Southampton 2018/19 Season Player Review: Shane Long

The main link that football fans make to Shane Long these days is the length of time between his last goals.

This has been particular prevalent in the past two seasons with the Republic of Ireland international failing to find the net on a number of occasions.

As of January 2019, Long had gone 20 Saints appearances without scoring despite showing his normal levels of work-rate in attack when called upon.

However – as with many other players – the sacking of Mark Hughes and the appointment of Ralph Hasenhuttl in his place seemed to spark a very useful run of form for the 32-year-old in the second half of the campaign.

Five goals and two assists came for him in a productive spell from January to May, and he also wrote his name into the Premier League history books in that time too.

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Perhaps Long’s best overall match in 2018/19 was during the 2-1 win away at Leicester City back in January.

His persistence in hassling the Foxes defenders led to a penalty for his side that was scored by James Ward-Prowse, and he added a second himself on the stroke of half-time when he chased another lost cause and slid a finish past Kasper Schmeichel.

He was made to wait for his next goal in April, but four came in five games against Liverpool, Wolves, Watford and Bournemouth.

The one he netted at Vicarage Road saw him smash the record for the fastest Premier League goal ever. His chipped finish over Ben Foster found the net after just 7.69 seconds; a record that is unlikely to be broken.

This upturn in form could have come at exactly the right time for Long too. His contract with Saints runs out next summer and he will be wanting a couple of more years playing in the Premier League.

One thing in his play that sometimes goes unnoticed is his ability in the air. He is significantly better at winning aerial duels than both Danny Ings and Charlie Austin, meaning that he has traits to help his side see out a win and play slightly more direct at times.

Long’s key PL stats

Appearances (all comps): 26

Goals: 5

Assists: 2

Aerial duels won: 73

Key passes: 13

Big chances missed: 6