THE protracted saga of Shane Long's transfer to Hull, a gruelling marathon of speculation, has prompted an inevitable debate about the merits of a player who is a boy no more. This Wednesday he turns 27, an age which should halt the continued perception that the fresh-faced frontman is one for the future. His time is now.

As ever in football, the discourse lends itself to extremes. Supporters have questioned the sanity of West Brom. Critics pointed at his meagre goal return this season (three) and declared it good business.

One caller to Talksport, a Baggies fan, cruelly argued that if Pepe Mel needed someone who could run around a lot he should sign Mo Farah.

That is dreadfully harsh, yet Long would surely acknowledge that his strike rate has to improve if he is to reward Steve Bruce's faith. While his ability to harass opposition defenders and create openings for team-mates is his strongest attribute, that stunning brace against Aston Villa illustrated penalty box capabilities which are rarely sighted.

Whether you rate Long or not, the most pressing striking concern from an Irish perspective is the extent to which the reliance on the Tipp native is set to grow in the coming years.

CLOSER

Be under no illusions -- this is a flashing hazard light growing ever closer.

Much as Seamus Coleman's exceptional talent should be celebrated, it's less than ideal that a defender is the sole member of Martin O'Neill's squad on course to reach double figures in the Premier League season.

Long and Jon Walters are the only natural strikers that regularly feature in the top flight, although the latter cannot really be judged on his two-goal haul because he spends much of his time deployed elsewhere.

Indeed, it misses the point to poke at the faults of the pair that have survived at the highest grade.

Similarly, Anthony Stokes gained trust at Celtic this season even if he found it hard to break down Champions League defences and would expect to have scored more than seven for a dominant Celtic side at this point in the calendar.

The bigger issue here, however, is the painful absence of alternatives, a malaise that is typified by Kevin Doyle's deeply frustrating struggles at Wolves. It is hard to construct a case for his international retention unless he seeks a fresh challenge.

But where are his replacements? Every way you look, the picture is depressing, with the collective impotence merely serving to highlight the renewed importance of Robbie Keane to O'Neill.

A midfielder is Ireland's leading marksman in the Championship. Andy Reid's tally of nine puts him ahead of the sizeable contingent paid to score for a living.

Ipswich's Daryl Murphy, 31 is March, is next best on seven and could argue he is worthy of a recall, given how the other candidates in the division are faring.

Andy Keogh is looking for a way out of Millwall, Leon Best is trapped in the treatment room at Blackburn, while Conor Sammon has become a professional impact sub.

Noel Hunt is still waiting for his first Leeds goal following his summer switch while Simon Cox, at 26 the youngest of the second tier contingent, has added five to Nottingham Forest's promotion chase. But he is operating in the shadow of Reid.

Giovanni Trapattoni looked high and low for a wildcard and his flights of fancy have drifted from sight. Caleb Folan is clubless following a year which consisted of inglorious stints with the beautifully named Malaysian outfit T Team and Bradford City.

Cillian Sheridan, Cavan's answer to Michael Palin, has pitched up in Cyprus and sporadically figures for APOEL Nicosia.

When Long came into the Irish U-19 set-up, he was behind academy graduates Adam Rooney and Billy Clarke.

That duo now ply their trade in League One with Oldham and Crawley Town respectively and they've given Manish and Steve Claridge little to chat about.

It's another Cork City graduate, Dave Mooney, who has shone this season, notching 15 goals for Leyton Orient before incurring a setback at the beginning of December. But Mooney is 29.

The impulse is to look to youth for encouragement. Regrettably, it's in short supply.

You don't have to be a genius to figure out why the FAI are so desperate to try and tie down Patrick Bamford, a product of Chelsea, and a one-time Irish underage international that is now back in the clutches of his native England.

He reached a total of 17 for MK Dons in the first half of the season and will spend the duration helping Derby in their battle to secure automatic promotion to the top flight.

Noel King has kept in touch with the player's family in an attempt to swing the pendulum towards the FAI. Alas, the fear is that he's fighting a losing battle, especially after his U-21 counterpart Gareth Southgate called him up in November.

King's search for a player that can put the ball in the net is a worrying window to what's coming down the tracks for senior management.

The promotion of Robbie Brady, who broke scoring records as an attacking midfielder in that sphere, has left a massive void.

Aiden O'Brien has gained the responsibility of leading the line, a Millwall reserve that is currently on loan with Conference side Aldershot. Few anticipate that he's en route to senior recognition.

MISLEADING

In the previous European Championship campaign, Ireland's stat of nine goals in six matches is misleading because the full amount was delivered in two meetings with the Faroe Islands.

The real measure is the decisive showdowns with Germany, Romania (twice) and Montenegro where the U-21s have failed to score a single goal. Zero. Two scoreless draws, two defeats.

The generation below is yet to provide excitement with mixed views on their development. Aston Villa's Mikey Drennan -- who made a loan switch to Carlisle on Friday -- and Manchester United's Sam Byrne have their admirers, but they are approaching obstacles that have felled countless teenage hotshots.

Graeme Burke, Drennan's clubmate, turned 20 in September, the same month that he was sent back from Shrewsbury after failing to make an impact in three League Two outings. Watford's Connor Smith has been unlucky with injury, and is at Gillingham getting match practice.

Of course, it is dangerous to prematurely write obituaries. Late developers are a feature of the Irish narrative; Long and Walters are prime examples.

Paddy Madden (23) was being mentioned in that mould when he carried Yeovil to the Championship -- eight months on he's starting again in League Two.

Cardiff's Joe Mason (22) is back from a loan to Bolton and has time on his side despite hitting a roadblock since their promotion.

The League of Ireland production line has slowed, but Dundalk's Pat Hoban (22) has potential and Longford's Josh O'Hanlon (18) is expected to move across the water next week and is one to watch. Sean Maguire (19) was plucked from Waterford United by West Ham and is learning the ropes. There are no sure bets, though. No banker like Keane.

On the schoolboy pitches of Dublin, there are prolific strikers. Shrewd observers of the current scene point to talented kids with the leading nurseries that have an eye for goal.

It would be unfair to saddle them with expectation too early by naming them because they will inherit that burden when they inevitably emigrate.

Plenty of those listed above had a predatory instinct in their formative days which they have been unable to bring to adult level or else they simply lack the all-round package to survive in vaunted company and utilise the final touch.

Long has a lot of the ingredients without the cutting edge but, whatever his limitations, the stagnation of the other twentysomethings emphasise his importance for the road ahead.

Not only will his performances have a big say in Ireland's Euro 2016 tilt, but as it stands, they could be equally as important when the race for Euro 2020 comes around. Stay healthy, Shane.

Irish Independent