Shane Long

Doesn't matter when he got the goals, he got them and we've now lost that. Goals will be our achillies heel unless we sign someone. There is no guaranteed source in the squad.

 

Where did you read this munster? I've seen some sketchy report on Sky that Eriksson may put a bid in, but nothing more .. hope they do to be honest, any clubs monitoring Long can then see what Reading are looking for .. and whether he is then worth going for .. not sure it's a done deal as you've made out though ..

 

My point was he wouldnt score them anywhere near as regularly next season if we're changing our style of play and dont have Carroll as the target man for him to get knock-down's from.

 

That's not true. He scored something like 26 goals last season, and Reading did not play 104 games.

And before you come back quoting stats over the past 3-4 seasons, I should point out that he was only converted into a striker 18 months ago. Before that he was a winger. Just like Tierry Henry was for Juventus, before Arsene Wenger had the vision to move him up front.

If those at the club have an equally snobbish attitude as you have to up and coming players like Long, we will lose out yet again, and end up making a last-ditch panic signing, of someone like Harewood or Kuqi.

 

I think we should take a 7m punt on Nolan Roux.

 

I agree Smudger, but the overall point about removing all of them goals from the squad without replacement is a valid one. I'm hopeful Cabaye will get 5 or 6 in his first season which I feel would be good going for a foreign lad making his first strides on these shores. I do think folk are underestimating how short of goals we are at present. This has a knock on effect throughout as well because defenders need strikers to score goals and take opportunities, or they end up walking a tightrope.

I'd take Long. He is not a 1 in 4 striker. As already mentioned he spent a lot of time on the wing in his very early years. Also its best to judge a player on their most recent form as that is the most relevant pointer where they are at in their career. As such Long is goalscorer and whereas I hoped for better, I'd take him in a heartbeat at present.

 

I'd definitely have Long. Hopefully the whole squad can chip in with goals because our reliance on Carroll and Nolan last season was alarming. We have 2 goalscoring CBs, Barton gets a few if he stays, Cabaye can score goals, as can Marveaux, and Jonas will chip in with 2 or 3, and I think given a run in the side Vuckic would score a decent amount. Also whatever you think of him Shola's good for 5 or 6 goals. Ba and Long I feel could replace the rest.

 

Are you ******ed? He scored 25 in 50 last season, hardly one in four!

 

The one in four stat is for his whole career.

 

Big ask but I'd love you to be right. I'll just be happy if Ba stays fit. The thought of two Ameobis leading the line fills me with complete dread!!! We've been called a circus before, with those two up top we might just live up to the billing!

 

TBH im glad we've missed out on all the strikers you mention. Because I dont think any of them wud be either good enuff/worth their value.

Say what you want about Jermain Defoe's goal record last year or even his age. But that boy is a natural striker. If you look around the Premier league they aren't many strikers u cud/shud bet ur house on that if they played a full season in ur colours week in week out they'd get u 20 goals plus. Rooney, Bent, Berbatov (commitment issues), Torres (possibly lost it), Drogba (possibly past it), Carroll (maybe, Saurez (maybe).....ur struggling.

Defoe in my book is one of em. He's got nothing but Premiership experience. Hes got the goals record whereever he has been. Hes even got a good pedigree for England. But most importantly of all...........HES ACTUALLY AVAILABLE. Which all of the others on my list are not.

..........i also wud have chance my arm at Connor Wickham.........if nothing for the re-sale value, which apparently our leaders are only remotely interested in. Dont understand why they let him go to Mackems instead....strange one.

 

What is it with all this abusing each other on here over the last few days. Maybe I'm of an older generation and therefore its lost on me, but whats wrong with a smidgeon of respect for fellow supporters?

 

Very much agreed.

On topic, people seem to be forgetting Mr Leon Best who should chip in with his fair few. On Long, I think at £7million he is too expensive for an unproven PL player.

 

Apparently his release clause is €8Million .. Schalke are trailing him but will only go up to €6.5M for him .. not sure how good he is, but he seems to have a bit of an issue with the Brest management/board and stopped training .. last thing we need is someone who throws their toys out of the pram when things don't go his way

 

Well that is bullshit (unless you are being sarcastic), he has had 1 good season in his career, which was in the Championship last season. There is nothing to say he can hack it in the PL, if anything the statistics say he cannot hack it. 5 goals in 50 PL games.

 

Depends on the reason why, Ben Arfa did the same thing last season to force through a move to us so it is not always bad.

He scored 21 goals last season in his first season in Ligue 1 and he is only 23 so I think it is worth the risk. He is certainly no worse than we have got now especially as we have seemed to of lost Erding and none of the other potential target sound that inspiring.

 

That was meant for BOOTBOY2, who seems very ******ed (check his posts today)

He was a winger 18 months ago

 

I agree, two sides to every story (don't we just know it!). Players are not always at fault just because they are the employee. Plus even when they have done wrong, it is possible to reform, and wake up and smell the coffee. Particularly when young and still maturing.

 

We missed out on him? Just because The Sun said we were after him doesn't mean we were. If you believe that then we've missed out on Malouda, Ronaldo etc

 

Sounds worthwhile then ... I know he's been mentioned before, and seems available as well (as far as he's concerned anyway) .. add him to the list

[My toys/pram comment was toungue in cheek btw]