Speculation : Shane Long to return

[Blakey's Right Peg]

Now I knew there would be a few who would disagree but I'm not making a snap judgement. I've seen him look consistently poor for YEARS before he finally had 2 seasons where he showed anything like the potential he came with.

He's no longer a Reading player thankfully as he's not good enough for the Premiership other than to play for yoyo teams like West Brom (although they have a good manager in Chris Hughton who'll keep them up).

Is he honestly better than Pogrebnyak and Roberts? Nah. His strength is using his actual strength to bash through a defence and score a poacher's effort. That's fine in the Championship but it's a lot harder to do in the Premiership and his footballing brain is too lacking to compensate for the switch up.

I won't deny he did have two very good seasons but he'll need to have several more before he'll change my mind. Which he won't - he'll never score double figures in a premier league season.

You make it sound like it was just you

As other have said doubt this will happen, but I for one would welcome it if it did. Long has got the confidence in his game these days and is excellent at what he does. Pacey and powerful.

And how is a player by your reckoning good enough for West Brom but not for us?

[retro royal]

I think him and Pav would be a great combination, both good in the air, and Long could run off his flicks, just worries me that he broke a few bones in his back, due to the way he runs.

[muddyfeet]

yay is he coming back?

[mr_number]

yay is he coming back?

Yep, expect the announcement next week.

[Reading4eva]

My source has told me nothing on this one

[Pepe the Horseman]

I'd like to hear Katy 1971's thoughts on this.

[USA_Loyal_Royal]

i want shane back as much as the next fan, he has been my favorite player for years and i was heartbroken when he left but i dont think this will happen.i read an article about the new manager of wba talking to shane and odemwingie telling them how important they are to the team and how they are both going to be important to his plan.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story ... ay?cc=5901

West Brom manager Steve Clarke is determined to keep hold of strikers Peter Odemwingie and Shane Long this summer.

Shane Long and Peter Odemwingie West Brom
GettyImagesEighteen of West Brom's 45 Premier League goals last season were scored by Shane Long and Peter Odemwingie

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Odemwingie and Long have both been tipped to leave the Hawthorns with the former having previously stated his desire to play for a bigger club.

However, both players are in the plans of Clarke, who was appointed by the Baggies to what is his first full-time managerial position last month.

"He (Odemwingie) is a top player, a Nigerian international, he scored goals in the Premier League consistently," Clarke told the Sunday Mirror.

"There's no reason to doubt that he's not a top, top player and I'm really looking forward to working with him. His goal record here is really good. He's the man you look to for the goals.

"Normally as an opposition coach I would be looking and seeing that Peter Odemwingie has scored again. I will come in and work with Peter and over a period of time I will be able to grade him and see where he fits in that sort of level in the table and where he fits as a player."

Clarke revealed he has spoken to most of his new players already, with Ireland forward Long among those he has moved to reassure about their value to the team.

"I have spoken briefly to most of the players and I spoke to Shane," Clarke said. "He said that he has a difficult first season with a lot of injuries. He's told me that he's over that and he feels quite good.

"Unfortunately he's not had a chance to really play in the Euros, but in a way that might be a good thing that he's not been pushed and asked too many questions.

"He can now have a nice summer and come back refreshed. It's quite an appealing prospect and both of them have proved that they are natural goalscorers. If you have two goalscorers who can score goals it's a big plus."

[andrew1957]

i want shane back as much as the next fan, he has been my favorite player for years and i was heartbroken when he left but i dont think this will happen.i read an article about the new manager of wba talking to shane and odemwingie telling them how important they are to the team and how they are both going to be important to his plan.

Agreed cannot see Shane coming back this window - if ever I am afraid.

[Maguire]

he has been my favorite player for years and i was heartbroken when he left

ghey

[ddetisi]

The Times says West Brom have rejected a 5 and a half million pound bid from Reading,

[maffff]

viewtopic.php?p=3342852#p3342852

Bid was rejected [well, more enquiry was rebuffed, never got that formal in the end. We said we'd be prepared to pay 5.5m... Chairman said the new manager could decide ] Steve Clarke wants the player rather than the money to strengthen other areas. Long wouldn't force a move and isn't 'unhappy', but would have jumped at the move.

[ddetisi]

http://hobnob.royals.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3342852#p3342852

Bid was rejected [well, more enquiry was rebuffed, never got that formal in the end. We said we'd be prepared to pay 5.5m... Chairman said the new manager could decide ] Steve Clarke wants the player rather than the money to strengthen other areas. Long wouldn't force a move and isn't 'unhappy', but would have jumped at the move.

[BrockManson]

Don't want him back, massively overrated and I've seen enough of his blustering, clueless approach on the field to want to endure it a second bloody time.

[Ian Royal]

Now I knew there would be a few who would disagree but I'm not making a snap judgement. I've seen him look consistently poor for YEARS before he finally had 2 seasons where he showed anything like the potential he came with.

He's no longer a Reading player thankfully as he's not good enough for the Premiership other than to play for yoyo teams like West Brom (although they have a good manager in Chris Hughton who'll keep them up).

Is he honestly better than Pogrebnyak and Roberts? Nah. His strength is using his actual strength to bash through a defence and score a poacher's effort. That's fine in the Championship but it's a lot harder to do in the Premiership and his footballing brain is too lacking to compensate for the switch up.

I won't deny he did have two very good seasons but he'll need to have several more before he'll change my mind. Which he won't - he'll never score double figures in a premier league season.

He's better than Roberts, given Roberts has rarely managed more PL goals than Shane did last season, and is closer to pushing 25 than 35.

[BrockManson]

Now I knew there would be a few who would disagree but I'm not making a snap judgement. I've seen him look consistently poor for YEARS before he finally had 2 seasons where he showed anything like the potential he came with.

He's no longer a Reading player thankfully as he's not good enough for the Premiership other than to play for yoyo teams like West Brom (although they have a good manager in Chris Hughton who'll keep them up).

Is he honestly better than Pogrebnyak and Roberts? Nah. His strength is using his actual strength to bash through a defence and score a poacher's effort. That's fine in the Championship but it's a lot harder to do in the Premiership and his footballing brain is too lacking to compensate for the switch up.

I won't deny he did have two very good seasons but he'll need to have several more before he'll change my mind. Which he won't - he'll never score double figures in a premier league season.

He's better than Roberts, given Roberts has rarely managed more PL goals than Shane did last season, and is closer to pushing 25 than 35.

No chance is he better than Roberts. Roberts has a footballing brain and knows when to time his run, how to link up play and can anticipate what his teammates are trying to do.

Long just runs looking straight ahead and relies on pace and power to compensate from the fact he has limited ability and a lack of awareness.

Good player to bring on in the closing stages the way we used to employ Church, but spending £5.5m on a Church upgrade is pointless when the team could be better-strengthened elsewhere.

[Dare to Dr£am]

Backs up FL and I think paultheroyal who said an offer was on the table pending their new manager coming in. £5.5m is a bit steep though, I'm not sure he's worth that.

[cmonurz]

http://hobnob.royals.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3342852#p3342852

Bid was rejected [well, more enquiry was rebuffed, never got that formal in the end. We said we'd be prepared to pay 5.5m... Chairman said the new manager could decide ] Steve Clarke wants the player rather than the money to strengthen other areas. Long wouldn't force a move and isn't 'unhappy', but would have jumped at the move.

Best gif ever.

[Big Foot]

Remember where you heard it first

[Royal Rother]

It would be interesting to see a stat attack comparing Roberts and Long.

For me, I would far rather see 25 year old Long play for Reading than 35 year old Roberts and find it somewhat amusing that daft feckers like BrockManson are still under-rating and disrespecting him based on how he used to play a long time ago.

[BrockManson]

It would be interesting to see a stat attack comparing Roberts and Long.

For me, I would far rather see 25 year old Long play for Reading than 35 year old Roberts and find it somewhat amusing that daft feckers like BrockManson are still under-rating and disrespecting him based on how he used to play a long time ago.

He's had far more shite seasons than he's had good ones.

I've yet to see him iron out the aspects of his game that make him a poor player.