I am always a bit confused why people rate/like Long so much. He's a nice bloke and puts lots of effort in which may be why, but is that enough to warrant a place in the squad? People say he brings a lot to the team/a different dynamic, but even so it's clearly not that beneficial. Even though his appearances were predominantly from the bench, from 32 apps in the league last year he got 3 goals and 1 assist. Even as a back up those figures aren't great and at 30 I think we should be looking to recoup some of the £12m we spent on him. He's also quite a high earner for us.
I made this very point a wee while ago. "Champions League winning, England International" Ryan Bertrand is worth every bit as much as Walker, arguably more given the lack of left-sided English full backs.
There are quite a few English left backs, probably England's strongest position I think but yeah I think Bertrand should be values the same as Walker. He won't though because of the reasons Brendy makes
For me I like Long because he is a nuisance, always moving, chasing everything... he creates havoc and the space for others to score. He isn't the focal point of the attack but the focal point for defending from the front and upsetting the opposition. I don't think he was used enough by Puel or even RK; Pelle scored most of his goals when Long created the space for him...
After years of advising people to just calm it [football, close season, etc...], I am of the opinion that people will do it whatever one says. In a situation where they have no control, yet care, they panic. The trick is to stop the darned thing being so bloody important in their lives. But that is very difficult.
It's very tricky. At some points last season when we were playing some dire football, I planned to give the saints game a miss one weekend and just check the score later on in the evening. Of course I ended up going out with my girlfriend shopping and checking my phone constantly between 3-5pm.
I'm not panicking...I neither expect much activity, nor am I that worried about it. Anything (except sales) would be a bonus.
When I go Rambling on a Saturday, during the football season, the first thing I do when we finish is jump in the car and set off to the pub we're all going to join up in. When I get there I get the beer in, sit at the table, get the phone out and check. If there's no signal [there often isn't in some of these tiny villages] I leave it until I get home, and sometimes I just forget that entirely. Basically, rambling and no mobile signal has distanced me. Also, it helps that perhaps only a few of my fellow ramblers are remotely interested in football. I haven't seen Smoking Steve [Cherries fan] for a year or more. Before rambling it was sailing, but I did have a friend in Hythe Sailing club who talked to the players every day, so he used to get me some really juicy and accurate bits. Haven't seen him for a couple of years now. Never mind, I'm sure I'll begin to give much more than a mere toss when the playing season arrives again.
There is concern from our fans because Everton have moved out of sight, our main competition this season like Leicester and Bompey have made some excellent signings early. WBA seem to be very active too. These three are going to be our main competition this season and we don't appear to have signed anyone for the first team yet. I am not panicking as I have low expectations for this whilst we are in a transition period at senior management levels
To me it feels more like moving to a new street with nice houses having lived in a ****ty street. The houses are nicer but the neighbours are all miserable bastards now and I wonder if they've ever experienced a ****ty street - they don't know how good they've got it.
And they have a houseful of Goyas and Gainsboroughs, but discover you have a Turner so they want that as well.
