play some part in the game against Australia - after all he has featured in all of Trapattoni's squads so far and has three goals scored in his ten outings.

"There is a lot of competition for places at Reading which is great, and the same is true of the Irish squad. Kevin has been out injured of late and I might get a little chance to shine in the squad. At club level we hope to challenge for promotion - we are regarded as one of the main teams in the championship but we have to show that week-in, week-out, "said Shane whose picture adorns the walls of St Michael's FC after he starred with them as a youth before moving to Cork City. He keeps in contact on a weekly basis with Johnny Cremins to see how things are going on in St Michael's and is a regular visitor home to Gortnahoe also, whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Shane and John both 'came home' to Tipperary to the adulation of a welcoming attendance this week - local heroes both with very different career paths, goals and roads to journey.
St Michael's and Tipperary Abu.''

[leww_rfc]

Good Effort

[prostak]

Starfish. I'm not alone in owing you an apology, but please allow me to humbly extend one. Internet debates are generally pointless - however, if this is a wind-up then you've contributed probably the most useful posts of all on this forum. I swear that henceforth I will never again say a bad word about your crazy, wonderful bullshit articles...

[weybridgewanderer]

I feel absolutely certain that the vast majority of players under 20
will read these pages, and I suspect many more senior players will too.

If the 1st team players don't read the forums the academy or the bootroom boys will so word will get around!

If this is a wind up its brilliant

If not then well done Snowball for getting a mention! I'd also suggest that the comments about his weight(Shane's, not Snowball's) (half a stone, rofl) being banded about the dressing room would have made him do something about it. It was a problem that needed fixed! If HNA played a part, job done!

[Millsy]

Among my various beatings was the one that dared to say crowd support is seriously important.

This place isn't "the crowd" but I feel pretty sure what we say has an effect

I feel absolutely certain that the vast majority of players under 20
will read these pages, and I suspect many more senior players will too.

They SHOULDN'T but human nature is human nature.

Or put it another way, what chance of a slagging-off on here, especially if funny
NOT reaching the player via dressing-room banter and wind-ups?

Is it an accident that Kebe, until recently, played better away from home
or could his lack of confidence, as seen, reflect the way "fans" picked on him?

Criticism, preferably constructive criticism is one thing, but there is so much BILE
on the list, so often, as if HobNobbers simply HAVE to pillory some poor player.

There's a massive difference between not liking a player and outright viciousness

As ever.... +1.

And I'm proud to have been one of the few to stick by Snowball the whole way through.

Go Snowball!

[Wimb]

For my 2 cents.....

Snowball deserves credit for the amount of statistical analysis he generates. Some of it is useful reading, some is utter twaddle, but all is at least well researched and presented well.

Shane, as any other footballer, is only human and of course he's bound to go through the highs and the lows. If it's true that this forum or individual posters have given him a boost that has led to his resurgance then good for him.

However, I'd still like to think a professional footballer who's played in the Premier League would be able to stay fit and have confidence in himself without reading the words of keyboard warriors.....

[Royal With Cheese]

Still not sure his spin on "time on pitch to goals scored" ratio is a particularly relevant stat.

Like most of the other ones though.

[rhroyal]

Long looked good at the end of last season. He then had a very unfit and unproductive time under Rodgers, before picking it up again and taking it to another level. I think he is looking like a very good striker at this level right now, maybe he could even step up to the Premiership.

However, his development has been recent in my view. Despite all Snowball's statistics, he was rarely capable of being anything more than an impact sub in his first few years at the club. Maybe going on loan and getting first team experience could have helped him reach his current levels a little earlier in his career. I've always thought that his role in the Premiership years held him back.