A number of Newcastle fans wanted the club to bring in Shane Long last summer.
Shane Long – done well at West Brom
Shane was on sale from Reading, where he had scored 25 goals in 50 appearances for the club last season when they were beaten 4-2 by Swansea in the play-off final at Wembley – for promotion to the Premier League.
And it has turned out to be something that Newcastle now wish they had done, because Shane gave our defense a bit of the runaround with his speed, in West Brom’s 3-2 win at St. James’ Park back in December.
Shane is very fast and a typical goal poacher, although in 22 appearances for West Bron this season he has scored only 6 goals, but he’s been out injured too.
The 25 year-old Irish striker joined West Brom instead of course, and he will likely be in the team tomorrow at The Hawthorns, in what promises to be a tough game for the Magpies.
Alan Pardew explained the situation was last summer with Long:
“The £6.5M valuation was putting us off,” “He has justified the valuation so Reading probably called that right, and we could argue we got that one wrong. He has had a great season.”
It’s not often these days that Newcastle make mistakes in the transfer market, but the speed of Shane could have given us something different up front, and of course he can play on the wing as well.
The 5’11” Tipperary, Ireland born Long had an excellent record at Reading, where he scored 54 goals in just 201 appearances, but of course it’s much harder to score goals in the Premier League.
And it’s always a test to decide whether a player who looks very good in the lower leagues, can make it in the world’s top football league in England.
That’s a decision it looks like Newcastle will need to make with Huddersfield Town striker, Jordan Rhodes, who has 34 goals in 32 games and 77 goals in 133 total appearance for the League One side.
Maybe this time Newcastle will take a chance on a lower league striker?
Comments welcome.
19 comments so far
check the toastie
Mar 24, 2012 at 9:55 AM
Comment #1dont think we got it wrong, just bought Cisse for a couple more million, and he is a country mile better.
Pardew's fist pump
Mar 24, 2012 at 9:57 AM
Comment #2Nah, don’t think we did. He zoomed into the season, but has petered out, even before his injury.
Jail for Ashley
Mar 24, 2012 at 9:59 AM
Comment #3Just a little bit better than Leon Best.
ROSHAN
Mar 24, 2012 at 10:03 AM
Comment #4not that great miss I’ll be take cisse over him any day
pbNcl
Mar 24, 2012 at 10:04 AM
Comment #5I remember when we had viduka up front. And then we got some kid called shefti kuqi. Jesus. Things are incredible these days, I never want to go back. Joe kinnear aswell, what an actual joke that was haha
check the toastie
Mar 24, 2012 at 10:06 AM
Comment #6pbNcl – yep things are looking up eh, just need pardew to grow some balls and stop playing full backs in front of full backs and the front two will score boat loads, the boys up front need feeding. Feeds the Ba’s and they will score.
geoff777
Mar 24, 2012 at 10:07 AM
Comment #7No Cisse is a top quality striker.
Well worth paying the extra few million.
Not sure about Rhodes, moving up two divisions is a big ask.
Isn’t there another Demba out there?
Sell Best 2-3M and buy another quality striker from the continent for 8-9M.
toonarmydownsouth
Mar 24, 2012 at 10:13 AM
Comment #8Dont think we missed out at all 6 goals in 22 games is hardly a world beater, in fact hes only just leon best! Ppl were saying the same about us missing out on beckford!
pbNcl
Mar 24, 2012 at 10:15 AM
Comment #9Pardew is cautious like, he’s breakin benny in well tho. I know what you mean, I’d love to have really attacking wingers, somebody who could cross in those deadly balls. Gutierrez will never be dropped, so unless benny gets shifted centrally as a second striker and we get a right winger in, I can’t see much change in that department.
I like simpson and want him to stay. As an understudy tho, I really think we could get a more promising rightback
Rowan Milsted
Mar 24, 2012 at 10:15 AM
Comment #10I really, really think we should make a move for Rhodes. It’s a bit of a gamble but his goal scoring record is immense. He has the physical attributes we’re after… and he won’t go to ACON!
Stepping up 2 leagues will be a challenge but I massively respect a player who can do so well in any English league. They’re all gritty, intense, physical and reasonably fast-paced, plus you get good players right down to league 2, so I think being such a stand-out league 1 player is somewhat of an indication that this guy could do it in the Prem.
If we could get him for around £5-6M then I think we should… I could be wrong, but I don’t think I am.
cupiddstunt
Mar 24, 2012 at 10:51 AM
Comment #11Did we miss out on something with S Long?
One in four ratio at Reading and the same since stepping up says not particularly.
Jordan Rhodes on the other hand has a one in two ratio and more recent one in one ratio so is definitely worth the gamble, and before anybody starts I know it is at a lower level but a goal scorer is a goal scorer and this lad appears to be stepping it up.
He would not be too expensive a gamble so why not?
Troleibusiukas_LTU
Mar 24, 2012 at 11:12 AM
Comment #12Sell Best and Lover, buy Luuk de Jong or that Guidetti kid from city or sigurdson from dutch league too.
PooSetoon
Mar 24, 2012 at 11:23 AM
Comment #13safe to say im extremely pleased with that record we didn’t get long and got cisse instead, great work by the club!
mickg108
Mar 24, 2012 at 12:33 PM
Comment #14I seem to remember us paying £5 million for Xisco,,so get rid of Pedro & sign Rhodes as a back up for Ba & Cisse.
Jarralad
Mar 24, 2012 at 2:32 PM
Comment #15I’d love us to take a chance on Rhodes, when Lee Clark was there, I’d have bet on us getting him on a good deal, maybe buying on the cheap with a loan-back option, but now lee’s gone, we’d need to spend on a chance!
I agree with the guys that say sell Leon , and I’d add to that, Ranger, so maybe that would be £4M toward a likely 5-6M transfer fee for Rhodes
I also spotted a certain Andy Cole when he was at Bristol City as a good prospect, so I may have the knack. Anyone got Carr’s number?..I might make a few quid?
geordiejamie89
Mar 24, 2012 at 4:27 PM
Comment #16I don’t think we made a mistake, Cisse is a good signing, however I would like to add Rhodes, as well as one other striker. I think Rhodes’ wages wouldn’t be too high, and the pricetag either.
Good season, and nice to see Newcastle up where they should be, Liverpool might be a bigger club, but they’re throwing money at daft signings, deserve what they’ve got this season. And Newcastle has one of the biggest stadiums, always selling near the 50,000 mark, and the better we get, the more sellouts we’ll have. It’s up to Mike Ashley, he’s pumped lots of money into Newcastle, but with a bit more wise spending we could keep growing.
Good times but better to come I hope. HWTL!
bills-son
Mar 24, 2012 at 5:09 PM
Comment #17Biggest mistake by FAR was not signing Ricky Van Wolfswinkel for £4M – he’s worth £15-20M+ now.
JP...from The Rock
Mar 24, 2012 at 9:14 PM
Comment #18Cisse is different but much better. Though now with both Demba’s on board a speedy and tricky striker is what we need. Obviously we should buy defenders and wingers first.
chuck
Mar 25, 2012 at 11:42 PM
Comment #19People just dont get it!
I touted getting Long as i had seen what he could do, a good scorer, finds space, hustles to assit his team mates,
I undertand his club were asking for six mill. or more but he went.
t for half the price we paid for Cisse.
Face it we have’nt really seen how good Cisse is, Sow was a much better player who we could have had for the same price.
But yeah we missed out on long because no one tried to make a deal.
As for the idiot who compared him with Best, are you serious ?