Long - Time to go.

[Millsy]

This thread has gone on long enough.

Today's game has dealt a decisive and embarrassing blow.

[Snowball]

It's about making the point that a stiker's role is to score and that is what made Curo a legend. All else is secondary.

(FWIW though I'd be very surprised if Long would be anywhere near as good as Curo was even in League 1 but that's of course only speculation and as I say, completely irrelevant.)

If McDermott actually was to say

"I don't see Shane's job as needing to score goals.
I need him to work hard up front, tire out defenders,
win a few yellow cards, soften up the opposition.

Then I can bring on some subs to win the game."


Would you grant that the manager decides, and that he has a very good winning record?


The above isn't a long way from what he said. He said there's no need to make excuses for Long he's doing what I ask of him.

[Snowball]

This thread has gone on long enough.

Today's game has dealt a decisive and embarrassing blow.

Not according to the manager

[Millsy]

BM knows more about football than the rest of you and he rates him.

Which is why he took him off and didn't complain when Church and Hunt won the game for us.

[Royalee]

BM knows more about football than the rest of you and he rates him. THAT should be the end of discussion.

Yes, because football managers never make mistakes ever.

[Royal Rother]

This thread has gone on long enough.

Today's game has dealt a decisive and embarrassing blow.

To those whose intelligence was brought into question in only thinly veiled terms by Mick Gooding and Brian McDermott you mean? ("THOSE" being the fans not appreciating the role, they believe, Long plays so well.)

[Svlad Cjelli]

This thread has gone on long enough.

Today's game has dealt a decisive and embarrassing blow.

Not according to the manager

When did you ever hear a manager slag a player off in public? Part of their job is to protect their players, especially from the media (qv Dellor vs Rodgers), so would you expect him to say anything else?

Note for Snowball and any others hard of thinking - This is not an attack on your beloved Shane, so no need to respond as if it it.

[PEARCEY]

3 goals scored as soon as Shlong is subbed, 'nuff said.

Using your logic then Jimmy Kebe should be nowhere near the team as its 8 goals in the two games without him in the side.

[Snowball]

BM knows more about football than the rest of you and he rates him.

Which is why he took him off and didn't complain when Church and Hunt won the game for us.

It was SWITCHING TO 4-4-2 that made the difference.

Long had had a battering in 4-5-1 so came off and two FRESH players had a chance to do something for 30 minutes
against 11 much more tired, partly-battered players.

[Snowball]

This thread has gone on long enough.

Today's game has dealt a decisive and embarrassing blow.

Not according to the manager

When did you ever hear a manager slag a player off in public? Part of their job is to protect their players, especially from the media (qv Dellor vs Rodgers), so would you expect him to say anything else?

Note for Snowball and any others hard of thinking - This is not an attack on your beloved Shane, so no need to respond as if it it.

Fine. But if the knob-ends are right, and McDermott was BS-ing, Shane will now be dropped, we'll play the next 30-odd games of 4-4-2 and be champions.

QPR play 4-4-2? Maybe we'll play 4-4-2 there, then. If we do I'd say it's 75% likely Shane will start.

If we play 4-5-1 I'd say it's 99% likely Shane will start.

Both scenarios barring injuries, of course.



Y'see I DON'T think McDermott was merely "talking up" his player in public. I believe he meant what he said.

It's not hard to "support" your player while at the same time hinting that the subs have earned a chance.

Example: "Shane has done really well, but it's a thank-less task being one man up there
against big centre-halves. He gives everything, but I just wonder if he could do with
a little rest and come back all-guns blazing."

[Royalee]

3 goals scored as soon as Shlong is subbed, 'nuff said.

Using your logic then Jimmy Kebe should be nowhere near the team as its 8 goals in the two games without him in the side.

Not really as Kebe's not a centre forward...he also has 4 goals in 12 games from open play so I don't really get your point.

[Pseud O'Nym]

It was SWITCHING TO 4-4-2 that made the difference.

Long had had a battering in 4-5-1 so came off and two FRESH players had a chance to do something for 30 minutes
against 11 much more tired, partly-battered players.

Absolutely. But it's also true that his legs are too short for his body and he runs like a girl.

[Millsy]

It's about making the point that a stiker's role is to score and that is what made Curo a legend. All else is secondary.

(FWIW though I'd be very surprised if Long would be anywhere near as good as Curo was even in League 1 but that's of course only speculation and as I say, completely irrelevant.)

If McDermott actually was to say

"I don't see Shane's job as needing to score goals.
I need him to work hard up front, tire out defenders,
win a few yellow cards, soften up the opposition.

Then I can bring on some subs to win the game."


Would you grant that the manager decides, and that he has a very good winning record?


The above isn't a long way from what he said. He said there's no need to make excuses for Long he's doing what I ask of him.

Ye we all know managers say exactly what they mean and always attack players publicly. What would you want him to say? "It is now embarrassing that I persist with Long, but to be honest I have no other choice. Madejski won't fund a striker. He got rid of one of my best striking options and he wants me to play Long in the hope that he'll get a goal or two so I can sell him to get him off the wage bill". The response he gave was pretty much the only remaining response any Long-apologist could ever make i.e. "erm... well I don't want him to score goals anyway, so there!" Shifting the goalposts is very interesting indeed I have to say. It's especially interesting that we need a 10k per week "striker" to be our headless chicken!

[PEARCEY]

The point is that he is seen as our most dangerous player but 8 goals in 2 games suggests he hasn't been missed. The point is that its easy to use any kind of stat to prove a point. Sure Long hasn't scored in open-play this season.Thats a stat everyone uses against him. If he is playing his part though and proving himself to be an absolute handful for the opposition centre-half game after game(which he is) and someone like Church then comes on for him and benefits from that centre-half being knackered after Long has given him a hard time the he has played his part....irrespective of whether he scores in open play or not. Its a team game and Long does his bit.
Shane Long will never be a natural goal-scorer. He has limited ability. Personally I prefer Church and NHunt up-front...but he's not shit. He plays his part and for that reason I won't slag him off.

[Millsy]

BM knows more about football than the rest of you and he rates him.

Which is why he took him off and didn't complain when Church and Hunt won the game for us.

It was SWITCHING TO 4-4-2 that made the difference.

Long had had a battering in 4-5-1 so came off and two FRESH players had a chance to do something for 30 minutes
against 11 much more tired, partly-battered players.

Well yes I'm always in agreement when it comes to switching to 4-4-2.

However it's quite interesting that as you'll see from my "Brian cost us" thread and my rantings and avings since that one of Brian's massive failings has generally been that he would NOT switch to 4-4-2.

Interesting then that all of a sudden this tactic is his "master plan" and that he and you other Long defenders NEVER expected the lad to score and just use him for a 4-4-2 finale!

I hope those goalposts are made of paper or you'll knacker your back mate.

[superreadingfan]

I like Long but he is not good enough we need better players come on madejski do something

[Millsy]

I like Long but he is not good enough we need better players come on madejski do something

Funny how one sentence from a newbie makes more sense than PAGES of apologistic drivel.

Like a hot knife through butter.

Welcome, newbie.

[cmonurz]

Time to join the stat club. Long has 1 goal from open play in his last 25 league appearances for Reading. Ftr, that's 1 goal from open play in 1,986 minutes of football (done in my head so may not be bang on).

[Franchise FC]

Forster had no more than 2 decent seasons as a loan striker for us and always had a poor goals/games ratio even in the lower leagues. Much of what he gave in this guise has to be tempered with being a liability whenever he was asked to play with a partner.

At his best he was better than Long is now but to say he was the best we've ever had has to be a contender for the most side splittingly laughable statement I've ever read on these pages. Who remembers Forster scoring in the Premiership? Who remembers Forster EVER being a contender to represent his country as a full international?

Without trying too hard, Forster wasn't fit to lace the boots of Dixon, Senior, Quinn, Kitson and Doyle.

I thought we'd signed NF permanently ?

[Snowball]

Time to join the stat club. Long has 1 goal from open play in his last 25 league appearances for Reading. Ftr, that's 1 goal from open play in 1,986 minutes of football (done in my head so may not be bang on).

Thank-you for proving my case that Long is THE MAN.

The manager has chosen to play Long in all those games and we have won 50% of them.



(PS Good of you to ignore Long winning the equalising penalty at Liverpool and then scoring the winner at Liverpool, probably one of reading's greatest-ever results. Ignore, too, two great performances this season for Ireland, another goal in open play and a MoM award and accolades from Trappatoni, who knows a TINY bit more than you, Gwath-oppa.)