Southampton surprised the nation when they signed Shane Long from Hull City for £12 million back in the summer of 2014.
Since his arrival on the south coast, Long has scored 22 times in 118 appearances for the club and has become something of a fans’ favourite amongst the Saints’ faithful.
There is no doubt of Long’s commitment and energy every time he puts on the red and white jersey. However, this season Long has found consistent football hard to come by and hasn’t hit the heights that he showed in the 15/16 season under Ronald Koeman.
This season just gone saw Shane Long make one of the highlights of Saints’ season with an added time winner at Anfield in the second leg of the EFL Cup semi final – a moment myself nor any other saints will ever forget.
However, that’ll be all Long will be remembered for this season as this whole season has been a barren one, in which he has struggled to get on the score sheet. It took Long until December to register his first goal for Saints in the just gone season in a 2-1 defeat at home to one of his former clubs, West Bromwich Albion. Long went to score a further four times more to finish the season with a total of five goals in 45 games – a poor return for a striker.
Over the course of the season Long has had 26 shots registered as being on target and with only five of those resulting in a goal, it leaves Long with a conversion rate of 9%.
Shane Long last scored for Southampton back in February in the 4-0 away win at Sunderland. With the stats being against Long and with his poor run of form considered, it has been given to fan speculation that Long may and should leave the club in the summer with his best days now looking to be behind him.
With Long currently Saints’ third choice striker, only just in front of Jay Rodriguez but miles behind Manolo Gabbiadini and Charlie Austin, it begs the question is Shane Long’s time at Southampton coming to an end? Or should it come to an end this summer?
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