Shane Long

[tricky_colour]

Hunt's finish was really good, I don't think many strikers would have put that one away. I also think he remained pretty calm considering he was hit twice. What was it all about anyway? Did Hunt say something to Gillespie? It seemed like it started when Gillipse backed into him.

[dr_peepee]

He said to Gillespie "I bet you, you can't get sent off"....

[cavan_fan]

He said to Gillespie "I bet you, you can't get sent off"....

I sort of hoped on Match of The Day Alan Shearer would share his knowledge of fights with Gillespie.

There's a lot to be said for having a bit of a wind up merchant on the team.

[Bungle]

Great news for Shane.

Is that lad Simon Cox Irish?His name sounds familiar.

[co. down green]

Don't think Cox has ever represented Ireland.

A local lad, born in Reading.

[tetsujin1979]

Great news for Shane.

Is that lad Simon Cox Irish?His name sounds familiar.

could be this Simon Cox - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Cox_(footballer_born_1984 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Cox_%28footballer_born_1984))
He's confirmed as being Irish (despite being born in Clapham) here: http://playerhistory.com/Default.aspx?page=player_details&playerID=49723
He was at Reading for a while - confirmed here: http://www.btinternet.com/~rfc1871/academy/squads200102.htm (http://www.btinternet.com/%7Erfc1871/academy/squads200102.htm) -
Same name, different birthdays. Odd that they were both at Reading

[tricky_colour]

I see Shane Long started for Reading again today, and scored.
Looks to have become a regular starter at Reading.

[theworm2345]

I see Shane Long started for Reading again today, and scored.
Looks to have become a regular starter at Reading.
I still don't think hes good enough yet for the EPL from what I've seen for Reading. Him and Stokes should both be loaned to the CCC for some experience I think. Looked OK for Ireland against Denmark though.

[shakermaker1982]

Reading shipped out Lita on loan so they must think highly of Shane.

[eirebhoy]

Good analysis of the goal there on RTE. Doyle did really well to set it up. It was a simple goal for Long after that.

According to Houghton Doyle, Long and Hunt all impressed in front of the 2 Ireland coaches. Doyle back to his form of last season according to him.


Reading shipped out Lita on loan so they must think highly of Shane.
Agreed. Long has played in the vast majority of Reading's games this season. Obviously mostly from the bench. I rate Kitson too so good to see the 2 Irish players keeping a decent pair of players out of the team.

[theworm2345]

Agreed. Long has played in the vast majority of Reading's games this season. Obviously mostly from the bench. I rate Kitson too so good to see the 2 Irish players keeping a decent pair of players out of the team.

Looking at the flip-side, Reading are fighting for their Premier League lives and are tied for second-least goals scored at home (away is slightly better). I know, I'm very cynical.

[eirebhoy]

Fair point at first until you look at Newcastle with Owen, Martins and Viduka. ;)

[theworm2345]

Fair point at first until you look at Newcastle with Owen, Martins and Viduka. ;)
Neither of whom have started a match since January 2nd (when they started together). Owen has 11 league goals in 3 years (still more than Shane Long even with all of his injuries and Long playing in the CCC one of those seasons). Newcastle's situation is down to bad management and/or injuries. Ameobi is worth 8-12 EPL goals a year but he can't get a game either.

[eirebhoy]

That's kinda my point. Newcastle have the players but they can't score. As you said yourself, there's a lot more to goalscoring than quality of your forwards.

[theworm2345]

That's kinda my point. Newcastle have the players but they can't score. As you said yourself, there's a lot more to goalscoring than quality of your forwards.
Yeah, like actually playing? Doyle can't complain about PT, maybe Long can.

[DmanDmythDledge]

Yeah, like actually playing? Doyle can't complain about PT, maybe Long can.
Forwards can't score unless they have service, that's his point.

[danonion]

Yeah, like actually playing? Doyle can't complain about PT, maybe Long can.

So what does all this have to do with David Connolly? :rolleyes:

Long is athletic and strong, seems to have a good bit of ability and I fully expect him to develop into a quality player.

Unfortunately Reading appear to be something of a sinking ship. Although some would argue otherwise, I don't think relegation battles breed quality players.

[jmurphyc]

Unfortunately Reading appear to be something of a sinking ship. Although some would argue otherwise, I don't think relegation battles breed quality players.

From the little I've seen of Long he seems to have great positioning for a striker. He always seems to get into goalscoring positions a lot and if he can improve his finishing a bit he could be excellent. He could be an option for us in the campaign if we're dominating possession and getting balls into the box but still need a goal.

I agree about the relegation battle thing, but I also think it'll tell you a lot about a player's mentality. If you're fighting relegation and constantly losing games, a lot of players heads will drop. The ones that keep on fighting and don't give up no matter what the circumstances are the ones that you need going into tough games away from home against eastern european sides. It's not always an easy trait to identify though.

Good to see him score today as well of course. It's great - we have so many more options up front than we did a few years ago.

[theworm2345]

So what does all this have to do with David Connolly? :rolleyes:

Nothing, but if Connolly had as many minutes as Owen, Long, or Doyle this season he would have had more goals than any of them, even in the EPL. Am I saying he is better? No (not than Owen at least, we won't know about the other two for at least a few years to find out if they are streaky, got lucky last year, are just having a bad year this year, etc.) I did say earlier in this thread that Long needed to develop, I never said he wouldn't ever be good

[billybunter]

Nothing, but if Connolly had as many minutes as Owen, Long, or Doyle this season he would have had more goals than any of them, even in the EPL. Am I saying he is better? No (not than Owen at least, we won't know about the other two for at least a few years to find out if they are streaky, got lucky last year, are just having a bad year this year, etc.) I did say earlier in this thread that Long needed to develop, I never said he wouldn't ever be good


worm man - let it go. david connolly is history . shane long is the future.

[theworm2345]

worm man - let it go. david connolly is history . shane long is the future.
THIS HAPPENS EVERY GODDAMN TIME, I DID NOT BRING UP CONNOLLY

[Stuttgart88]

I thought Long took the chance very well, along the ground back where the keeper was coming from, giving him no chance. Maybe it's because I was shockingly inept in front of goal that I appreciated the finish more than good amateurs would have, but I though a lot of the print media's (and eirebhoy's!) description of the goal as a "tap in" was a bit unfair. The Telegraph extract that Owls Fan posted in another thread referred to it as an expert finish was ;probably a bit OTT but I thought it was well taken. I've seen forwards miss that type of chance.

[DmanDmythDledge]

I thought it was a very good finish myself. Came at him at pace, at an awkward angle and he had to re-adjust his feet quickly to get a shot on goal, and still managed to get right into the corner.

[OwlsFan]

I DID NOT BRING UP CONNOLLY

No, hopefully his parents did.

Sorry, I'll get my coat....

[kingdom hoop]

You don't deserve a coat! :D

[eirebhoy]

Apparantly Long had a bit of a tantrum when subbed today. Hopefully it was because of his performance rather than the decision. I didn't see the game to know how well he played though.

[jmurphyc]

Apparantly Long had a bit of a tantrum when subbed today. Hopefully it was because of his performance rather than the decision. I didn't see the game to know how well he played though.

He didn't play great. Did more than Doyle though, who was completely anonymous. Hunt was definitely the best of the three. I didn't see exactly what happened, but I think he took his shirt off when sitting in the dugout and Coppell had to repeatedly ask him to put it back on if I'm not mistaken.

[tricky_colour]

I didn't see exactly what happened, but I did see a Reading shirt on the ground, which must have been Longs so it looks at if he threw it on the ground at some point. I recorded the stream so I will see if I can get another look at it:-

It didn't really show it on camera but a 'cheer' went up from the Liverpool fans
just after he came off then it cut to someone (steward/policeman) picking his shirt up
from what was said to be in front of Coppel, then there is a clip of Coppel having
a word with Long.

[co. down green]

Reading boss Steve Coppell moans at the referee and striker Shane Long (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7284959.stm):

"That penalty was stitched on, the ball was heading for goal and it struck Steven Gerrard's arm.

"Shane was frusrated with the officials but I've told him I never want to see anything like that again, and I won't."

[tetsujin1979]

Coppell's post match interview on Sky Sports: http://www.skysports.com/video/0,20285,12606_3307508,00.html
Mentions the Long incident on about 2:10

[SkStu]

saw that game this morning and have to say that Hunt is a terrible player, a complete waste of space. I know he has his fans here but he really is a shocking player lads.

I like the look of Long, i think he will turn out to be a very good player and i dont think the referee or the linesman gave him one decision all afternoon - in fact he was penalised 4 or 5 times in a row for what looked like just honest physical battles for the ball played into the channels... he was subbed shortly after and i think that all that might have been the reason for his mini-tantrum...

Doyle is half the player he was last year and seems to have beefed up a bit too much. Just a thought.

[tricky_colour]

Hunt is currently the 51st best player in the Premiership according to Actim index.
One above Frank Lampard, and Irelands second best Irish player in the Index.
He got a decent rating on Sky, only the goal scorer and keeper rated higher.

[SkStu]

Hunt is currently the 51st best player in the Premiership according to Actim index.
One above Frank Lampard, and Irelands second best Irish player in the Index.
He got a decent rating on Sky, only the goal scorer and keeper rated higher.


with all due respect, id rather make my valuation of a player based on what i see and not by the Actim index nor Sky Sports ratings.

[tricky_colour]

with all due respect, id rather make my valuation of a player based on what i see and not by the Actim index nor Sky Sports ratings.

Well those ratings pretty much match up with what I have seen of him too.

Liverpool obviously fear him if they were driven to chanting "There's only one scruffy b******". Made me laugh. :D

[SkStu]

Well those ratings pretty much match up with what I have seen of him too.

Liverpool obviously fear him if they were driven to chanting "There's only one scruffy b******". Made me laugh. :D

lol i wasnt too sure what they were chanting - i actually thought they were chanting "there's only one Robbie Savage" in reference to both players being long harired and hated... but i think thats giving too much credit to the intelligence of Liverpool fans! lol...

fair enough, he's a premiership quality player alright - or should i say - hes the type of player that the Premiership fans will love and love to hate. I still dont rate him highly though. I think hes all brawn, no brain. And most of what i have seen backs this up (in my opinion)...

[shakermaker1982]

well he's been Reading's best player this season (look on any Reading fans forum) and each match report from the guardian/observer lists Hunt as MOM most weeks so he must be doing something right.

[theworm2345]

well he's been Reading's best player this season (look on any Reading fans forum) and each match report from the guardian/observer lists Hunt as MOM most weeks so he must be doing something right.
Are you serious? Please send me a link, I find this incredibly hard to believe considering he couldn't get a game for awhile.

[irishfan86]

Are you serious? Please send me a link, I find this incredibly hard to believe considering he couldn't get a game for awhile.

Think there's a mix up here. He's saying HUNT is Reading's player of the season, not LONG.

[theworm2345]

Think there's a mix up here. He's saying HUNT is Reading's player of the season, not LONG.
Now that makes sense :)

[seahawk]

Shane Long has been on fire recently for Reading scoring

In the Charlton game he started off hitting the post on a looping cross by Stephen Hunt. Then at the start of the 2nd half he drew a penalty only :10 in, he took and nailed the penalty (even though Stephen Hunt tried to grab the ball and take the shot). Then he scored off a corner (taken by Jay Tabb) on a bullet header. So in a 2-2 game he scored both goals for Reading.

Two games previously against Sheffield United he slotted home the game winner being setup on a nice pass by Stephen Hunt.

Reading have brought back Dave Kitson on loan for the rest of the season in hopes of him enhancing their promotion push. But I really don't see how Coppell can remove Shane Long from the starting XI as he is playing so well.

So Reading now have five strikers: Kevin Doyle, Noel Hunt, Shane Long, Dave Kitson and Leroy Lita. Who gets the starts from here on out will be interesting.

[Crosby87]

There's a guy named Shane Long? Amazing, that was my alias when I made movies out in California!

[Scram]

There's a guy named Shane Long? Amazing, that was my alias when I made movies out in California!

http://www.southerncomfortfurniture.co.uk/Chaise%20Longue/Chaise%20Longue%20in%20Leather%20with%20Mahogany%2 0Queen%20Ann%20Legs%20450.jpg

[elroy]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_1/8001908.stm

A double for Long last night. Incredibly if Reading win at the wkd and Sheff United dont, Reading will be automatically promoted, which considering the Irish contingent present there can only be welcomed.

[tricky_colour]

Yes Reading have given themselves a decent chance, they are 5/4 for promotion,
Birmingham 4/6 and Shefield 5/6. Wll be a very tense final day for all. Two headers from Long second one was good one.

[seahawk]

The second one was more than just good. Shane made it look easy but it was a powerful header perfectly placed. If I can find a clip of it I will post it.

The first goal was off a perfect cross from Jimmy Kebe. Shane buried it though. But the second was a nice piece of skill.

[Stuttgart88]

He had a really good game all round, from start to finish.

[OwlsFan]

He had a really good game all round, from start to finish.

Yes, right from the start he was buzzing and as the commentator stated, even if he hadn't scored the two goals he would still have been the motm.

[Dr. Ogba]

From the Reading Evening post (linked from the bbc article above):


It was no more than the Republic of Ireland striker deserved for another cracking display.

He has had to play understudy pretty much since he arrived as a rookie from Cork City three years ago, but he now looks like he is finally coming of age.


Now I've never been a huge fan of Long's but if he could step up and start producing regularly then he'd be a big asset to us as backup to Doyle/Keane

[Stuttgart88]

Although it's still be a square peg in a round hole, Long is far better suited to RHM than Keogh. He played well there as a late sub against Poland and did well when drawn wide last night.

[Yard of Pace]

Although it's still be a square peg in a round hole, Long is far better suited to RHM than Keogh. He played well there as a late sub against Poland and did well when drawn wide last night.

What's his defensive play like? I'd certainly be happy seeing Long come on if we're in need of a goal. He's quick, eager, and seems well capable of taking a chance. Delighted things are finally coming good for him at Reading.