Long wait to make a mark may be over

EURO 2012 QUALIFYING SLOVAKIA v REP OF IRELAND COUNTDOWN: EMMET MALONEfinds the modest young Reading striker hopeful his strong showing on Friday will be rewarded

HE’S STILL only 23 and fairly fresh-faced even for that but few members of Giovanni Trapattoni’s Ireland squad have been as uncomplainingly patient as Shane Long in waiting for their moment to come over the last few years.

It was way back in February 2007 the Tipperary man made his senior international debut in that frantic and perhaps best forgotten away win over San Marino.

At the time, it must have felt like a decent chance to burst on to the international stage and while neither he nor the team really shone in the way Steve Staunton must have hoped, it would have been a little hard to believe at the time he would have to wait so long for another start in an Ireland jersey.

Prior to Friday night, he had come on in 12 games subsequently and while there were goals against Bolivia and Denmark (two) there was a certain sense around the Ireland training camp yesterday that his latest, against Russia, had earned him the chance to deputise for his injured friend Kevin Doyle against Slovakia tomorrow night.

Needless to say Long, still quiet-spoken, modest and immensely likeable, wasn’t counting any chickens yesterday as the players went through their paces for the last time before heading away, but he is clearly hopeful an improvement in his form at club level combined with his strong showing at the Aviva Stadium might just tip things in his favour.

“Yeah, when I came into the squad at the start, I had a good record: three in six,” he says, “but since then I’ve been getting five and 10 minutes for the most part. It has been tough but I think a lot of it comes down to what’s going on at club level.

“I’ve not been doing enough at club level to put the pressure on the lads up front. In the last year, I feel I’ve turned things around again and got on top of my game and hopefully if I do get the nod on Tuesday night, I can keep going from there.

“Hopefully, I can kick on from here and be more a presence in the squad.”

A couple of changes of manager at Reading may not have helped his cause but since taking over towards the end of last season, Long believes Brian McDermott has helped him get back to his best.

“Before he became manager, he was a friend as well and he’s helped me a lot since he got the job. He took me aside and showed me things and it’s always nice to have that backing from the manager.”

Goals have not been any easier to come by for Long, who has managed just one in 10 appearances this year, having fallen just short of double figures in each of the last two campaigns, but he is playing regularly and well, contributing to the team effort and helping to create chances for others to convert.

“I think I like to see myself as a regular goal-scorer but you’ve got to do a lot of work for the team as well. It shows with Kevin, who is going to be a big loss. It would be a big job to fill his boots.

“But it was good to get the nod on Friday night. It was just a case of coming on and giving it your all. Sadly we lost the game but we can take a few positives from it as well as learning a few things.

“From a personal point of view, I wouldn’t say I was over the moon afterwards but it was a great feeling to score a goal. Even then, though, losing to one of your main rivals in the group leaves mixed emotions.”

Asked about his chances of featuring from the outset in Zilina, he insists he is as much in the dark as anyone else.

“I don’t know what the boss is thinking,” he says. “But if I do come in, I’ll be more than ready to take my chance. I was a bit raw back then (on the night of his debut), I didn’t know as much about the game as I do now. And I think every game you play since then, you learn something new.

“It was a tough game but we got the right result in the end and I wouldn’t mind playing badly and winning rather than playing well and losing (against Slovakia).”

A great deal, he admits, will depend on how good the Slovaks prove to be. “Yeah, you just be ready for what’s thrown at you. And you can’t take anything away from Russia, they were unbelievable in the first half.

“They played a 4-5-1 formation brilliantly and passed through midfield, it was hard to get on the ball. But I think we’ve got to learn ourselves that we’ll have to deal with that on the pitch.

“Clearly, we can’t leave ourselves so open. It’s hard when you’re doing everything you can to get on the ball and just being outplayed but the lads held their hands up at half-time (on Friday), had a chat and put things right.

“To be fair, it’s the first time in a long time we’ve been outplayed like that and 4-4-2 has served Ireland well for a long time now.

“We haven’t had the meeting yet, but I’m sure we’ll have a look at them and see how they set up against us. And if we have to adapt to a different formation, we’re more than capable.”