The striker Arsenal have 'Long'ed for

Do you see what I did there? Of course you didn’t, I haven’t started talking about my subject yet but hopefully you’ll soon be groaning at my word play.

It’s easy to talk about the flavour of the month and Arsenal signing them. It happened with Ba, Cisse, Benteke and Michu, all prolific for a while and strikers Gooners clamoured for Arsenal to sign, heralding them as our goal saviours who have all tailed off a bit in the goal tally stakes.

The current flavour of the month is Shane Long and someone the media have linked with a January move to a bigger club, Arsenal one of them.

Shane Long is a player I admire much and someone I feel Arsenal should consider as more than just flavour of the month.

My admiration for Long goes back to his Reading days and I mentioned him as a potential signing in May 2012. I said in a recent Goonersphere Podcast, and a 3BTA Podcast, that I would like Arsenal to consider him again.

Shane Long

Arsenal were linked with Long a few years back so in some respect he wouldn’t be flavour of the month for Arsenal but his current form does no harm in highlighting his qualities to Arsenal once again ahead of the January window.

Two things are quiet clear amongst Arsenal supporters in general. One, Arsenal need a striker in January. Two, January is a notoriously bad/hard time to shop for top quality additions.

Shane Long isn’t a world-beater, nor is he a prolific goalscorer but that’s okay because all title-winning sides include the odd “very good” player and Long fits that bill.

Some argue that Podolski and Theo cannot be considered as genuine backup or rotational options to Giroud as they can’t play with their back to goal or hold up play. Shane Long can.

Long could be the player we thought we signed in Chamakh and more. Long is another hard-working, gutsy player and he holds the ball up well and is comfortable and suited to a number of formations. Shane is able to play upfront on his own, in a partnership, right or left in a three or wide in a five. He is strong, good in the air, stretches defences, brings other players in and is good in defence. I don’t think he is going to oust Giroud any time soon but he would be a fantastic rotation option and is someone who is actually able to influence a game from the bench, unlike Bendtner. He’s not prolific but he is so much more than just goals and personal glory.

Shane is a powerful striker able to bully defences or use his strength to bring others into the fold, qualities that are lauded in Giroud’s play for Arsenal.

Perfect backup for Giroud?

He only averages one goal per five matches featured in, in the Premier League but with a midfield like ours he could easily improve that or use his attributes to assist others in scoring more goals.

Top quality players aren’t easy to come by in January, especially not centre-forwards or goal-scorers. Arsenal aren’t going to buy Suarez in January and it’s unlikely that we’d get Lewandowski either because BVB won’t sell/he has signed for Bayern

Arsenal are much better served by signing an experienced forward who can slot into Arsenal’s team with minimum fuss who won’t cost the earth nor become deadwood within a season. That way we are covered in numbers and quality and a prolific goalscorer can be signed in the summer.

Long is out of contract at the end of the year and almost went for £5m last summer. A bid of the same amount should be enough to tempt West Brom.

If you think the lad lacks the technical quality to play for Arsenal then you should watch this

Arsenal need a striker in January and West Brom have one that makes financial sense and wouldn’t kick up a stink about a bench role as he doesn’t have the World Cup to worry about.

In my opinion, not only is Long a viable alternative to Giroud when required, in many respects I believe he is the perfect one. It’s also been far too long (see what I did there? *groan*) since Arsenal had an Irishman at the club.