Shane Long

[Snowball]

I feel Long was probably our best player tonight. Never thought I would say that.

Ah, but...

[Snowball]

It would be nice for a few of the many who have trashed the lad to come out and give him some credit. That's three goals in 2 starts and 11 minutes as a sub. Compare that record to Lita's 6 starts and 4 sub appearances for one goal


Played 36 (00) 18 goals Kevin Doyle
Played 25 (08) 10 goals Noel Hunt
Played 05 (23) 06 goals Shane Long - plus 3 penalties won, 2 assists (900 minutes on pitch)

[Rex]

That is what we want out of Shane. He's now fired up and has the confidence.
I WANT this man to succeed.

[Alan Partridge]

It would be nice for a few of the many who have trashed the lad to come out and give him some credit. That's three goals in 2 starts and 11 minutes as a sub. Compare that record to Lita's 6 starts and 4 sub appearances for one goal


Played 36 (00) 18 goals Kevin Doyle
Played 25 (08) 10 goals Noel Hunt
Played 05 (23) 06 goals Shane Long - plus 3 penalties won, 2 assists (900 minutes on pitch)

I did so on another thread, i thought first half same old same old. Some good stuff followed by some horror touches. 2nd half instantly got in their box, looked a half decent challenge but pen awarded, smacked it in confidently. His header was an excellent goal, lovely cross, lost the marker and headed home.

This sort of performance is what Long has to do on a weekly basis, hence why earlier snowbers I mentioned that Kitson's return is a harsh one for Long. Because the moment he doesn't do that, or if he'd had a 2nd half similarly average to the 1st then Kitson probably starts Saturday.

I have nothing against Shane, I think consistency is going to be his problem, I really don't believe we will see him regularly produce the goods but we'll see. Fair play to him for his 2nd half tonight he is in the team on merit currently. One of the very very few bright spots in another woefully crap performance tonight.

[addickted]

Good goals from Shane tonight, never even heard of him before tonight.
still take the ginger ninja nickey bailey over him for goal scoring reasons..

[SteveRoyal]

That is what we want out of Shane. He's now fired up and has the confidence.
I WANT this man to succeed.

'GREED. Having seen his confidence finally build up, I think its time he has his run.
His pace is key if Kebe is to be left out.

[cmonurz]

Like AP, I praised Long for his performances on other threads. Likewise, last night, he was the difference between another dismal home defeat, and a nearly as dismal home draw to the worst team in the league.

Great stuff from Shane - if he has finally turned a corner and we have another striker of genuine ability at this level, then that's brilliant for the club.

[Hoop Blah]

Agree with AP and comonurz, I thought Shane was much improved from his standard performances last night.

He still had some wayward touches, which he mainly got away with to be fair (when it's going for you it's going for you!), but he was the stronger, more mobile, more threatening and better of the two centre forwards.

Wasn't too keen on the mini-tussle for the penalty but credit to Doyle there, he got rid of Hunt to let Long take it, and from my view point it looked a pretty decent penalty.

Pleased that Long put in one of those performances, and if he didn't we probably wouldn't have got the draw let alone the win we needed, but I'm not sure he has the ability to do it week in week out against the better sides (although I do rate Hudson as one of the better centre halfs in this division).

[Kieron1981]

he has been in the background for too long, he needs a decent run out on the pitch, but with kitson back i dont think he will... doyle and kitson will be playing up front and until one of them fecks up then long is back on the bench as super-sub

althought i can think of worse things.... long is one of the best impact players in the league... he comes on for 15 mins and makes things happen, will he have the strenth and power to make things happen for 90mins

also not many teams in the league know how he plays, if he is a regular he will loose that element of suprise which is catching teams out at the moment.

[brendywendy]

good game for shane last night, looked handy(and dodgy in equal measure touch wise) but great header, and superb run for the penalty

LOL, at the scottish guy who sits along from me, slagging him off all game, saying get him off, pissed off when he was still on after half time, and he goes and scores two!

shame the rest of the lads couldnt keep us ahead so shane could win the game for us

[cmonurz]

he has been in the background for too long, he needs a decent run out on the pitch, but with kitson back i dont think he will... doyle and kitson will be playing up front and until one of them fecks up then long is back on the bench as super-sub

althought i can think of worse things.... long is one of the best impact players in the league... he comes on for 15 mins and makes things happen, will he have the strenth and power to make things happen for 90mins

also not many teams in the league know how he plays, if he is a regular he will loose that element of suprise which is catching teams out at the moment.

I'd be surprised to see Kitson in next game, tbh. Long has scored a double and won us a point, I think Coppell will show faith in him, and Kitson will be on the bench. It wouldn't make much sense to drop an in-form Long for an out-of-form Kitson, however good we know Dave is.

[papereyes]

Like AP, I praised Long for his performances on other threads. Likewise, last night, he was the difference between another dismal home defeat, and a nearly as dismal home draw to the worst team in the league.

Something about that sentence makes me want to cry.

We're third, we could easily be top.

[brendywendy]

i am crying.

come one FFS, were third, scoring again, and well in for at least the play offs, before 05/06 this would have resulted in delirium, and now we can barely raise a smile at our third game unbeaten.
i find the whole thing quite upsetting

[Snowball]

I'd be surprised to see Kitson in next game, tbh. Long has scored a double and won us a point, I think Coppell will show faith in him, and Kitson will be on the bench. It wouldn't make much sense to drop an in-form Long for an out-of-form Kitson, however good we know Dave is.

How good he WAS. We have to take on trust that he will be as good now, whereas, at the moment, Long is doing his job well.

I believe Kits has been played out of position at Stoke (but don't know that) but 18 consecutive appearances without a goal for Stoke.

He also had 7 games and 2 as sub with just his goal at Derby at the end of last year

27 appearances, 1 goal, so we have to take it on trust that he will recapture his once-exceelent form

[cmonurz]

I'm really struggling this season to match up my pleasure at our league position with my displeasure at most of our league performances. This is a truly pathetic division, and that we are still comfortably third, playing the football we have been (even during some of our better spells) is absolutely shocking.

[brendywendy]

coppell did say they wouldnt just walk back into the team
glen was in to cover a thigh strain to kebe
and he said theyll both need to do well in training to get in the squad
though kitson does give us something different, which will be useful
(im paraphrasing)
his comments about teh defence and matejovski post game point to changes for saturday perhaps

[papereyes]

I'm really struggling this season to match up my pleasure at our league position with my displeasure at most of our league performances. This is a truly pathetic division, and that we are still comfortably third, playing the football we have been (even during some of our better spells) is absolutely shocking.

Uh-huh

Looking at the long game, what happens next is also a worry

[Snowball]

Like AP, I praised Long for his performances on other threads. Likewise, last night, he was the difference between another dismal home defeat, and a nearly as dismal home draw to the worst team in the league.

Something about that sentence makes me want to cry.

We're third, we could easily be top.

WELL SAID, Papereyes.

First, I thought Charlton looked a half-decent side (better than Forest, for a start!)

Second, we did hit the woodwork three times. At the moment it just isn't going for us. Those three could so easily have been goals and we would have strolled it. It's very much a confidence thing and that pitch is now DIRE.

But a few weeks ago we would have lost that 0-2. Instead we got back, got in front, and as you say (despite a bad second goal, against a side fighting for its survival) we went undefeated for a third game. If it was a 2-1 home win and two 2-2 away draws that would be totally solid, promotion-gaining results.

Yes we've put more unnecessary pressure on ourselves and now need to beat Ipswich (who played 4-5-1 at Wolves and went there for a point)... but it's certainly not all lost!

[Alan Partridge]

Like AP, I praised Long for his performances on other threads. Likewise, last night, he was the difference between another dismal home defeat, and a nearly as dismal home draw to the worst team in the league.

Something about that sentence makes me want to cry.

We're third, we could easily be top.

I doubt any team will get more than 80-85 points and i think that sums up the league completely.

[Snowball]

I'm really struggling this season to match up my pleasure at our league position with my displeasure at most of our league performances. This is a truly pathetic division, and that we are still comfortably third, playing the football we have been (even during some of our better spells) is absolutely shocking.

Or maybe all the sides are quite decent, with nothing between them. There were a hell of a lot of very good results this year against Premiership sides.

I think the biggest issue is that we can't handle 4-5-1 and too many sides are simply stopping us playing, the confidence slips, the long ball starts being played more and then our Premiership class and experience is out the window and we start playing "Championship football"

Yesterday (if the pitch would allow it) was crying out for quick stuff on the floor (their CBs were huge and strong) but we resorted to the kind of game weaker teams have to employ. Hoof.