That's churlish. All of us would've preferred that he scored more goals, who wouldn't, but to suggest that Long suffered a "severe lack of ability" is frankly absurd.
I always felt that Shane Long exemplified for me what a pro footballer should be like. The criticisms about lack of goals ignore the fact that be being a constant nuisance , he freed up opportunities for his partners leading the line. There a few players in recent years who have played with such commitment. I dont think he ever gave less than 100%. As in all walks of life, Shane Long demonstrated that you should never give up on seemingly lost causes and he exemplified the kind of personality I would appreciated as a work collegue. I have nothing but praise for him. Reading some of the more negative comments on this thread, I am reminded by the remarks of an Arsenal supporting collegue who always argued that Shane Long was perceived as a real threat by opposition teams and that he was,perhaps, more highly considered by supporters of other teams than among some of the Southampton faithful. I think genuine fans knew his worth and, in my opinion, he was a model pro. I wish him the best for the future and thank him for his efforts whilst at St Mary's. If only more players had his attitude......
Shane’s imperfections were not of the magnitude of letting attackers score or giving the ball away easily There are many Saints heroes who won our hearts but weren’t ‘perfect’ ... .... Francis Benali
I totally agree. The first time I really noticed Shane Long was when Albion beat us 3-0 at home in our promotion season. He clearly scared our defenders ****less! Redmond is another player who the opposition fear and a section of our fans deride. As for some of the comments on here, I think there are people who forget that we support Southampton Fc and it's bloody hard work at times. Moments of exhileration don't come round too often. His goal at Anfield may have been unecessary, but standing on the Annie Road end that night and being part of a crowd going mental is a memory that lets me forget the crap.So it's a simple thanks and good luck from me.
Yes, it feels Churlish and I'm happy to be called out for my post. He has been a polarising character on the pitch and seems to have been really well liked off it. He'll have had a warm send off whatever your individual perspective.
Really pleased he’s got a deal at one of his previous clubs and not too far away from home I’ll be looking out for any mentions
