Lee On Solent Saint

You also need to take into account where Ings has come from. Even though he didn't set the world alight with the Scouse, he would have been in and around the squad, even with his injuries and when they started to get successful he would have got a taste for it. He may well decide that being with a team with more chance of winning something and getting the odd game here and there is a better prospect than staying with us and playing regularly. That may have been his thinking all along. He strikes me as being someone who despite his injury record is pretty confident in his own ability. If you look at it from that angle, you could say that his plan all along was to spend a season or two with us, getting back to optimum fitness and having regular game time, before making another big club move. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy, but it all just seems a bit pre-meditated to me.

I seem to remember something being alluded to when Long signed his extension, that Ings talked up Long in a really positive way and that he was a chuffed that he was given a new deal. Call me cynical but it's not out of the realms of possibility that Ings had a major say in Long being offered a deal, in an attempt to keep him sweet.

If you look at the situation realistically, who would he join? Liverpool, even though Klopp suggests he loves him, would be a strange signing to go back. City, don't think he is a big enough name for them. United, probably similar to City. Spurs, maybe if they don't win anything and Kane realises he never will at Spuds. Chelsea, they just love spunking money away on foreign players. Arsenal, not the force they once were, but a better option in terms of money. If he was to go my money would be on Leicester, Vardy isn't going to last forever and he is the type of player that would fit in with them. For what it's worth, I think he is going to leave. Furthermore, if he is haggling over a release clause, what kind of message does that send out to us as fans? Would his commitment be called into question? Will Ralph full him from the tam in the same way he dealt with PEH?