if long was available on a free (from another club), noting our (apparent) austere policy on wages, would you be happy singing him (for ~£3m per year)? I do not think you or anyone here would and hope we would dip into the market, spend a bit of money to bring in someone a little better (which should not be hard)....
if the limit of our ambitions is bringing in free players to improve an area that needs it, then god help us.