Long

A

albertrn

Well-known member
With our defence this season for the most part being pretty solid Long hasn’t had a great deal to do. I know his kicking is a great improvement over Bart. Is the jury out on him until we meet a team that will test him a lot more. What are your thoughts?
 
Kicking is important and he is a step up in the department on Bart. But his first job is to stop goals and I don’t think he was blameless for either of Preston’s goals. GR complained afterwards that he had his arm pulled back for their first but I struggled to see much of that in the highlights. He flapped a bit and I think that Bart might have kept it out. The second was a decent far post header from Evans but he just dropped to one knee and watched go across him. Again, I think Bart might have had a go at saving it.
It really is a case of whether you want a keeper who can kick well but is not a great shot stopper or a shot stopper who doesn’t kick quite so well. It’s a tough call. For me Bart is better.
 
I prefer Bart, Long is good at kicking and we have scored goals using that, but he doesn't seem to have the same reflexes as Bart. For me it's Bart and use a CB to kick the ball up field. However Long is probably the one for the long term (no pun) so can't argue with GR getting him playing to keep his interest up.
 
Long is a big unit, no way should he be getting bullied in his own 6 yard box! Should have gone through the players in front of him to claim the ball, Bart ain't much better at commanding his box but a better shot stopper.
 
I would say Long all day long, as his distribution has quickly turned defence in to attack on many occasions, he also commands the box better than Bart...

Most goals (bar both of Preston's) he hasn't really had a shot that was savable that's actually got passed him, the ones (until Preston) he's conceded, I think Bart would have also conceded.

Good dilemma, but I'd choose Long and I fkin love Bart.
 
silverlion said:
Kicking is important and he is a step up in the department on Bart. But his first job is to stop goals and I don’t think he was blameless for either of Preston’s goals. GR complained afterwards that he had his arm pulled back for their first but I struggled to see much of that in the highlights. He flapped a bit and I think that Bart might have kept it out. The second was a decent far post header from Evans but he just dropped to one knee and watched go across him. Again, I think Bart might have had a go at saving it.
It really is a case of whether you want a keeper who can kick well but is not a great shot stopper or a shot stopper who doesn’t kick quite so well. It’s a tough call. For me Bart is better.
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You need to look at the highlights again Silver and you will clearly see that Long’s left arm was trapped down by their player. Agree though that Bart may have saved Evans’ header.
 
Bart is better than Long although he is good too. Actually, two of the best keepers in the division. However, first job for a keeper is making saves not distribution and Bart wins that comfortably. The real issue I have is with dropping players when they've done nothing wrong... Danny Mac, Billy Mitchell, and others have all fallen foul of this. Dropped for no reason.
 
Poplar Lion said:
Bart is better than Long although he is good too. Actually, two of the best keepers in the division. However, first job for a keeper is making saves not distribution and Bart wins that comfortably. The real issue I have is with dropping players when they've done nothing wrong... Danny Mac, Billy Mitchell, and others have all fallen foul of this. Dropped for no reason.
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Lee Nichols at Huddersfield is also very good.
 
As others have said, both have their strengths and weaknesses. I initially thought Bart was hard done by getting dropped but have changed my mind.

While it's hard to argue against the view that a keeper's first priority is to keep the ball out of his own net, how the keeper distributes the ball is extremely important. Too often Bart simply booted the ball into touch or straight to one of the oppo's players, which meant that we were back on the defensive immediately. This rarely happens with Long.
 
Long seems to command his box better and collects the ball better where Bart would often go for a punch clear. His distribution is far better.
Preston aside where I though Long should have done better for the first and badly positioned himself for the second I cant think of other goals conceded where I though he really should have saved that. Bart though is a great shopper.
Both good keepers, but Long is one for the future over Bart.
 
Long for me.

Forget his kicking is better than Bart, he reads the game so much better and is more alert to potentially dangerous situations.

As for the 2 Preston goals conceded, with the 1st he was blocked and in those circumstances it’s difficult for any keeper to get to the ball. With the 2nd it was a good header back across the goal that caught him off balance, which occasionally happens to all keepers.
 
If Bart is intending on heading back to Poland next summer then Rowett has probably decided that he might not be 100% focused on playing at a high level. Long is known to be a fanatical trainer and patiently waited for his chance for a good while and hasn’t let us down.

It was a big call by Rowett to drop Bart and one that took a lot of us by surprise but Long has given us a new dimension with his accurate kicking. Bart is a great shot stopper and a likeable fella but he was beginning to be a bit of a liability with his the ball at his feet. I wish him all the best but for me Rowett was spot on by handing the gloves to Long.
 
SEL said:
Long seems to command his box better and collects the ball better where Bart would often go for a punch clear. His distribution is far better.
Preston aside where I though Long should have done better for the first and badly positioned himself for the second I cant think of other goals conceded where I though he really should have saved that. Bart though is a great shopper.
Both good keepers, but Long is one for the future over Bart.
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Bart’s missus must love him as he is a great shopper. I’d rather he forgot shopping and got back to being a great stopper.
 
Bart is 100 times better, yes long has a better kick but he literally flaps at everything and never jumps or comes off he’s goal line to get the ball. Like someone else said, he hasn’t had much to do but what he has had to deal with he’s not dealt with, 3 or 4 goals since long has come in has been down to he’s shocking decision making and slow reflexes! Bart should never have been dropped in the first place.
Bring him back in. Long is not the answer to are long term goalkeeper unless he improves drastically.
 
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