Shane Long

[tricky_colour]

There may be a psychological element to goal scoring such as a black ball complex in snooker.

I could never pot the black, too much pressure, mind you I couldn't pot anything else either :)

[Fixer82]

But that's the thing. A good striker will never really think about it, they'll just do it on instinct.
A player who thinks about where he's going to put it has already lost his edge in a one-on-one for example

[ArdeeBhoy]

It wasn't a sitter...an easyish chance maybe, but wasn't an open goal...

Anyway, it's rather more important he saves his goals for Ireland.

[back of the net]

I read the last few posts before opening that link. I was expecting a careless miss, a bit of a shocker really, but even though I tend to be very critical of Long's finishing I think this time I wouldn't be too hard on him. He had to move a few steps sideways and when he did get to the pitch of the ball Johnson had just done enough to make it harder for him. Even if Long's header was on target Johnson's pressure, coupled with Long's sideways arrival at the ball, meant Long couldn't put much power into it. I think the defender or Mignolet might have got to it even if it was on target. The defender looked like he might have been able to get in the way. A chance, yes, a sitter, probably not.


Ah tbh Stutts - i thinks its a very poor miss

Whatever about scoring to not even get it on target from that range is poor - i dont think johnson put him off that much that he would miss the target

Thing Long is a very good player but equally i think y'days attempt was just another poor miss by a striker that should be doing alot better when these type of chances come along

[DeLorean]

I think he made it difficult for himself by waiting for it to drop onto his head. He should have attacked it with that great leap of his just as he did at Stamford Bridge last season.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmslw2whRMU

[Olé Olé]

Our own Barry Glendenning dedicates a spot in 10 Things to Look Out for This Weekend to the criticism Shane Long has faced the past week: http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/aug/22/premier-league-10-things-to-look-out-for


Long should be set for success at Southampton

Having passed up a wonderful opportunity to open his Southampton account at Liverpool last weekend, Shane Long will be anxious to break his seasonal duck in front of home fans against his former club West Brom on Saturday, although there’s no real reason for him to be. Averaging just one goal every four games throughout his career, the Irish striker has never been prolific and is renowned more as a tenacious grafter. His £12m price tag was the source of much incredulity when he moved south from Hull City, but in a world where top end Championship strikers now change hands for £10m, it doesn’t seem quite so remarkable.

Responding to suggestions that the purchase of the Irish international smacked of desperation in a press conference last Friday, the Saints manager Ronald Koeman conceded that “in general you pay too much money for players, especially in England, so it’s not unique to Long”. Koeman also said he saw Long as a contrasting player to fellow striker Graziano Pellè, who scored frequently for the Dutchman at Feyenoord. “Long is a different type of attacker and you need both qualities in the squad,” he said, suggesting he did not bring in the man from Gortnahoe in County Tipperary for his goal-scoring prowess. Long has been successful in his three previous spells of employment in England and assuming he maintains his prodigious work ethic, there’s no reason why he should fail now.

I'm a big Shane Long fan- met him over the summer on a night out and told him as much and he seemed really grounded, a sound chap. He's an absolutely torrid price at 13/8 to score any time against his old side, WBA. 11/2 for first goal for an interest bet perhaps!

[Stuttgart88]

I see Jordan Rhodes is rumoured to be wanted by Hull, and with a similar price tag.

[Olé Olé]

I see Jordan Rhodes is rumoured to be wanted by Hull, and with a similar price tag.

Together they'd be the perfect striker. One who doesn't do much but scores a lot and another who doesn't score much but does a lot.

[Charlie Darwin]

Trading Long for Rhodes is a bad deal for Hull if true.

[Stuttgart88]

I suspect Long wouldn't have been sold if Snoddy hadn't got crocked.

[geysir]

The lesson may be not to sell your first choice striker at he last minute before the season starts, just because the offer appears too good to turn down.

[Crosby87]

You've done that now and then with properties Geysir and you always live to regret it.

[tricky_colour]

He missed another header :disillusionment:

[Charlie Darwin]

He's nothing if not consistency. And that's what managers want in a striker, consistency.

[tricky_colour]

What consistently missing the target?

[Charlie Darwin]

I was being sarcastic, tricko.

[Crosby87]

He needs to get a swollen head Charlie. I may need one later too. I mean its saturday night.

[tricky_colour]

He needs to get a swollen head Charlie. I may need one later too. I mean its saturday night.

Will Stuttgart88 be getting one too?

[Stuttgart88]

Hey, I'm still recovering from the mere thought of Charlie having part of himself in me. Leave me alone.

[back of the net]

http://balls.ie/football/vine-outrageous-shane-long-pass-worth-12-million-alone/

Does he mean it?

I think he does but aint sure

[Olé Olé]

I really think he does too, honest. But, it'll be a convenient, viral stick to beat his fee.

[Stuttgart88]

Yeah, that's deliberate. There's a similar clip of Keane doing the same for LA last weekend, only Keane's didn't look so deliberate. He either made a monumental goof up or disguised it so well it looked like a total goof up. I know, let's ask TOWK for an unbiased view.

[Charlie Darwin]

I doubt anybody will look at it and think it was accidental. It's pretty clearly intended, although it didn't fool either of the defenders.

[back of the net]

I doubt anybody will look at it and think it was accidental. It's pretty clearly intended, although it didn't fool either of the defenders.

Yeah i think its just the delayed dummy by his right leg that has me not 100% convinced

[tricky_colour]

I think is is probable a deliberate pass, Shane's bad but not that bad!! (I hope :p).

Actually I think he did draw in one of the defenders in a bit and make a bit of space for the guy outside him.

[DeLorean]

If it was deliberate... it was one of the most pointless pieces of non-skill I've seen.

[Stuttgart88]

Has anyone been following his progress at Southampton? He seems to be getting plenty of game time but in a wide ( or wide- ish?) role. I've read some papers say Koeman is playing 4231, others that he is playing 4141. If Long is furthest right in the latter it'd be quite different to his role in the former.

I only caught glimpses of him on MOTD and it spears he is covering most of the forward area of the pitch but with Pelle trusted with the main no. 9 role, and to good effect.

So, it appears to me that Koeman rates Long but clearly not as the lead goalscorer. They seem to be going OK so his judgment seems vindicated.

[tetsujin1979]

Reading through this article on the setup at Southampton today - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/southampton/11140340/The-inside-story-of-Southamptons-brilliant-start-to-the-Premier-League-season-under-Ronald-Koeman.html - and Long gets a brief mention

Bertrand, Forster, Toby Alderweireld, Shane Long, Florin Gardos and Sadio Mane had been long-term targetsso it appears they had identified Long as a transfer target before Koeman arrived, which is interesting.

Good article too BTW, well worth a read, the journalist discussed on NewsTalk last night

[BonnieShels]

Southampton 8-0 Sunderland

Long got none...

[Stuttgart88]

He was subbed at 4 I think. I only saw bits and he nearly scored once. It didn't look like he was playing centre forward.

[elroy]

Thought koeman could've left him on so he break his duck!!! Though as mentioned above he doesn't seem to be playing up front.

[Eirambler]

I doubt Southampton will ever play him up front if they're playing any kind of formation that involves only one striker. He is a good player but not a good striker. Unfortunately for us that means he is competing for a place in positions where we are well stocked (wide midfield or behind a lone striker) rather than the position where we will soon need a new option. Long will never be the man to replace Keane.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?51990-Long-Thoughts#.VE6eK_msVvA

Saints fans are, largely, pretty satisfied with his contributions so far.

[BonnieShels]

http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?51990-Long-Thoughts#.VE6eK_msVvA

Saints fans are, largely, pretty satisfied with his contributions so far.


Some OTT reactiosn there.

Funnily they have falen for the Shane is Short not Long optical illusion.

Being 6'2" v Pelle's 6'4" is hardly considerably shorter.

http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?51990-Long-Thoughts&p=2063424#post2063424

[Charlie Darwin]

Ah he is in his ****** 6'2. He's 5'10 or 5'11. Which is tall by the standards of a man but below average for a burly centre forward.

[BonnieShels]

Ah he is in his ****** 6'2. He's 5'10 or 5'11. Which is tall by the standards of a man but below average for a burly centre forward.

His wiki used to say 6'2" and whilst I was surprised it seems that I had no option to take that as read given that I had no alternative confirmation, plus I didn't really care too much to research further.

Checked wiki just there and he's listed at 5'11". Hmmmmm...

[tetsujin1979]

first goal for Southampton tonight in the league cup, they're 2-0 up on Stoke now

[Philly]

Goal here: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x28wdpm_long-goooal-0-2-stoke-city-vs-southampton-capital-one-cup-29-10-14-hd_sport?start=29

Nice finish too

[tricky_colour]

Nice finish I supposed but not too difficult from there.

Was it really 15 games without scoring? Anyway first goal this season.

[DannyInvincible]

Great to see him finally get off the mark for Southampton.

[geysir]

He's usually good for a goal every 4 months, at least.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Yeah. He should be in double figures already, starting 4 games and playing on the wing at the 2nd placed PL team. What a complete and utter waste of money.

[Stuttgart88]

He was unlucky not to get a second. He ran very strongly into space from an inside right position, was picked out with a lovely cross which he volleyed down, good connection, but Begovic made a very good close range block to deflect it over. It could have gone in but didn't, just as his first goal might have hit the keeper's legs if he had been unlucky. Each was the type of chance he does well with, requiring a sudden reflexive strike rather than having time to decide what to do. Great for him to break his duck, there'll be more to come if he's given his chance.

Wilson lost Long easily for his goal, or maybe Long lost him, and Wilson might have done better for Pelle's first goal, although it was executed perfectly.

[DannyInvincible]

Long's celebration just showed how much getting off the mark meant to him: https://vine.co/v/OMIpM0KZMFn

[Stuttgart88]

That's closer to Targett than he usually gets.

[BonnieShels]

Yeah. He should be in double figures already, starting 4 games and playing on the wing at the 2nd placed PL team. What a complete and utter waste of money.

http://s3-ak.buzzfed.com/static/imagebuzz/web05/2011/6/9/17/anigif_not-sure-if-serious-gif-to-be-used-on-forums-22779-1307655858-12_preview.gif

[DannyInvincible]

Definitely tongue-in-cheek. Sure TOWK loves Shane more than he hates Robbie!

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Defend Shane Long against harsh criticism, unrealistic expectations and cheap pot shots and I "love" him.

Criticise Robbie Keane in any context, hold a candle to his performances and suggest that he should be dropped in favor of a younger player in better form and I "hate" him.

Keane is one of Ireland's best ever players and was one of my favorite players when I was growing up. It doesn't mean he is now immune to criticism or analysis.

Even if I do go over the top with it, what do people call some of the comments pertaining to Long?

[tetsujin1979]

Defend Shane Long against harsh criticism, unrealistic expectations and cheap pot shots and I "love" him.

Criticise Robbie Keane in any context, hold a candle to his performances and suggest that he should be dropped in favor of a younger player in better form and I "hate" him.

Keane is one of Ireland's best ever players and was one of my favorite players when I was growing up. It doesn't mean he is now immune to criticism or analysis.

Even if I do go over the top with it, what do people call some of the comments pertaining to Long?
As Homer Simpson once said "Do I know what rhetorical means?!"

[DannyInvincible]

Defend Shane Long against harsh criticism, unrealistic expectations and cheap pot shots and I "love" him.

Criticise Robbie Keane in any context, hold a candle to his performances and suggest that he should be dropped in favor of a younger player in better form and I "hate" him.

Keane is one of Ireland's best ever players and was one of my favorite players when I was growing up. It doesn't mean he is now immune to criticism or analysis.

Even if I do go over the top with it, what do people call some of the comments pertaining to Long?

Jesus, TOWK, I was only pulling your leg.