Shane Long looking to move in Summer

[westendgirl]

If you were full-time employed and earning 30k and you could do the same job with less stress and 4 days a week gets be paid 60k, would you take it?

Hmmm

Yes but you are not a professional footballer so it is not a job it is so much more. It is obvious that you do not become a professional footballer just by having skill (ask them they will say there were better players who never made it) but by the determination to play football. I don't think many professional footballers are content to warm the bench - they may accept it sometimes but I don't think they think in money terms anything like as much as they think in playing terms. Why else is it a skill of management to keep those not in the first eleven happy, why else have we lost young players to lower league (and lower pay clubs) just so they can play?

Yes it is a lot of money and to us lesser mortals seems more imporatant but not sure it matters as much to them as the kudos and time on the pitch until they can see their career disappearing.

[Uke]

If you were full-time employed and earning 30k and you could do the same job with less stress and 4 days a week gets be paid 60k, would you take it?

Hmmm

Yes but you are not a professional footballer so it is not a job it is so much more. It is obvious that you do not become a professional footballer just by having skill (ask them they will say there were better players who never made it) but by the determination to play football. I don't think many professional footballers are content to warm the bench - they may accept it sometimes but I don't think they think in money terms anything like as much as they think in playing terms. Why else is it a skill of management to keep those not in the first eleven happy, why else have we lost young players to lower league (and lower pay clubs) just so they can play?

Yes it is a lot of money and to us lesser mortals seems more imporatant but not sure it matters as much to them as the kudos and time on the pitch until they can see their career disappearing.

Ask Sidwell and Shorey, both secured their long term future

Even a benchwarmer in the Prem plays footie every day to a competitive level probably don't care whether anyone's watching. If they do then it'll affect their game.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

I would agree when players move downwards, I would doubt that Cox earned much less at Swindon than RFC, but he knew that at the time he was not part of the plans at RFC.

Long is totally different, the lure of any Prem team will be there, Long could well be in demand, in any walk of life it is nice to be wanted, and if you are wanted in football by a higher club they show that they want you by paying more, bench warming in The Prem would get Long on to close £1million a year, and there is always the chance that he would not be warming a bench.

Worked for Marcus, his attitude got him into the team at Wolves, and earning more than we would have paid him.

[muddyfeet]

I think Shane will probably move and I'll be disappointed to see him go, but we cant stop him. I do think another good season with us would do him the world of good and also raise his price but if someone comes in for him it will be too tempting for him. It is also slightly annoying that we've given him so much time to come gd and we get one excellent season from him, but thats just football especially if you are below the premiership

[John Madejski's Wallet]

Long is off to Celtic in the summer

[Hoop Blah]

It is also slightly annoying that we've given him so much time to come gd and we get one excellent season from him, but thats just football especially if you are below the premiership

That's a little harsh! He might not've been a key first team player all his time here but Long has made quite a contribution to our success over the years he's been here.

If, sorry when, he goes I think we'll have had pretty good service and value for money out of him. If we haven't or don't replace him and so miss his input then more fool us.

[muddyfeet]

It is also slightly annoying that we've given him so much time to come gd and we get one excellent season from him, but thats just football especially if you are below the premiership

That's a little harsh! He might not've been a key first team player all his time here but Long has made quite a contribution to our success over the years he's been here.

If, sorry when, he goes I think we'll have had pretty good service and value for money out of him. If we haven't or don't replace him and so miss his input then more fool us.

true, point taken, but he's only had one season as our "main" striker", after years of coaching and support etc We have invested alot of time and effort for that one season.

[Svlad Cjelli]

I did get a chance to speak to Keving Doyle about Steve Sidwell's move to Chelsea.

His response was that all professional footballers have the drive and the belief that they are good enough to sauced wherever they go - no-one ever moves thinking they're going to warm a bench, they move thinking they're going to succeed - even if it does take an injury to someone else they believe they'll get an opportunity and grab it.

One thing he said that really made me realise the mindset was words to the effect of "no-one wants to be aged 35 and looking back on their career thinking "what would have happened if I'd taken that move to a bigger club....""

[Scarface]

Good, get shot of him ASAP, he'll probably not score another goal this season anyway. What this does show is he's an arrogant little prick, just like Stephen Hunt.

He scores a few goals and all of a sudden he's too good for us, well good riddance Shane.

[Jeffers217]

Would be DELIGHTED to see Shane go for a few million squid. One decentish half a season doesn't make up for all the crap performances we've had to endure in the past. If he thinks he is Premiership quality he is clearly deluded!

[FiNeRaIn]

Long is off to Celtic in the summer

Fits the bill of Irish Catholic, can see this happening.

Reading are an unambitious small club and as a result players want to leave to pastures new. Whats surprising? I would leave too if my chairman was selling all the best players and spending on unproven replacements.

[Snowball]

Would be DELIGHTED to see Shane go for a few million squid. One decentish half a season doesn't make up for all the crap performances we've had to endure in the past. If he thinks he is Premiership quality he is clearly deluded!

Might I suggest that it isn't YOU (or me) who decides whether a player is Premiership standard, but scouts and mangers and the boards of said clubs.

If we actually can get "a few million quid" that tells me you know squat about quality.

[Snowball]

Good, get shot of him ASAP, he'll probably not score another goal this season anyway. What this does show is he's an arrogant little prick, just like Stephen Hunt.

He scores a few goals and all of a sudden he's too good for us, well good riddance Shane.

NOTED

[Stranded]

Good, get shot of him ASAP, he'll probably not score another goal this season anyway. What this does show is he's an arrogant little prick, just like Stephen Hunt.

He scores a few goals and all of a sudden he's too good for us, well good riddance Shane.

NOTED

Also note the word probably.

[Victor Meldrew]

HRK looked poor, below Championship standard.

Church had two shots but looked like most of this season,
lost, lacking confidence, barely in the game.

Good dummy from Shane for the goal
(I guess Dunn called leave it) but
one poor pass and he looked like he
was going through the motions

Amazingly you failed to mention (I didn't watch the game) what my paper reported-
"Duff pushed the ball through for Long into the penalty area only for the striker to blaze over from close range" and later
"After Long had mis-kicked his effort in front of goal"
Why didn't you report these two incidents?
Selective again Snowball and any reporting of games by you in the future will be read with considerable scepticism.
I doubt that any Prem or Championship managers watching who are interested in buying him would have been very impressed.

Not a great night for any of our players as the Welsh attacking play was called "clueless"

[Snowball]

I did not the word "probably" the coward's get-out clause for later.

Probably excuses a goal, maybe two. Any more and the poster is revealed for precisely what he is.

[Snowball]

Amazingly you failed to mention (I didn't watch the game) what my paper reported-
"Duff pushed the ball through for Long into the penalty area only for the striker to blaze over from close range" and later
"After Long had mis-kicked his effort in front of goal"
Why didn't you report these two incidents?
Selective again Snowball and any reporting of games by you in the future will be read with considerable scepticism.
I doubt that any Prem or Championship managers watching who are interested in buying him would have been very impressed.

Not a great night for any of our players as the Welsh attacking play was called "clueless"

Vicky, Vicky, Vicky, I didn't SEE Long blast over. Check the timings on HNA.

I went on the net at HT and missed the first part of the second half. I had
been disappointed to see that Shane wasn't starting, didn't see the bench
and took not a lot of interest in the game because it was pretty sh!t.

Came through, saw Shane was playing, then went out to P/U the Mrs, first heard the Dunn goal on the radio, then watched it later (had paused Sky)

Why do you and so many others think the only reason to be on HNA is to score points of one another?

Does "Good dummy from Shane for the goal (I guess Dunn called leave it) but one poor pass and he looked like he was going through the motions"

sound like PRAISE to you?

The Welsh were absolutely dire.

[prostak]

Why do you and so many others think the only reason to be on HNA is to score points of one another?

I thought that, with more than a sideways nod to easy-access pornography, was the only reason for the internet tbh

[Factfinder]

It could happen. Why wouldn't he want to be in the Premier League?

[Jeffers217]

Would be DELIGHTED to see Shane go for a few million squid. One decentish half a season doesn't make up for all the crap performances we've had to endure in the past. If he thinks he is Premiership quality he is clearly deluded!

Might I suggest that it isn't YOU (or me) who decides whether a player is Premiership standard, but scouts and mangers and the boards of said clubs.

If we actually can get "a few million quid" that tells me you know squat about quality.

Massive LOL for this matey! Have you not heard about the inflated transfer market that is upon us recently?!?!?! Was Andy Carroll worth £35 mill? NO Was Darren Bent worth £24 mill? NO. I think it's you who knows squat about quality matey