Reports today that Newcastle may be interested in Reading striker Shane Long.
Shane Long – are Newcastle interested?
It’s not the first time Newcastle have been reported interested in this player, and they were credited with an interest in Long last season, when they were in the Championship, and certainly the Irish International is one of the better players in England’s second tier.
But whether he can improve the Newcastle squad, if Newcastle somehow manage to bring the 24 year-old in during this summer, is a good question.
Alan Pardew has said he will be looking at the lower leagues in England and wouldn’t hesitate to bring a player in, if he thought he had big potential to be able to play in the Premier League.
The Daily Mail is reporting that Newcastle are leading the queue of clubs ready to sing the 18 times capped Irish International, who has an impressive 20 goals in 43 appearances for Reading this season.
Certainly in the two fine Reading FA Cup runs over the last two seasons, Shane Long has looked an impressive player, and able to step up in class.
Shane is just above Newcastle’s Leon Best, in the pecking order as an Ireland striker, but he is behind captain Robbie Keane, who hardly plays club football these days, and Kevin Doyle, who injured his knee ligaments last week.
The Gortnahoe born Shane started his carer at Cork City, and joined Reading back in 2005.
In total he now has 188 appearances for Reading and a good 49 goals, so his goal-scoring record is impressive enough, especially this season.
Maybe Shane is one of those players who could be purchased fairly cheaply, but still make the step up to the Premier League.
What do you think?
16 comments so far
Thump
Mar 31, 2011 at 12:08 PM
Comment #1From what I remember of him last season he was good enough. Had a dodgy game against us but overall a nice, pacy, direct player. Whether he could move to the EPL and be something outside of a squad player is up for debate but our scouting staff is good and Pardew has a decent record when it comes to getting ability in… We do need a prolific scorer though and I don’t think Long will ever be that. We desperately need quality up front and we already have enough (slow) number 10s.
Davies
Mar 31, 2011 at 12:26 PM
Comment #2Just posted this on the Best/ankle thread:
I live just down the road from Reading these days and a lot of my friends are Royals supporters. I just texted one of them and he says that Long is in VERY good form at the moment and is having his best season there. He’s similar to Keving Doyle, but not quite as good yet. Same work rate apparently.
Worth a punt, I’d say. Probably pretty cheap.
TheBroon
Mar 31, 2011 at 12:46 PM
Comment #3To be honest i haven’t seen much of shane long who’s on 20 goals this season, but i have seen alot of local boy danny graham who’s on 25 goals this season. Personally i don’t think any of them have the pedigree yet for the premier league but if we are going to take a chance on any championship centre forward i think danny graham might just be worth a cheap punt.
wynsleap
Mar 31, 2011 at 12:57 PM
Comment #4A decent striker but is ‘decent’ what we are really looking for up front?
If we ship out Lovenkrands, Ameobi and Best in the summer he could be a good back up acquisition as long as we buy two REALLY GOOD (not outlandishly expensive!) forwards to go with him. Along with Ranger that would really improve and totally overhaul our strike force.
But is that too simple for Pardew and his men?
Davies
Mar 31, 2011 at 1:27 PM
Comment #5Think you’re probably right Wynsleap.
Sav
Mar 31, 2011 at 1:37 PM
Comment #6Long is in terrific form and has a great attitude. Don’t worry about his Ireland pecking order – Trappatoni is an arch-conservative and Robbie Keane, to be fair has a great record, and is captain for the Irish. We couldn’t easily afford to prise Kevin Doyle from Wolves and age is no longer on his side. Long is the future for Ireland. Good touch, good pace, works his socks off and unlike Doyle, he has a knack of getting goals.
Get him, Pards.
Sav
Mar 31, 2011 at 1:53 PM
Comment #7Shane Long won’t disappoint. If we get him. He’s improving greatly and has a really good attitude – unlike ‘I’ve worked on my timekeeping and it has improved’ Nile bloody Ranger.
Timekeeping isn’t something to be worked on, like your abs. Its something to be fixed – NOW -especially on his money!
ddmacker
Mar 31, 2011 at 2:14 PM
Comment #8Please pease buy him he’s scored 20 goals in the Championship this season so far and he has proved hinself against top internationals, he ran the Uruguay defence ragged onTuesday. He’s a good future prospect in both EPL and at international level.
wynsleap
Mar 31, 2011 at 2:19 PM
Comment #9Agree about Nile, Sav, but still think he’s worth persevering with though, as I’m convinced the lad has huge potential.
I think next season is vital for him though as it may be “make or break” time.
dazza
Mar 31, 2011 at 2:20 PM
Comment #10Agreed, snap him up. whats the price?
Ashton
Mar 31, 2011 at 2:24 PM
Comment #11He is a very good player and he will add something different to our squad .
Jose Enrique
Mar 31, 2011 at 7:02 PM
Comment #12Wynsleap:
Before we ship out leon best!!! Is that a joke? He has been our best player over the last few months and without his goals we would probably be in the relegation zone. And you wanna sell him!
fungus44
Mar 31, 2011 at 7:06 PM
Comment #13sounds, like he better than connor wickham if so get him and let the spud,s have wickham as they seem to want him that much as for leon best the stroy is in the mail so probs BullS***
ffgibbo
Mar 31, 2011 at 7:58 PM
Comment #14I live in Reading, Long is a grafter, but lightweight, he’s a younger version of lovenkrands without the speed. If he’s cheap (1.5-3m) then go for him, if more, then there must be better out there for us?
Pigott93
Mar 31, 2011 at 10:15 PM
Comment #15i tink hes a really good player and hes already got more goals den carroll did in de championship..hes young too so he will improve and he only has 12 months left in his contract so i think we could get him fairly cheaply..as long as we get a top class striker aswell i dont see why we shouldnt get him hes better then what we got now anyways
ebol
Apr 1, 2011 at 1:14 AM
Comment #16think this guy could be a star. it would be a punt but could turn up trumps and we do have the money to be making these kind of gambles now.