Snowball In the last 2 full season's (where Long only started 35 games total) and 15 starts this season
Long has scored 9+9+3 goals = 21 goals, 4 of which were pens
Now when did 21 Goals in 50 Starts become bad striking?
I really don't care whether a player scores in bursts or 1 every 2-3 games. I care whether OVERALL he scores X goals at Y rate and wins us some points or doesn't. For example the God Lita score ONE goal per season for 2 seasons and both goals were meaningless goals scored at the death when we were already winning 3-0
As someone kindly pointed out yesterday, Long was the only player who appeared to want to try to keep us in the play-offs in 2008-09. He has scored only goals, winning goals, won crucial penalties, got us the win at Anfield, put us 2 up against Villa. And he keeps getting picked by the resident professional.
GREAT, WORLD-CLASS players have long goal-droughts. DOYLE has gone longer than Shane has EVER done, and Doyle's run was STARTS, Shane's was mostly sub-appearances.
For it to be a drought, you need to have scored regularly in the first place.