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.
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.
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.
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...
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.
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.
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.