Why I Hate Shane Long

[Royalee]

Play Church or Hunt on their own, Karacan, Sigurdsson plus one of Tabb or Howard in the middle, job done.

[Ian Royal]

Problem is, play 2 up front where does that leave Sigurdsson? Sig looked lost in CM and need to play in that free role to get the best out of him.

Did pretty well cutting in from the left with Bertrand bombing on past him last year. Not sure if Williams would be up to it though, haven't had a chance to see him yet. I think it's more likely we'd see one of Kebe or McAnuff dropped.

[KC Royal]

Problem is, play 2 up front where does that leave Sigurdsson? Sig looked lost in CM and need to play in that free role to get the best out of him.

Yea, it was interesting that for the latter part of the game we actually played the 4-4-2 with Long/Church up front and Tabb/Sig centrally that would have been my favoured line up v Scunthorpe, though didnt expect McD to go down that route, just personal preference. But in that period Sig didn't have as much of an influence on the game as i thought he would. Not being able to get forward as much seemed to restrict him.

In a 4-4-2 i think he's only going to play wide left. He seemed to drift out there a fair bit of the 1st half. Playing him centrally would probably leave us too open against the better sides.

[Clacka]

Made me laugh anyway

J11's Matt Williams shares with us his distaste for Shane Long.

I may only be 20 years old, but I often think I’d be quite good on that programme “Grumpy Old Men”. Whether we’re going on about the cost of parking in town, the crappy train service or people who carry umbrellas, us students can still moan with the best of them.

But there’s a subject (well, person) that gets to me like no other. Many just wouldn’t understand it, but this man bugs me more than all the public transport and property programmes combined. That man is Shane Long.

Now it’s got nothing to do with Long’s football ability, and I’m sure he’s a thoroughly nice guy off the pitch too. But our Irish international fills me with a disappointment that many fans will be able to relate to. The clue’s in my age, we’re both 20.

I first noticed it two years ago. This young, fresh faced forward came trotting on to the pitch against Derby County, and immediately notched up two goals. I certainly had no problems with that, I was ecstatic, we were winning and I was proudly singing Shane’s praises.

Then you realise. That’s supposed to be me. I’m the one who’s dreamt of coming off the bench to secure the championship for Reading. I’m the one who should be wearing the hoops! It never mattered before when someone else scored for the Royals; they’d always been much older than me, my time would come. But then Shane Long turns up and it feels like he’s nicked my go.

OK, that dream of playing for Reading was probably dashed at the age of seven when I couldn’t even score against Hayes Lane School, but whilst the talent was never there, age was always on my side. I could improve, I’d just be a late bloomer and get picked up by a fascinated scout wondering where I’d been hiding all these years.

It got worse after the Sheffield United match last year. Long had scored his (my) first Premiership goal and I’d uncomfortably joined in singing his name. I regaled my tale of woe to my Dad, who quite clearly understood my problem. “It struck me when I was 18 and I opened up The Sun newspaper,” he said. “Suddenly you realise that the girl on page 3 is your age, she could even be in your class.”

Cheers Dad, that makes me feel much better. Not only am I watching an Irishman score the goals that I should be scoring, the girls on page 3 are suddenly younger than me.

It’s not that I didn’t want to grow up, it’s just always been nice to know that all those dreams, however farfetched, were always possible. Suddenly now I’m at an age where those dreams need to be fulfilled. Keeley and Shane, you’ve ruined my life.

http://www.footballfancast.com/2008/06/ ... shane_long

thats not why I don't like him...

[Royal Rother]

Why does he care about all that and yet be seemingly willing to ignore the fact that Shane Long is a fat, lazy, gap-toothed, big-arsed, stupid run, guitar-playing mick shithead oxf*rd

repeated for emphasis

Shane Long is the original 20-goal-in-5-seasons striker

Looking for predictions thread at start of last season (without success) but came across this little gem.

[floyd__streete]

Looking for predictions thread at start of last season (without success) but came across this little gem.

Did you find 'The Over-reaction thread', you smug c*nt?

[Gordons Cumming]

I'm afraid I can't relate to this thread in any way.

[Gordons Cumming]

[Friday's Legacy]

Why does he care about all that and yet be seemingly willing to ignore the fact that Shane Long is a fat, lazy, gap-toothed, big-arsed, stupid run, guitar-playing mick shithead oxf*rd

repeated for emphasis

Shane Long is the original 20-goal-in-5-seasons striker

quoted for emphasis.

[Royal Rother]

Looking for predictions thread at start of last season (without success) but came across this little gem.

Did you find 'The Over-reaction thread', you smug c*nt?

It seems you are the expert on over-reactions.

Opinions that are wrong, misguided, foolish etc. etc. are all fine and dandy, nobody gets it right all the time but few of us bother to take the piss out of those who get it wrong (you are of course an exception) but when an RFC supporter calls one of our long-serving players "a fat, lazy, gap-toothed, big-arsed, stupid run, guitar-playing mick shithead oxf*rd" and he then proves to be head and shoulders POTS I think a little poke is fair game.

But then you warmly embrace all forms of negativity so I'm sure you wouldn't see it that way.

[floyd__streete]

few of us bother to take the piss out of those who get it wrong

Why were you looking for a predictions thread from last summer then?

*rumbled*

[toppy]

Even the managers are younger than me now.

[Bacon Double Cheese]

I'm 43 and would estimate that I have the "envious of other people's achievements given their age" syndrome around 14 times a day. It's actually getting worse as I get older as I start having to move the goldposts. The other day I found out Ray Reardon was older than me when he was first Snooker World Champion and I absolutely hate snooker and don't give a toss about Ray Reardon. That's how bad it is.

Quite literally aim for a lower target, go for Silverposts or Bronzeposts and it'll all feel much better.
HTH and best regards

[Maguire]

Why does he care about all that and yet be seemingly willing to ignore the fact that Shane Long is a fat, lazy, gap-toothed, big-arsed, stupid run, guitar-playing mick shithead oxf*rd

Repeated for emphasis ^^

[Lydia Dustbin]

Gosh that's a bit strong. I hope Shane stays and I certainly don't hate him.

[RoyalBlue]

Here we go again Stats only give an indication, they actually prove nothing.

And the perfect example is Dean Horrix (RIP). He was a striker who hardly ever scored goals, but his workrate, his knock-downs and his runs into space created so many chances for Trevor Senior that he scored bucketfuls.

But measure Deano purely on the one parameter - goals scored - without looking at the bigger picture, and he clearly wasn't worth a place in the team.

But what a class player (with an elegant 'Hoddlesque' running/playing style) and although not scoring that many goals, one lives on in my memory - almost as strong as 'that Friday goal'. I can't remember who it was against but we were attacking the Town End. Deano picked up the ball far right, nutmegged one defender and then jinked his way along the bye-line and past another couple of defenders before curling a shot home from an impossibly wide angle!

Another memory that lives on is the minute's silence at Elm Park after Deano was tragically killed in a car crash. As the minute came to an end the chorus of 'Deano, Deano' rang out from the Southbank - at that moment I could visualise the ghost of Deano scoring that goal again. A very poignant moment.

Just realised I said this once before! Who keeps dragging up these ancient threads!

[handbags_harris]

Another memory that lives on is the minute's silence at Elm Park after Deano was tragically killed in a car crash. As the minute came to an end the chorus of 'Deano, Deano' rang out from the Southbank - at that moment I could visualise the ghost of Deano scoring that goal again. A very poignant moment.

Blackpool in March 1990. Only my second ever game. I remember it well.

[floyd__streete]

My brother works with Horrix's son, who is a big Millwall fan as Horrix was equally loved by the regulars at The Den.

[Maguire]

when an RFC supporter calls one of our long-serving players "a fat, lazy, gap-toothed, big-arsed, stupid run, guitar-playing mick shithead oxf*rd" and he then proves to be head and shoulders POTS I think a little poke is fair game

What does my original (and clearly jovial) description have to do with him being POTS?

I mean, digging up old quotes is amusing enough a pasttime I suppose but nothing in that sentence is wrong.

[roadrunner]