In fairness, he does do a lot of other work besides scoring few goals.
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In fairness, he does do a lot of other work besides scoring few goals.
In fairness, a record of one in three starts at Premier League level and his overall play is pretty good when you compare it to the average PL forward outside the top 6.
And people seem too be confused about what positions he is playing in at Southampton. Pelle is the striker. Long has played on the wing and behind the striker but he hasn't been played in his natural position.
Like who?Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks
Saw some of the game last night live and tiny bit of the highlights. The commentator on Sky (who I like actually) said that Long had put in a very good shift when he was being substituted. On the highlights, I saw one bit of play where Southampton broke quickly and sent Long off down the right. He had the Arsenal defence beaten for pace all ends up and just needed to try to square it to Pellé who was in a great position in the box. Long opted to shoot from a crazy angle and skied it. It was actually kind of unforgivable. The camera went to Koeman on the bench and he had a look of disgust about him, couldn't blame him. Replacing Long turned out to be costly though, as it was their final substitution and they had to play the remaining ten minutes or so with ten men, when Alderweireld picked up an injury.
But that, in itself, is a cause for concern - that his manager doesn't believe in his striking abilities enough to play him as an out-and-out striker and favours him only as a general attacking utility player. And that's an issue for us in the current Long v Keane starting striker debate and will be an even bigger issue when that debate ends, as it quite possibly will before the next World Cup.Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks
Graziano Pelle also skied a simple chance in the first half but that will be lost in the annals of time. The only thing wrong with Long's finish was that he didn't square it to Pelle. Hardly anyone would have been expected to even get that chance on target let alone score it.
And "look of disgust" is overdoing it a bit, no? Isn't that an overexaggeration someone like me would be proud of?
It was a shocking decision by Long not to square it, I thought Koeman looked pretty annoyed, maybe not. I was going to mention Pelle's chance on his own thread, but then I remembered he's not Irish, so nobody here gives a sh!t.
Does he have a second job?Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
https://metro.co.uk/2014/12/04/shane...nicol-4973941/
Shane Long would have been better fit for Liverpool than Mario Balotelli says Kop legend Steve Nicol.
I'd have been a better fit than Mario.
I wonder where Mario ranks in the list of big money strikers who flopped at Liverpool? Hmm...
i don't know, ........ you did name yourself after the Delorean, all style, little substance?Quote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
Exactly, just like Mario. Except I have the capacity to go back in time and change the course of history if I don't like they way things pan out.
It's such a skill you have.Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks
ROBBIE KEANE... GO!!!
Now, don't jump to conclusions - he was probably referring to Anelka...or maybe CarrollQuote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
Forgive me.Quote:
Originally Posted by samhaydenjr
And there was Alberto Aquilani... though he was an attacking MF... wasn't he?
*Adopting accent of 10-year-old Scousers*Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
"Ian Rush says, if I don't drink my milk, I'll only be as good as Alberto Aquilani"
"Alberto Aquilani - who's he?"
"Exactly"
I'm so surprised how some people are good at dishing out the banter but can't take it.
So many smart and provocative comments about Long but as soon as one is made in kind about Keane people fly off the handle.
No shame in it anyway. It just doesn't work out sometimes. The lack of deference shown towards Keane by Benitez was similar to the lack of deference shown towards Shevchenko by Mourinho. I thought Keane should have been given at least a year at Liverpool at the time but I was probably being biased. His form after leaving Liverpool didn't exactly disprove Benitez's assumptions that he wasn't good enough.
I don't think Long is exactly good enough for a team like Liverpool but I look at a team like Tottenham and can't help thinking he offers a lot more than Soldado and isn't far behind Adebayor at this moment in time. As long as he isn't the focal point of the attack.
Jesus, you're relentless. Quote those "smart and provocative" comments about Long. Quote the "flying off the handle" comments relating to Keane. "as soon as one is made" against him. What about the scores of comments you have made against him? You think Bonnie's reaction is to one isolated comment? You're a devious, disingenuous sophist and a total WUM.Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks
Just grow up, you're a complete pain in the hole.
Stutts, we have a rule about attacking the post, not the poster
TOWK knock it off. Don't tell me you didn't do anything, don't tell me you don't know what I'm talking about, just stop doing it.
What amazes me is lads who have been on this forum for ten or more years getting wound up by another in a long line of WUMS.
Stutts and his ilk should surely know how this all plays out?
This is different.
But yes, I would be definitely of the view going forward that we should minimise the oxygen.
When someone like Stutts snaps you know it's time.
The more perceptive of the board members did try to inform and set the example to Stutts (and his ilk:)) but they were all just too stubborn to take on board some sage advice.
Anyone watching him tonight? Starts against Man U, playing well acc to BBC match tracker.
I can't remember what you advised!Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Long woeful as usual.missed 2 sitters.subbed cos he is crap.
Could have actually had a hat trick.
To not engage, engagement was/is futile.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
Funny luck is how many described utds win tonight on the tele.
Missed a great chance with a header that De Gea saved, needed to try to adjust his body shape to direct it away from the keeper but just headed it straight at him, it wasn't a sitter but it was a very good chance. Ballooned a more difficult chance in the first half. Was involved in the Southampton goal, sent a cross back into the box and it eventually fell for Pelle to score. Usual industry otherwise but I'm not sure he'll ever really excel in this role.
Just seen Long's chance from the first half again, a better chance than I originally thought, set up very nicely for him and a pretty poor finish really.
Long was lucky that that limp cross found its way to Pelle.
Koeman not happy with the miss in his after match interview. I got the impression he was holding back as well. Terrible miss but not unusual.
Pretty sure I've jinxed him for the weekend by adding him to my fantasy football team, replacing Berahino who's going to score a hat trick now.
Poor geysir. Still pretending he's an intellectual wunderkind; and still pretending the reason he is "disengaging" with me is because engagement is futile, and not because he's licking his wounds after he bizarrely attacked me because I posted a story linking Anthony Pilkington with Swansea which was later, of course, corroborated as being true and because I quoted a line saying he was "out of favour" which was again, of course, corroborated as being true.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Build a bridge.
This is your last warning TOWK, attack the post, not the poster.
I see Long has predictably been scapegoated by Koeman. Long out. Jake Hesketh in. Jose Fonte keeps his place despite his gaffe gifting United a goal and Sadio Mane keeps his place despite everyone agreeing he was worse than Long. You know it's funny. Southampton wouldn't even have scored against United if it wasn't for Long's play in the build up!
He's 28 next month and I don't think many teams are going to pay 7 million let alone 12 million for him when and if things go wrong here. They have a pretty weak squad as it is. Once everyone (J-Rod, Ward-Prowse, Cork) are fit and they reinvest next month, I can see his game time decreasing.
Pertinent to note that Long wasn't a Koeman signing and it's telling that he hasn't once played in his natural position.
My gut told me he should have stayed at Hull where he was guaranteed starts and had a manager that trusted in his abilities.
It was pretty pathetic for Koeman to call him out like that.
You're taking this too personally. I don't really know if Long is being unfairly kept out of the team, but I don't think you do either.
Not taking it too personally! He had a decent game and he's the first person the manager drops. You don't sign a player for 12 m and then play a youth team player ahead of him. He's barely strung two games together. Graziano Pelle's form was rotten recently but Koeman has continued to persevere with him, play him in every game, play him in his favored position and tailor their tactics to suit him and it reaped dividends when he scored against United.
There is already pressure on Long because of his price tag, because it wasn't Koeman that personally signed him, because the fans are on his back and because he is playing out of position.
It is petty to to publically belittle him like that. They have lost three games on the bounce, their form is beginning to tail off, he (Koeman) is used to being lauded and now things (predictably) aren't going to plan. It's not his (Koeman's) fault. It must be someone else's. He's hardly going to publically question Tadic, Pelle or Fonte so it's Long who gets the blame/shaft.
It's possible all you say is true TOWK. Mane or Tadic could have easily been dropped also. But it's Shane this time. He did miss a couple of great chances against United and Koeman probably feels it cost them points. It's the nature of the beast.
Hopefully it'll turn out to be good management and Shane will come on and make sure with his next chance.
Which will ultimately benefit Ireland. It's his achilles heel. Playing out of position or not, those chances have to be taken at the level he wants to get to.