Shane Long

**dong** · 08/12/2014, 7:15 AM

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?

**BonnieShels** · 08/12/2014, 8:31 AM

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.

**geysir** · 08/12/2014, 2:27 PM

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.

**Stuttgart88** · 08/12/2014, 7:54 PM

Anyone watching him tonight? Starts against Man U, playing well acc to BBC match tracker.

**Stuttgart88** · 08/12/2014, 7:55 PM

Originally Posted by geysir

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.

I can't remember what you advised!

**paul_oshea** · 08/12/2014, 8:37 PM

Long woeful as usual.missed 2 sitters.subbed cos he is crap.

**paul_oshea** · 08/12/2014, 8:38 PM

Could have actually had a hat trick.

**geysir** · 08/12/2014, 8:57 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

I can't remember what you advised!

To not engage, engagement was/is futile.

**paul_oshea** · 08/12/2014, 9:06 PM

Funny luck is how many described utds win tonight on the tele.

**DeLorean** · 08/12/2014, 9:28 PM

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.

**DeLorean** · 08/12/2014, 10:19 PM

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.

**geysir** · 08/12/2014, 10:20 PM

Long was lucky that that limp cross found its way to Pelle.

**KK77** · 09/12/2014, 9:44 AM

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.

**tetsujin1979** · 12/12/2014, 2:21 PM

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.

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 12/12/2014, 4:28 PM

Originally Posted by geysir

To not engage, engagement was/is futile.

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.

Build a bridge.

**tetsujin1979** · 12/12/2014, 6:17 PM

This is your last warning TOWK, attack the post, not the poster.

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 13/12/2014, 1:46 PM

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.

**Charlie Darwin** · 13/12/2014, 1:50 PM

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.

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 13/12/2014, 1:58 PM

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.

**Closed Account** · 13/12/2014, 2:17 PM

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.