Shane Long

**Peadar** · 12/09/2006, 9:45 AM

Anyone see Reading v Manchester City last night?
Shane Long replaced �1m striker, Leroy Lita.
Long was full of running for the last 20 minutes and had a lovely flick on with his head for Doyle. Doyle was denied with a goal line clearance.

I watched him a few times last season at Reading and he's got bags of potential. How the hell is he not getting called up to the Ireland U21 squad? He's got such a great attitude and looks more than comfortable in the Premiership.

**Stuttgart88** · 12/09/2006, 10:15 AM

Robbie & Doyle excluded, he's now playing at a higher level than any other Irish forward. Has he come off the bench in every game so far this season?

**Dodge** · 12/09/2006, 10:33 AM

Never seen him before last night but impressed greatly in his 20 minutes. Shocked to read he hasn't been called up to the Under21 squad

**drinkfeckarse** · 12/09/2006, 10:36 AM

Can't understand the shock really, this IS Givens we are talking about...

**Peadar** · 12/09/2006, 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Has he come off the bench in every game so far this season?

No, he wasn't on the bench against 'Boro because Kitson started and Lita was on the bench. He has however, featured in the last 3 league games.

Cox was loaned out to Brentford or someone for a month so that takes a bit of the pressure off Shane.

**joema** · 12/09/2006, 10:45 AM

Hes on a 5 game international ban for spitting at a Turkey player - he denies it - he says he never spat but the player went up to the linesman and showed him spit on his jersey and Long is now banned

Cabt find link but it was on elevenaside a while ago

**eirebhoy** · 12/09/2006, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by joema

Hes on a 5 game international ban for spitting at a Turkey player - he denies it - he says he never spat but the player went up to the linesman and showed him spit on his jersey and Long is now banned

Got there before me.

http://www.eleven-a-side.com/acrosst...p?newsid=24295

**tetsujin1979** · 12/09/2006, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by Peadar

Anyone see Reading v Manchester City last night?
Shane Long replaced �1m striker, Leroy Lita.
Long was full of running for the last 20 minutes and had a lovely flick on with his head for Doyle. Doyle was denied with a goal line clearance.

I watched him a few times last season at Reading and he's got bags of potential. How the hell is he not getting called up to the Ireland U21 squad? He's got such a great attitude and looks more than comfortable in the Premiership.

Yep, I was watching the game:
Posted this elsewhere

Thought Doyle was poor last night until late on when he had 1 decent chance and 1 shot that was going in after rounding the keeper, until Distin intervened to put it out for a corner. Long did well when he came on, showed good pace and control against a tiring Man City defence.
Dunne kept Doyle very quiet all night until late on (which is when Doyle had his best spell) when he was sent forward in search of an equaliser. Along with Weaver was probably Man City's most consistent player of the night, although he'll be disappointed he didn't get his head to the cross that led to Reading's goal.
No sign of Ireland, Hamann took his place on the bench.

**Peadar** · 12/09/2006, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Thought Doyle was poor last night until late on when he had 1 decent chance and 1 shot that was going in after rounding the keeper...

In fairness, the supply to the Reading forwards was rubbish throughout.

On another note, Long gets a 5 match ban for allegedly spitting on a Turk (we all know how they love to cheat, probably spat on himself) and Zidane gets a 3 match ban for violent assault. A ban which he can't serve!
There's something seriously wrong here, like!

**Donal81** · 12/09/2006, 11:31 AM

While I respect the need for our underage squads and take great interest in them, surely if a player is playing in the Premier League it's time to call him up to the full squad?

I've heard the argument before that the U-21 team provides much development. Surely he's getting ten times as much development with his club, compared to a few matches a year with the U-21 team.

My point here is that Robbie Keane was playing for Ireland by the time he was 18, right? Given wasn't much older. If they're good enough, they're surely old enough. If Long gets a few more games and proves he's as good as Reading fans say he is, call him up.

**Stuttgart88** · 12/09/2006, 11:35 AM

What's the difference between Long & Terry Dixon?

Long plays in the Premiership, Dixon in Spurs reserves (at best)
Long doesn't get in the senior squad, Dixon does.
Long doesn't have dual nationality, Dixon does.

One thing I've noticed about Long is that he's simply not phased. Some young lads get caught in the headlights, Long the opposite. The guy seems like a natural winner.

**endabob1** · 12/09/2006, 11:49 AM

I don't think there's any doubt the fast-tracking of Dixon is to ensure he is ours and not snapped up by England although to be fair to the lad he has been adamant that he is Irish.
For the record he wasn't in the Spurs reserves side last night and it was a young enough side.

**tetsujin1979** · 12/09/2006, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by Donal81

My point here is that Robbie Keane was playing for Ireland by the time he was 18, right? Given wasn't much older.

Keane was a regular in the Wolves starting XI at that point, Given won promotion with Sunderland while he was on loan there, and lost his place to Alan Kelly in the senior side for the start of the 2002 qualifiers.
Keane, Given, and duff to a lesser extent were fast tracked into the senior side to replace some of the retiring players when they finished the qualifiers for France 98, I don't think we're in the same situation right now, we have several strikers playing regularly in the top 2 divisions in England, and some options at home, so is there really a need to bring in the likes of Long, Stokes, Clarke, etc when they can play more regularly at lower level? Be honest, of those 3 who do you see them displacing in the senior side?

**pete** · 12/09/2006, 1:09 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Long doesn't get in the senior squad, Dixon does.
Long doesn't have dual nationality, Dixon does.

Like i've said before irish need not apply for the Ireland squad.

**Donal81** · 12/09/2006, 1:20 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Keane, Given, and duff to a lesser extent were fast tracked into the senior side to replace some of the retiring players when they finished the qualifiers for France 98, I don't think we're in the same situation right now, we have several strikers playing regularly in the top 2 divisions in England, and some options at home, so is there really a need to bring in the likes of Long, Stokes, Clarke, etc when they can play more regularly at lower level? Be honest, of those 3 who do you see them displacing in the senior side?

I was only talking about Long, not Stokes or Clarke, neither of whom are near a Premier League side and I said if he proved himself, why not call him up. Fair point about Robbie being fasttracked into the squad but - and I know this is hypothetical - would he not have been called up anyway?

My point was that someone like McGeady, for example, was called up several times to the U-21s when he was already playing regularly for Celtic and he was an obvious option for the full squad. If he's good enough, call him up.

**garykelly** · 12/09/2006, 1:53 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

so is there really a need to bring in the likes of Long, Stokes, Clarke, etc when they can play more regularly at lower level? Be honest, of those 3 who do you see them displacing in the senior side?

prob nobody in actual side but in squad terms long maybe better than alan o'brien (behind duff and N'zogbia at newcastle) or Terry Dixon ( Spurs Youth), or maybe even Andy Reid (shocking form).

**Fergie's Son** · 12/09/2006, 3:08 PM

Originally Posted by pete

Like i've said before irish need not apply for the Ireland squad.

Oh stop being so melodramatic. That has nothing to do with it. Staunton wants to shore up Dixon and it's as simple as that. In the match against Germany, 8 out of the starting 11 were born in Ireland.

**endabob1** · 12/09/2006, 3:14 PM

Originally Posted by pete

Like i've said before irish need not apply for the Ireland squad.

Are you therefore suggesting that those not born in Ireland are less Irish than those who are?

**elroy** · 12/09/2006, 3:27 PM

Thought Long did quite well when he came on, although city were down to ten and pushin forward. He had one or two nice flick ons which is something neither of our strikers were able to supply to each other in germany.
However, do think its too early to expect him to be in the senior team, but should be in U21 team.