Long to WBA

[brighton_royal]

Hopefully we can use some of it to sign a decent pacey left back and a new striker / goalscoring attacking midfielder.

Indeed.

LOL at any money being used to buy any players of any stature.

[roadrunner]

Hopefully we can use some of it to sign a decent pacey left back and a new striker / goalscoring attacking midfielder.

Indeed.

LOL at any money being used to buy any players of any stature.

'greed. Pretty frightening really.

[Who Moved The Goalposts?]

Our attacking options are: Church, Hunt, Manset and that bloke we signed last season who I've never seen - was it Brett Williams? I'd hardly say our attacking options are fine, without Long.

Hunt has an excellent scoring record when fit. I like the look of Manset and he's started the season well. Church had a duff time last year but has shown in the previous that he does have quality. We then also have HRK who also has a good goalscoring record.

I don't think it's panic stations by any stretch of the imagination.

Not panic stations no. But hardly inspiring either. There's huge question marks over:
1) Hunt's fitness. If the past is any kind of guide, it's highly unlikely he'll manage to start the majority of games.
2) Manset's ability to last 90 minutes - although I think he'll be okay eventually. And yes, I know there is the substitute option, but I'd hardly call Church or HRK an "impact" replacement
3) Church's ability - to me, he's just not a natural finisher. He works hard, certainly, but it's goals that count if you are a centre forward. I don't think he has the pace to trouble a decent defence either.
4) Williams - always a long shot and none of us knows how this will work out. Could be another Long or could be another Mooney.

I think this leaves us a little weak, tbh.

[John Peel]

Yes the striking options are 'fine' but surely we want more than that? Don't see why we can't spend £1-1.5m of that £6m on a decent Championship or League One team striker. Or a loanee from the Prem at the very least.

[Boyband]

Our attacking options are: Church, Hunt, Manset and that bloke we signed last season who I've never seen - was it Brett Williams? I'd hardly say our attacking options are fine, without Long.

Hunt has an excellent scoring record when fit. I like the look of Manset and he's started the season well. Church had a duff time last year but has shown in the previous that he does have quality. We then also have HRK who also has a good goalscoring record.

I don't think it's panic stations by any stretch of the imagination.

Not panic stations no. But hardly inspiring either. There's huge question marks over:
1) Hunt's fitness. If the past is any kind of guide, it's highly unlikely he'll manage to start the majority of games.
2) Manset's ability to last 90 minutes - although I think he'll be okay eventually. And yes, I know there is the substitute option, but I'd hardly call Church or HRK an "impact" replacement
3) Church's ability - to me, he's just not a natural finisher. He works hard, certainly, but it's goals that count if you are a centre forward. I don't think he has the pace to trouble a decent defence either.
4) Williams - always a long shot and none of us knows how this will work out. Could be another Long or could be another Mooney.

I think this leaves us a little weak, tbh.

Agreed, how anyone can be satisfied with our attacking option post-Shane Long is beyond me. To lose someone who single-handedly pulled us through a number of games last season is a catastrophe should we not replace him.

[Svlad Cjelli]

But surely it could be argued that our attacking without Shane is at least as good as we had a month into last season? Not many nobbers had confidence in Long, and there were far fewer other options available than we have now.

[brendywendy]

Yes the striking options are 'fine' but surely we want more than that? Don't see why we can't spend £1-1.5m of that £6m on a decent Championship or League One team striker. Or a loanee from the Prem at the very least.

we will if required get loans in. but to say its required NOW when half of our strikers havent kicked a ball yet is pushing it.imo.
well play them till jan, or at least say we are, and hope they come good.
if that doesnt work we'll get a loan in.
you may not like it, but the club has no intention of paying players it has no intetion of playing.

but like mr svladers said- up till january last season our options were even worse according to most of you.

[Hoop Blah]

But surely it could be argued that our attacking without Shane is at least as good as we had a month into last season? Not many nobbers had confidence in Long, and there were far fewer other options available than we have now.

I didn't have a lot of faith in Long (still don't to a degree) but he was still our best option for the whole of last year. As much as I think he should've been taken out of the side at times in September/October (and beyond) he was better than Hunt and Church.

As you say we have added some more options since then but I'm by no means confident that Manset and Williams constitute an improvement. Robson-Kanu is looking like being involved as well but as good a job as he may have done that's still a gamble (and one we didn't try last year so you have to assume is a bit of a long shot).

Is Hunt/Manset/Robson-Kanu/Church/Williams better than Long/Hunt/Church/Bignall? As much as I'm not a big Long fan I'd have to say it isn't, especially if we continue to play the same way as we have done since McDermott took over.

[Royal Lady]

Hmm - West Brom fan I know seems to think this is a done deal.

[chilipepper91]

Very reliable transfer news guy on Twitter seems to think West Brom is happening for £6m, despite Leicester offering more

https://twitter.com/#!/fourth_official

Looks like West Brom are in the driving seat for Shane Long, they will sign a striker this week #WBA

Don't think West Brom's incoming bid for Long is of the same value of Leicester's one which is still on the table, but he does want Prem

Look's like Reading have accepted a £6m bid from West Brom for Shane Long, Leicester's bid was more! #WBA

[ZacNaloen]

I told that fourth official guy that we don't want to sell to the competition and the bid would have to be ridiculous. He didn't take me seriously then

[TBM]

fcuk not selling to the "competition" - take the most someone offers..........we're not gonna be in contention this year so why does it matter where he goes!?

[rhroyal]

fcuk not selling to the "competition" - take the most someone offers..........we're not gonna be in contention this year so why does it matter where he goes!?

We're actually showing what I would call "ambition" by refusing to sell our prized asset to competitors. So this time the club are criticized for too much ambition....

[Handsome Man]

Press Association say WBA are about to break their transfer record to buy him

[Royal Rother]

Their current highest is £4.7m, so I should hope so!

[anR]

If Leicester offered more and they're denied, why sell him at all?

[Svlad Cjelli]

If Leicester offered more and they're denied, why sell him at all?

Because he wants to go!

[Handsome Man]

If Leicester offered more and they're denied, why sell him at all?

He's got to go. He has outgrown us.

[Who Moved The Goalposts?]

fcuk not selling to the "competition" - take the most someone offers..........we're not gonna be in contention this year so why does it matter where he goes!?

We're actually showing what I would call "ambition" by refusing to sell our prized asset to competitors. So this time the club are criticized for too much ambition....

Not my definition of ambition!

I think the idea of who we sell to is academic - it's our own position we should be focussed on. Ambition would be to get top dollar (to anyone) and replace with someone capable of a first 11 slot straight away. That may or may not happen, but current form suggests not - let's wait and see though.

[brendywendy]

good luck shanus o'shlong.
i loved you for a while, but like all the others you stab me in th eback as you casually walk out of my life.