Billy Sharp: How lucky we are

[Chali 2na]

I appreciate it's not exactly ground-breaking to tell you how good Billy Sharp, but I'm going to anyway:

During the 15/16 season, Sharp's first season back, he was our top scorer with 21 goals. His goals alone effectively won us 14 points that year. We finished 11th, but without him we would have finished on 52 points, in 18th, below Chestefield. He accounted for over a third of our goals. When you consider that a few of the goals he scored broke the deadlock, sealed a game or he provided an assist, you could realistically presume we could have been relegated without him.

The following year, after the arrival of Wilder. Billy excelled himself with 30 goals, equalling his best ever record at Scunthorpe, 10 years before.
This year, his goals effectively won us an incredible 29 points. Without them we could have been left on 71 points, outside the play offs.

During his previous 3 seasons in the championship, Billy had only managed 11 goals in 59 appearances, fortunately he scored 13 goals on his return last season: His best return since the 2010-11 season, despite turning 32 that year.

This year, as you probabaly all know he's got 18 goals in 27 games, with a fantastic goal every 112 minutes. With 17 games left, if he carries on at this rate he'll end up with well over 30 goals.

Most of us will agree thats it's all the sweeter for him being a blade, and a captain. Much has been talked about his 220th goal (222 now) making him the all time scorer of this century, but let's not forget that 90 of those were for us.

I'm sure we'll look back on Billy Sharp as one of the club's greatest servants, as his contribution is undeniable.

Here's a video of his 30 goals season:

 

[Akinbiyi]

Billy is already one of our greats.

He’ll have a stand named after him one day.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

 

[Jon Bon II]

Billy is already one of our greats.

He’ll have a stand named after him one day.

I can't wait to take my seat in the His Legs Have Gone And He Spends Most Of The Time On His Backside Stand...

 

[leichhardtblade]

I know it's an iconic song, so maybe controversial, but in recognition of his contribution I think we should change the "night out" line in Greasy Chip Butty to "Like a fat lad from Sheffield." (This will remain my only attempt at songwriting.)

 

[Sikkim]

I'd love for someone to do a heat map one day of where all Billy's goals were score from. Pretty similar to Miroslav Klose's I'll bet.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

He doesn't do anything apart from score.

Don't know what all the fuss is about.

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

I can't wait to take my seat in the His Legs Have Gone And He Spends Most Of The Time On His Backside Stand...

That's very naughty .




But I like it .

 

[Dkc]

I His goals alone effectively won us 14 points that year. We finished 11th, but without him we would have finished on 52 points, in 18th, below Chestefield. ..you could realistically presume we could have been relegated without him.

..., his goals effectively won us an incredible 29 points. Without them we could have been left on 71 points, outside the play offs]

But you can't presume that without BS we wouldn't have got any of those goals. Lacking Sharp, another striker would have been latching on to the chances. Ched, for example.

 

[Ranmoorblade]

His goals this year have already won us an extra 14 points.

 

[Chali 2na]

But you can't presume that without BS we wouldn't have got any of those goals. Lacking Sharp, another striker would have been latching on to the chances. Ched, for example.

Could have been Ched.

Also could have been John Cofie, Connor Sammon, Michael Higdon or even James Beattie in his goalless second spell.

What do you think is more likely?

Edit: Hounrable mentions for Michael O'Halloran and Dominic Poleon.

 

[PokerBlade]

It really is great to have the Sharp and Wilder story to tell. Up until that season I only knew Sheffield United as a Greek tragedy.

 

[PokerBlade]

Could have been Ched.

Also could have been John Cofie, Connor Sammon, Michael Higdon or even James Beattie in his goalless second spell.

What do you think is more likely?

Edit: Hounrable mentions for Michael O'Halloran and Dominic Poleon.

Even Sammon scored 5 goals, so yeah, I think we would've dodged the drop even with a crappy striker.

We were pretty bad though...

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

But you can't presume that without BS we wouldn't have got any of those goals. Lacking Sharp, another striker would have been latching on to the chances. Ched, for example.

He was in prison.

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

Could have been Ched.

Also could have been John Cofie, Connor Sammon, Michael Higdon or even James Beattie in his goalless second spell.

What do you think is more likely?

Edit: Hounrable mentions for Michael O'Halloran and Dominic Poleon.

Could have been Ched.

Also could have been John Cofie, Connor Sammon, Michael Higdon or even James Beattie in his goalless second spell.

What do you think is more likely?

Edit: Hounrable mentions for Michael O'Halloran and Dominic Poleon.

Yes , as just one example , take his second goal on Saturday .

To begin with , none of the aforementioned would have come close to getting goal side of the defender but , even had they done so , they would in all probability headed it straight at the goalkeeper or tried to head it across him , giving him much more time to react .

Billy , being the instinctive predator that he is , headed it powerfully down into the gap between the goalie and the post , giving him no time to react before the ball was in the back of the net .

In a previous post I compared Billy's technique to that of the great Gerd Muller and , without trying to claim that he is as good as the German maestro ( who is or was ) but that finish was exactly the way he would have gone about it .

 

[grafikhaus]

Good summation Chali 2na . It's marvellous that, every time Billy takes to the field, we're witnessing history in the making.

A couple of other factoids:

Billy's 222 career league goals total (for all clubs) is closing in on Keith Edward's 256.

Next Tuesday is Billy's 33rd birthday.

 

[Revolution]

He was in prison.

And then injured for the best part of 2 seasons.

 

[boo radley]

And if Warnock hadn't insisted on some family member looked after his interests then he'd have another 100+ goals for us.

 

[FTPE]

Even on social media he's an ambassador and professional.
He comments and helps with fans good causes, he runs a children's football academy and he seems to live and breath football.
After games he congratulates other team mates, he thanks staff and old colleagues, most things he shares is about football which is always nice to see (Shearer and the original Deano seem to be his hero).

He has cheeky digs, winds up away fans but never crosses the line etc etc.

Yep, it's fair to say I'm a fan in ever aspect.
Bloke is a legend.

 

[Ainsley Harriott]

I never saw Woodward, Currie, even Brian Deane in his prime (in my defence I was born in 86). Billy Sharp IS the finest goal scorer I’ve seen in a Blades shirt. He’s consistent, he scores goals. He seems to be in the shape of his life. He’s dedicated and a professional in every sense, too. Add to that the personal tragedy he has suffered and one has to admit that mentally he is incredibly strong.

Yep, I’m part of the Billy Sharp love-in.

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

I never saw Woodward, Currie, even Brian Deane in his prime (in my defence I was born in 86). Billy Sharp IS the finest goal scorer I’ve seen in a Blades shirt. He’s consistent, he scores goals. He seems to be in the shape of his life. He’s dedicated and a professional in every sense, too. Add to that the personal tragedy he has suffered and one has to admit that mentally he is incredibly strong.

Yep, I’m part of the Billy Sharp love-in.

Billy’s good, but he’s no Keith Edwards. 171 goals in 293 games, at a time when defenders could tackle in different gravy.

 

[sitwell]

Ledge.

 

[benn5712]

(This will remain my only attempt at songwriting.)

Good.

 

[Sharp_1992]

How many more needed to reach the 100 mark?

 

[Chali 2na]

Even Sammon scored 5 goals, so yeah, I think we would've dodged the drop even with a crappy striker.

We were pretty bad though...

You can think that, I'm not saying you're wrong.

 

[Revolution]

Saturday's game will be Billy's 500th league appearance. He's made 204 of them for us.

 

[Danetheblade]

Billy sharp. The man so many fans of various teams would love to have. He scores goals, naturally in the right position at the right time. And defenders fear him on a daily basis. Natural born goalscorer. He'll be missed when he retires. Long may the retirement plan be put on hold. Because the guys a living legend.

 

[snootyfenooty]

And if Warnock hadn't insisted on some family member looked after his interests then he'd have another 100+ goals for us.

We would have had no academy either. Which would have meant no Maguire, Jags, Walker etc. And funnily enough no Billy Sharp too. You're barking up the wrong tree having a dig at Warnock (John) in this instance.

 

[I should coco]

Saturday's game will be Billy's 500th league appearance. He's made 204 of them for us.

Thanks Revolution for that pre match stat.

Where's Silent Blade when you need him? He should have been all over that stat, but I bet he's on a push bike somewhere checking driving distances to the West Midlands, Lancs and similar.

I'm not sure how Roygbiv's 'view froms' are saved, so I don't know if it's possible for him to filter on Billy comments. There have been loads from other fans how they 'hate the cheating dirt diving git'. I can't think why that might be.

'Billy don't be a hero....' - bollocks to that! He's already a 'ledge' apparently and well on the way to solid gold hero status. Just a little hat trick or so against the S6 massive and that would be the icing on the icing.

 

[DeanLearner'sCat]

Obviously, he's a legend. I'm so pleased that he got another chance to make it work here. It's easy to forget that how much he struggled in his previous spells. Imagine if we'd played to his strengths back then. He'd have another 60 odd goals for us.