Do you think Long will stay?

[floyd__streete]

Hal can and does play anywhere across the front.

Jay Tabb can play right back and did play there Saturday against Northampton. That doesn't mean to say that I ever want to see him asked to do that again, please.

[rhroyal]

It is obvious what will happen. We are so obvious, other teams can read us like a really easy book that even Wayne Rooney could read. I.e. one of those ones that comes with a cassette which reads it out for you.

Everyone knows we are dying to sell, and that if they wait JM will start sweating and we’ll drop Long’s price towards the end of the window to get shot.

Not that him leaving at the end of the window matters a bollock anyway; we already have his replacement and the money is needed to plug the predicted blackhole three seasons in the future which, despite the money from Long paying that off, will still exist because by the time we get to that blackhole we will be toldthat Long’s cash plugged a blackhole three seasons in the past.

Or maybe I’m just furious about the bitch from admin dobbing me in to my manager about my 25 minute cigarette break.

When have we ever dropped prices out of desperation to sell?

That is all.

[ZacNaloen]

Hal can and does play anywhere across the front.

Jay Tabb can play right back and did play there Saturday against Northampton. That doesn't mean to say that I ever want to see him asked to do that again, please.

Hal isn't Jay Tabb

[Upper West Ginger]

HRK as striker v Northampton worked very well.
Tabb as right back v Northampton was - how can I best put this - less successful?

[floyd__streete]

Hal can and does play anywhere across the front.

Jay Tabb can play right back and did play there Saturday against Northampton. That doesn't mean to say that I ever want to see him asked to do that again, please.

Hal isn't Jay Tabb

I thought you were supposed to be intelligent? Ok, I will simplify it for you - if you think that Church and HRK are our best pairing up front when Long goes, well that is a damning indictment on Church and Manset because HRK is no more a striker than Tabb is a right back.

[ZacNaloen]

I thought you were supposed to be intelligent? Ok, I will simplify it for you - if you think that Church and HRK are our best pairing up front when Long goes, well that is a damning indictment on Church and Manset because HRK is no more a striker than Tabb is a right back.

The two players just aren't comparable.

[rhroyal]

HRK is far more adept to playing up front than Tabb at right back. He spent a lot of his time in the academy playing up front and has done so in some of his loan spells. Tabb has only ever been used at right back as an emergency.

[pea]

But Hal played up front for Swindon and scored goals and has a good goalscoring record for us in the last year too. I'd happily have him up front.
The club have never described him as a left winger, they always describe him as a player who can play anywhere accross the front four, and he's said the same in the past when Rodgers was manager.

Its a completely different situation to Tabb at rightback who is wrongfooted, out of position and too short, as well as having four goals against to his name, all created from that wing, last time we felt the need to experiment with him there in a league game (vs Palace, lost 4-2)

[brendywendy]

i think HRK has always seen himself as a striker, but gets played out on the wing as its easier to blood a young player there

[Simon's Church]

He's far more effective at getting goals than putting in crosses or setting up team mates anyway so he may as well play as a striker. I dont think he has the kind of acceleration needed to get past decent full backs either but he has good pace over a longer distance and is powerfully built so he may end up as a '9' anyway.

[Ian Royal]

I'm getting more confident of him staying. I'd go so far as to say I'd call it 77-23 in favour of him going now.

Absolutley ludicrous. 74-26 maybe, but not 77-23...

I guess that does look pretty ludicrous without the context of my previous odds of 80-20. Then again, even with that it still looks a bit silly.


I'm with Zac on HRK. He's a Forward, not just a Winger.

[super darren caskey]

Theres always a chance he will have a crap start to the season like last year and if he does im sure the bids for him will dry up.For a money point of view him gone before the season starts would be better just in case.Im hoping he stays though

[pea]

Theres always a chance he will have a crap start to the season like last year and if he does im sure the bids for him will dry up.For a money point of view him gone before the season starts would be better just in case.Im hoping he stays though

He had trouble scoring in open play but at the start of last season people were still praising his performances. He was playing really well, but wasn't really getting in goalscoring positions enough. Playing one up front didn't help him because he likes to attack down the wing or drop deep now and then, but people were calling for a goalscorer next to him, not for him to be dropped.

[old woman]

Haven't West Ham Utd just placed an 8m bid for Long? It will be disappointing if he leaves for another championship club like Mills.

5 million


add in carlton cole and ill take it

Somehow the thought of Carlton Cole in blue and white hoops makes me feel queasy!!!

WCBAP- Hopefully

[The Prisoner]

Sam Allardyce just been on SSN saying that he is talking to the chairman in the morning to try and make the move for Long work. Have to say signing for WHU in the Championship is a turd of a move. I am assuming/hoping the club will hold true to their promise to sell him only to a prem club* and that Shane wouldn't go as it was a sideways(ish) move and he loves us.

Let's face it, he's off. Just a matter of when. The WHU bid will force other suitors into action and he'll likely be a West Brom player this time next week.


* If this logic is followed and we "don't want to strengthen a rival" then McD must think that Matt Mills doesn't strengthen Leicester and QED is dump (OK, the money might have helped as well)

[Archie's penalty]

Looks like he's gone. Would be happy to see him at West Brom, unhappy if he goes to West Ham.

[Here for the KEBE]

If Long is still at RFC after the August transfer deadline I'll tap dance naked in Broad Street. He is absolutely going just as soon as the right bid comes in. Don't really care where he goes, I just want him sold quickly so a replacement can be purchased and settled in. However, I wouldn't be surprised with a last minute departure and an announcement from BMc that he's "happy with what we've got" NHunt/Church/Manset/WiLOLLOLiams

In September last season, was there 1 Reading fan out there who DIDN'T think we desperately needed a new striker? Not even Long could hit a cow's backside with a banjo then. But look what Brian did with him and how he turned from bollocks to seemingly "God" around fans. I wouldn't put it past Brian doing the same think with "Church". I also think Manset will be a very useful striker this year. We will challenge this season mark my works. We have the right balance, some great youngsters coming in, a future Premiership keeper in McCarthy. We are in a far stronger position than we were this time last season. Sigurdsson was a BIGGER loss than Long would be this season- but that's just my opinion

[Uke]

Kenny kould be keen

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... rpool.html

[Z175]

If Long is still at RFC after the August transfer deadline I'll tap dance naked in Broad Street. He is absolutely going just as soon as the right bid comes in. Don't really care where he goes, I just want him sold quickly so a replacement can be purchased and settled in. However, I wouldn't be surprised with a last minute departure and an announcement from BMc that he's "happy with what we've got" NHunt/Church/Manset/WiLOLLOLiams

In September last season, was there 1 Reading fan out there who DIDN'T think we desperately needed a new striker? Not even Long could hit a cow's backside with a banjo then. But look what Brian did with him and how he turned from bollocks to seemingly "God" around fans. I wouldn't put it past Brian doing the same think with "Church". I also think Manset will be a very useful striker this year. We will challenge this season mark my works. We have the right balance, some great youngsters coming in, a future Premiership keeper in McCarthy. We are in a far stronger position than we were this time last season. Sigurdsson was a BIGGER loss than Long would be this season- but that's just my opinion

"Church" is not a nickname.

Its a good point though - if we have a 20 goal "Obita" playing off a 15 goal "Church" then who cares. But its only a possible and a big IF

[Here for the KEBE]

If Long is still at RFC after the August transfer deadline I'll tap dance naked in Broad Street. He is absolutely going just as soon as the right bid comes in. Don't really care where he goes, I just want him sold quickly so a replacement can be purchased and settled in. However, I wouldn't be surprised with a last minute departure and an announcement from BMc that he's "happy with what we've got" NHunt/Church/Manset/WiLOLLOLiams

In September last season, was there 1 Reading fan out there who DIDN'T think we desperately needed a new striker? Not even Long could hit a cow's backside with a banjo then. But look what Brian did with him and how he turned from bollocks to seemingly "God" around fans. I wouldn't put it past Brian doing the same think with "Church". I also think Manset will be a very useful striker this year. We will challenge this season mark my works. We have the right balance, some great youngsters coming in, a future Premiership keeper in McCarthy. We are in a far stronger position than we were this time last season. Sigurdsson was a BIGGER loss than Long would be this season- but that's just my opinion

"Church" is not a nickname.

Its a good point though - if we have a 20 goal "Obita" playing off a 15 goal "Church" then who cares. But its only a possible and a big IF

Oh sorry there- maybe I should have put his name in bold for everyone next time! Every year is a big IF- in fact it's a big IF whether Long can replicate his form from last season (in which he was only regularly scoring over 5/6 months). Baring in mind he's had 4 terrible seasons before that, I would say he's still a fair shot from being a proven striker. Football is mad if he's worth more than Doyle, who was class for us over at least 3 seasons!