Long to WBA

[Ferris]

It's the perfect move for him and us.

Great amount of money for a striker that is nearing the end of his contract - would be foolish to turn it down
Good Premiership club that are very unlikely to be in any trouble this season with that squad
He'll be a first team regular - they need a striker to partner Odemwingie (tantalising partnership I must admit) and him being their record transfer he's unlikely to sit on the bench
Has an old team mate in Shorey



And who knows. Maybe Simon Cox will come the other way.

Gutted if it comes off obviously, but logically it makes sense.

He definitely won't

[Alan Partridge]

Long's had 3/4's of a good season last year and half a good season the one before, £6million looks a good deal to me.

One thing playing Devil's advocat there though is does it matter what he goes for if precisely zero of it is reinvested? Could be 6mill, 10mill, 15mill. If the Current manager sees zero then basically he's just lost a player and the money's vanished.

I don't want to get onto another boring debate about money and ambition but if Long goes then that's 20+ goals gone again for the 2nd season in a row. Last year they put their faith in Shane and he filled the Sigurdsson void. Long's general play had improved immeasureably over the last 18months, the work rate was there just the goals were missing. They stuck with him and it worked, I think Shane had showed enough to warrant perservering with.

This time I truly don't think there is someone currently in the squad that can fill that void this time around. Church has gone backwards as a player, Hunt gets you 10 goals but he doesn't have anywhere near the all round game or presence of a Long, Manset is still very raw and will do some good things some bad things, he needs time.

Reading really need to reinvest some of that money to get themselves a top forward for the Championship, IF they want to be competitive in the league. My opinion.

[Sarah Star]

And who knows. Maybe Simon Cox will come the other way.

He definitely won't

Boooo! Madejski out!

[Platypuss]

Why are Birmingham in the title now?

Because two threads were merged.

[roadrunner]

Why are Birmingham in the title now?

Because two threads were merged.

Yet we know they aren't in the running.

WBA/Leicester/West Ham

[Victor Meldrew]

I wish him all the best but can see him flopping big style. Hope not though. Plus West Brom will be in the mix for relegation as well.

Agree with you Arnie that West Brom are far from being certainties to stay up-will Shane have a clause in his contract to say that he can go to a Premier League club if they bid over a certain amount?
I will be very surprised if it really is as much as £6 million but if it is (no doubt it will be the "undisclosed" that a writer in one of yesterday's paper suggests smacks of dubious practice-why not tell everybody in this era of transparency? is what the writer suggested )then it is a figure of somewhere around twice the market value and as our club is run as a business this becomes a very good business deal.
On the other hand ,as has been seen so often in the past,if you sell your main assets the business suffers going forward and unless there is reinvestment the business becomes more of a short term rather than a long term model.

Good luck Shane,I never thought we would ever get so much money for you and I'm not too sure about Hodgson's judgement after he paid £3million for Paul Konchesky, you owe Reading nothing and thanks for the one good half season.

[Svlad Cjelli]

The big question is how he will get on without his mentor BMc thee to guide and motivate him.

[roadrunner]

The big question is how he will get on without his mentor BMc thee to guide and motivate him.

That's why I feel Hodgson is made for him. Other clubs in the PL wont give him the time he needs if he hits bad form. That league will punish you, as we saw with Torres last season. Hodgson is of a different ilk. It's a good match for both parties IMO. I'm just not convinced Longy has the consistancy in him for the Premier League, or even the Championaship. One good half season doesn't prove owt.

[Tails]

I wish him all the best but can see him flopping big style. Hope not though. Plus West Brom will be in the mix for relegation as well.

Agree with you Arnie that West Brom are far from being certainties to stay up-will Shane have a clause in his contract to say that he can go to a Premier League club if they bid over a certain amount?
I will be very surprised if it really is as much as £6 million but if it is (no doubt it will be the "undisclosed" that a writer in one of yesterday's paper suggests smacks of dubious practice-why not tell everybody in this era of transparency? is what the writer suggested )then it is a figure of somewhere around twice the market value and as our club is run as a business this becomes a very good business deal.
On the other hand ,as has been seen so often in the past,if you sell your main assets the business suffers going forward and unless there is reinvestment the business becomes more of a short term rather than a long term model.

Good luck Shane,I never thought we would ever get so much money for you and I'm not too sure about Hodgson's judgement after he paid £3million for Paul Konchesky, you owe Reading nothing and thanks for the one good half season.

Agreed with this.

Surely this [along with other recent sales] has sorted our finances for the next few years....surely.

[roadrunner]

You would like to think, but you wait until next summer!

Plus the fact that we'll be an avarage, mid-table flagging club and we'll have the likes of Obita out growing us. We're a selling club because of this so called black hole, and because we produce quality that unless we invest to improve the squad we have to sell as they will continue to out grow us.

[Terminal Boardom]

Long's had 3/4's of a good season last year and half a good season the one before, £6million looks a good deal to me.

One thing playing Devil's advocat there though is does it matter what he goes for if precisely zero of it is reinvested? Could be 6mill, 10mill, 15mill. If the Current manager sees zero then basically he's just lost a player and the money's vanished.

I don't want to get onto another boring debate about money and ambition but if Long goes then that's 20+ goals gone again for the 2nd season in a row. Last year they put their faith in Shane and he filled the Sigurdsson void. Long's general play had improved immeasureably over the last 18months, the work rate was there just the goals were missing. They stuck with him and it worked, I think Shane had showed enough to warrant perservering with.

This time I truly don't think there is someone currently in the squad that can fill that void this time around. Church has gone backwards as a player, Hunt gets you 10 goals but he doesn't have anywhere near the all round game or presence of a Long, Manset is still very raw and will do some good things some bad things, he needs time.

Reading really need to reinvest some of that money to get themselves a top forward for the Championship, IF they want to be competitive in the league. My opinion.

But the thing is AP, the money will be reinvested, but not into the squad. It will go into the running of the club which is staffed by non-entities and jobsworths who think they are a cut above the rest.

[FiNeRaIn]

Nope, another black hole will appear next season and we'll be forced to sell obita for 6 million and not invest.

[Darren Caskey's Dietician]

Personally, I'll be sad to see Long go after his performance last season. He was absolutely brilliant, and every time he got the ball, you felt something could happen. A bit like Glfi and Doyle before him.

Whenever we have been in this situation in the last couple of years, someone has stepped up to fill the void. Here's hoping Hunt/Manset/Church can do it this time, although I would be far more comfortable if we re-invested to bring in a solid striker who is proven at this level.

I think it is a great bit of business for the club though, and I think West Brom would be the best move for Long of the clubs who have been rumoured so far - so good luck to the lad!

[Handsome Man]

Nope, another black hole will appear next season and we'll be forced to sell obita for 6 million and not invest.

That would mean he had a brilliant season - I can't wait.

[Terminal Boardom]

You would like to think, but you wait until next summer!

Plus the fact that we'll be an avarage, mid-table flagging club and we'll have the likes of Obita out growing us. We're a selling club because of this so called black hole, and because we produce quality that unless we invest to improve the squad we have to sell as they will continue to out grow us.

Shades of Southampton. By the sounds of things, the club spends more than it receives - hence the need to "balance the books". Whether that is to pay off loans or the like is an irrelevance. I see a few more years ahead before the deficit is removed. Only then will there be what could be consiudered tangible investment in the playing squad. Until then, expect more stop-gap signings like Griffin and Harte and more unknowns like Manset, Morrison and Williams. The days where we will spend similar amounts to other clubs in the Championship are a long way off.

[No Hoops]

whilst this is undoubtably true. im pretty sure shane long was last off theitch and throws his kit into the stand after every game.

He had a tear in his eye though

[roadrunner]

You would like to think, but you wait until next summer!

Plus the fact that we'll be an avarage, mid-table flagging club and we'll have the likes of Obita out growing us. We're a selling club because of this so called black hole, and because we produce quality that unless we invest to improve the squad we have to sell as they will continue to out grow us.

Shades of Southampton. By the sounds of things, the club spends more than it receives - hence the need to "balance the books". Whether that is to pay off loans or the like is an irrelevance. I see a few more years ahead before the deficit is removed. Only then will there be what could be consiudered tangible investment in the playing squad. Until then, expect more stop-gap signings like Griffin and Harte and more unknowns like Manset, Morrison and Williams. The days where we will spend similar amounts to other clubs in the Championship are a long way off.

As you say, you can see a few more years of this black hole. I can see it being forever more if we want to compete at this level. We don't have a huge fan base and the outgoings will continue to be more than the income. Madejski seems reluctant to carry on putting his money in and so it's up to the club to support itself as much as it possibly can do. I can't see things changing until a new ambitious owner comes along.

[CayeneMatt]

He was on the pitch for a good 2 minutes after everyone else had left. I was only there cos my Mrs wanted a piccy of him on her iphone (she's Irish).

He meandered over to the North stand, shirt in hand, then meandered back to the tunnel (in to the waiting arms of Hammond). Me and everyone else around, well, those that were left plus my Mrs waving her iphone at him all felt that was his last time. His body language said it all. End of.

[true blue 4 ever]

According to the Daily Mail online an hour ago, he is off to the Baggies

[Svlad Cjelli]

If only we had a thread about this, eh?