Shane Long

[DannyInvincible]

I didn't see Southampton's game against Crystal Palace last night, nor any highlights, but Shane Long was reported to have missed a number of "gilt-edged"chances: http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/premier-league/shane-longs-blushes-spared-by-more-clinical-southampton-teammates-in-victory-over-palace-35597860.html


Maya Yoshida and James Ward-Prowse spared Shane Long's blushes as Southampton hit two goals in as many minutes to sink Crystal Palace 3-1 at St Mary's.

Republic of Ireland striker Long spurned a trio of gilt-edged chances and Saints were almost made to pay for that wastefulness, until Yoshida came to the rescue.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Puel marked Long out for praise in his post-match judgement.

http://www.eatsleepsport.com/southampton/long-wins-puel-praise-2258693.html

[Closed Account]

Puel marked Long out for praise in his post-match judgement.

http://www.eatsleepsport.com/southampton/long-wins-puel-praise-2258693.html
One of his better albeit stereotypical games. He's due an outstanding brace.

[Stuttgart88]

I didn't see Southampton's game against Crystal Palace last night, nor any highlights, but Shane Long was reported to have missed a number of "gilt-edged"chances: http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/premier-league/shane-longs-blushes-spared-by-more-clinical-southampton-teammates-in-victory-over-palace-35597860.html
I saw the game highlights on MOTD2. He missed a chance in the first minute, a good effort with his left foot that missed the far post by a couple of feet but given the angle the keeper would have been favourite to save anything that didn't go in off the far post. The highlights showed no other miss by Long so they can't have been that bad. They scored two lovely goals actually.

[Olé Olé]

Just watching Goals on Sunday. Long did extremely well for Clasie's goal yesterday. Long ball up from Forster and he controlled it well. Put it out to space on his first touch having eased I off the defender and came back in slightly with a great second touch with a few defenders surrounding him. Lovely pull back to Tadic for his third touch who laid it on for a great strike from Clasie.

Kamara did a nice bit of analysis on how there was havoc among the West Brom defence which was caused by Long's movement I think.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

He's a more well-rounded player than Rodriguez. I can see why Puel prefers him.

[DannyInvincible]

Shane Long was taken off yesterday against Manchester City only 20 minutes after being subbed on. However, it appears this was all as a result of some confusion on the part of the Southampton bench: http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/saints/news/15227143.Puel_explains_bizarre_Long_substitution/


It was difficult. It seems that Shane felt a touch himself his hamstring and it seems a misunderstanding between him and the staff.

It was a precaution to take off Shane but I hope it’s nothing and it will be good for Shane tomorrow or the next day.

Long seemed to share some heated words with his manager and assistant manager as he passed them on his way down the tunnel after being taken off. Video of it here: https://twitter.com/Sean_McMahon89/status/853346855266258952

[DannyInvincible]

'Southampton manager Claude Puel says Shane Long's future will be decided in the summer': http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/15255787.Long_s_Saints_future_remains_unclear/


We will see all this [Long's future] at the end of the season. Of course, a striker, all the players, want to play, but it’s another profile like then Gabbiadini for example. [Long] has quickness and he can give other solutions. We will see if we have the opportunity to have a different profile striker and we will see until the end of the season and after another thing. We will see at the end of the season.

...

It’s not the moment to speak [about Long's future], to have conversations [with Long] about this. All the player stay with a good concentration, a good focus, about the last five games now and it’s important to speak in the good moment. This is not a good moment for me. It’s important to finish with five good and strong games.

[CraftyToePoke]

Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

[DannyInvincible]

Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

No, certainly not. Puel was quite evasive. Things are clearly a bit uncertain for Long in terms of his future at the club.

[CraftyToePoke]

Very much a 'if we can improve on him, and we'd like to, we'll move him on' kinda vibe.

[DeLorean]

Wouldn't mind seeing Long tear it up at some decent Championship club where he'd be the main man. He'll always be in and out of the side at PL level it seems.

[elroy]

If you were a Soton fan, I don't think you'd be keen to him to stay. Goal return this season been very poor

[paul_oshea]

Its a bit late in the day for him to start adding to his game but perhaps that's the only hope for him to sustain a premier league career.

[DannyInvincible]

Long is supposedly on West Ham's summer wish-list: http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/michy-batshuayi-and-shane-long-on-west-ham-wishlist-as-slaven-bilic-targets-pace-a3535106.html


Against Tottenham, Bilic’s team managed to get behind the visitors’ defence on occasions but, again, their lack of real pace let them down. So, quick offensive players are what are required by the Hammers — and preferably those who have Premier League experience.

Southampton’s Republic of Ireland striker Shane Long, who was on the club’s radar last summer, could again become a target, while another player who would fit the bill is Chelsea’s Michy Batshuayi.

[DannyInvincible]

Long started for Southampton today away to Middlesbrough, but missed a penalty in 64th minute. Southampton still won the game 2-1. Long was replaced by Charlie Austin after 87 minutes.

[Stuttgart88]

On SSN Phil Thompson said it looked like a bad injury

[DeLorean]

They were discussing Long's Southampton situation on Newstalk yesterday. I think it was Nathan Murphy who said he tried to interview him in the tunnel after the Liverpool game last weekend and the Irish lads would normally stop for a few words. On this occasion, however, a seemingly frustrated Long said (something like) "not today, I might get myself I trouble or a fine".

I think they said he's only scored six goals in his last fifty-five games for club and country also, granted a lot of them would have been from the bench.

They also discussed the possibility of him playing wide of the front three as opposed to through the middle, highlighting Mandzukic and the job he's doing for Juventus at the moment. They seemed unaware that Long has played this role plenty of times previously. Even Kilbane was saying he doesn't think he's technically good enough, that's it pretty much through the centre or nothing.

[Stuttgart88]

Sweet ball for Rodriguez from wide right yesterday nonetheless. Any word on his injury?

[DeLorean]

Any word on his injury?

Nothing major it seems - http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/saints/news/15284614.Long_injury_update/?ref=rss


It's not bad, it's just a knock on his ankle. I don't know for the next game, we will see, but it is not a problem I think

[CraftyToePoke]

His replacement fared no better from twelve yards against Man U earlier.

[DannyInvincible]

It is being reported that Long is a "major doubt" for the Austria game and is to have the foot injury he picked up against Middlesbrough assessed today: http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/international-soccer/shane-long-emerges-as-a-major-doubt-for-irelands-crucial-world-cup-qualifier-against-austria-35728624.html


Shane Long has emerged as a major doubt for Ireland's crunch World Cup qualifier against Austria in the Aviva Stadium on June 11.

Long missed Southampton's 0-0 draw with Manchester United last night after he picked up a foot injury against Middlesbrough last weekend and the Irish Daily Star has reported the frontman will see a specialist today to assess the damage.

[zero]

broken metatarsal it seems.

http://saintsmarching.com/2017/05/19/claude-puel-reveals-three-players-miss-stoke-city-clash/

that's him ruled out for austria if so, one would think?

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Walters is 34 soon and is worn down by injuries - I can't remember the last time he started back to back games. Rooney is 29 and uncapped, I would question if he is good enough for this level. McGoldrick is 29 and doesn't appear able to adjust to the pace of Intl football. Doyle is 34 soon and doesn't possess a threat at this level anymore. Murphy is 34 and is probably the best of our forward options, yet the oldest.

What has O'Neill got to lose by calling up Sheridan. Has he even went to a game in Poland yet? What is he getting paid to do?

There's O'Brien, there's Madden and there's Maguire too.

They're not Premier League caliber players but the situation is getting untenable.

This is a perfect opportunity to call up someone like Sheridan where you have players together for two weeks and we have games in America that first team players like Walters won't be playing in.

Why would you deliberately limit the amount of forward options we have, such was the case against Iceland when we had, what two strikers available for the match?

[tetsujin1979]

Walters started consecutive games against Man City, Chelsea and Leicester in March. If you can't remember that far back, see a doctor.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Walters started consecutive games against Man City, Chelsea and Leicester in March. If you can't remember that far back, see a doctor.

That's two months in fairness. I think he gets through most games with painkilling injections.

[tetsujin1979]

still, see a doctor if memory loss persists.
I'll need evidence of these painkillers in the next 24 hours

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Walters, who is now preparing for Ireland's World Cup qualifier against Wales in Dublin on Friday, was sidelined after knee surgery to repair damage originally dating back some seven months.

“The knee is extremely good now," reports the 33 year-old crowd favourite. “I actually think I did it on the last day of last season against West Ham.

“Then I tore my Achilles in the summer at the Euros. I came back for pre-season, but didn't play a lot of games and even at the start of the season I didn't play a lot.

“It's been a stop-start year with various things. When I did play it was taking longer and longer to recover, then it ballooned after the Liverpool game (December 26) and Watford (January 3) and I had to go and have a procedure done.

“It's all sorted now. It took time coming back to make sure it was completely right. It was a week, 10 days, before the operation, then probably seven weeks after the operation and it feels really good."


Read more at http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/jon-walters-enjoys-hitting-twin-peaks-with-stoke-city-partner/story-30216121-detail/story.html#2CDOCo92R5u7TTwj.99

I can't find the specific article where he mentioned painkilling objections but I think this article shows the gravity of the situation re: his injury problems over the last 12 months.

[CraftyToePoke]

I think he gets through most games with painkilling objections.

Objection.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Objection.

My brain is fried these last few weeks.

[DeLorean]

I think it's been well established by now that it wasn't the perfect opportunity to call up Sheridan, even if O'Neill was willing, given his club commitments.

Anyway, that's the Shane Long, Kevin Long and Marc Wilson threads all hijacked with basically the same discussion. Surely the squad announcement thread would have made more sense for these grievances.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Not going to fall for it.

At the risk of another thread going off-track, John Fallon has a new article on Long's absence: http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/international-soccer/shane-longs-injury-a-blow-for-austria-showdown-35735671.html
(http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/international-soccer/shane-longs-injury-a-blow-for-austria-showdown-35735671.html)


"Shane Long is unlucky with his broken metatarsal, but we will see him next season," Southampton manager Claude Puel said yesterday, confirming his absence from tomorrow's concluding Premier League fixture against Stoke City.


Interesting that Puel seems to confirm both he and Long will remain at Southampton next season.

[tetsujin1979]

wearing number 7 in Southampton's 2017/18 squad: https://southamptonfc.com/news/2016-08-03/saints-201617-squad-numbers-confirmed
could mean something, could mean nothing.

[DeLorean]

wearing number 7 in Southampton's 2017/18 squad: https://southamptonfc.com/news/2016-08-03/saints-201617-squad-numbers-confirmed
could mean something, could mean nothing.

They're the squad numbers from last season.

[tetsujin1979]

They're the squad numbers from last season. crap!
Sorry completely missed that!

[liamoo11]

with him looking not to be first choice could he be on move burnley might spend 10 of the andre gray money and add some pace to their attack.

[CraftyToePoke]

with him looking not to be first choice could he be on move burnley might spend 10 of the andre gray money and add some pace to their attack.

If that happens and then Burnley draw Preston in the cup will it set some kind of record ?

[tetsujin1979]

First start of the season today against Crystal Palace

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

https://mobile.twitter.com/leecryer/status/909019715145781249?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp %5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

[tricky_colour]

https://mobile.twitter.com/leecryer/status/909019715145781249?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp %5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

what was that? it has been removed now.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Holding the ball up like a bawse, Tricky.

http://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/soccer/soccer-news/shane-longs-finishing-stopped-him-11201949

Long guarantees goals if he gets a clear run in the side; Souness on Long.

[seanfhear]

I'd say he could do with a manager that 'loves ' him . You get an odd player like that .

[tetsujin1979]

250 appearances in the Premier League for Long after his second half introduction against Everton

[seanfhear]

He made a good chance for himself through determination and physicality .The Goalkeeper made a good save . Perhaps he shouldn’t have taken a long odds shot on but when strikers need goals then who could blame him . It didn’t effect the result as Southampton done easily enough .

[DeLorean]

Two goals for Charlie Austin will presumably keep Long on the bench for a while.

[mark12345]

Two goals for Charlie Austin will presumably keep Long on the bench for a while.

Yes it will. And more and more, as the weeks go by, it is becoming evident that Shane is a little lost at this level. I would love to see him drop down to the Championship with Reading or Preston or Leeds to find his goalscoring form again. I don't think his financial adviser would appreciate the loss in wages he'd take however.

[Olé Olé]

YES! The scoring famine is over. Shane has opened the scoring at home to Palace after 17 minuted.

[DeLorean]

Goal here - https://twitter.com/SkySportsPL/status/948285122272313344

[tricky_colour]

The boy is a goal machine!! :cool:

[Stuttgart88]

Goal here - https://twitter.com/SkySportsPL/status/948285122272313344
Just the type of chance he needed to end the drought, an instinctive first time hit rather than something like a one on one. His chance against Man U was similar in a way but harder: great save by De Gea and a good contact but there was a lot of space between De Gea's foot and the post and he didn't find it. The type of chance Rooney would rarely miss. Long's chance presented itself perfectly last night: hit with inside of boot, aim just outside of post, guaranteed goal.