Billy Sharp continues to be a legend

[originaltrueblade]

Great performance for Billy if only we had anyone like him alongside

 

[Hagan's boot]

What a player, what man, what a leader, I just love him, (in a manly way of course).

 

[Fulwood Blade]

His movement to get in front of the Bristol City defender to score was exceptional - you can't teach that, it's pure instinct and timing.

For the oldies who saw Morris & Edwards - it was like turning the clock back

What an absolutely brilliant well worked team goal - finished by a master craftsman.

UTB

 

[Yogi]

His movement to get in front of the Bristol City defender to score was exceptional - you can't teach that, it's pure instinct and timing.

For the oldies who saw Morris & Edwards - it was like turning the clock back

What an absolutely brilliant well worked team goal - finished by a master craftsman.

UTB

I don’t think you can teach it but there’s certainly an argument to say it comes with or is at least refined by experience billy at 25 isn’t as good a player as he is now his understanding of what a defender is going to do is second to none.

 

[Reyt Then]

What a player, what man, what a leader, I just love him, (in a manly way of course).

That’s what the kids refer to as ‘no homo’

 

[DronnieBlade]

PhallusField will be loving this .

UTB

 

[originaltrueblade]

His movement to get in front of the Bristol City defender to score was exceptional - you can't teach that, it's pure instinct and timing.

For the oldies who saw Morris & Edwards - it was like turning the clock back

What an absolutely brilliant well worked team goal - finished by a master craftsman.

UTB

They were an unforgettable duo

 

[Edgar Allan Poo]

What a player, what man, what a leader, I just love him, (in a manly way of course).

Yeah, but there's manly and then there's manly...

 

[acko17]

Great finish to a decent performance UTB

 

[acko17]

took three hours to get back to `derby but well worth it.

 

[DIRTY HARRY]

Great performance for Billy if only we had anyone like him alongside

Should start every game...still the best striker at the club.

 

[originaltrueblade]

Should start every game...still the best striker at the club.

Best striker by a country mile

 

[Massive Attackers]

Love the way that he was absolutely smashed by the keeper but just jumped straight up.

 

[Mumbo]

Never miss a chance to praise sharp
Can only think that the ‘odd uns’ that slag him
are either on the wind up,are seeking attention
or,just know nowt about football.

 

[DronnieBlade]

Never miss a chance to praise sharp
Can only think that the ‘odd uns’ that slag him
are either on the wind up,are seeking attention
or,just know nowt about football.

The last one. For sure, the last one .

UTB

 

[Weasel]

He's still THE man.

 

[ForgeBlade]

Never miss a chance to praise sharp
Can only think that the ‘odd uns’ that slag him
are either on the wind up,are seeking attention
or,just know nowt about football.

For me, it's not about "slagging him." It's more a sad acceptance of the fact that he is 35, and at the end of his career. We NEED to build for, and plan for, a post-Billy era at the club. I'm a solid advocate of starting Brewster every game, not because I think Sharp is past it, or not good enough, but because I see that he struggles to play every game when we are sometimes playing 3x per week, and because we badly need a younger, faster striker to shoulder the bulk of the goalscoring responsibility.

Billy is and will always be a legend, that is beyond dispute. But if he can keep coming off the bench and scoring winners, or (like today) scoring goals that seal wins, then that is great. It's no slight on him, his record, or his character to suggest that maybe he shouldn't be starting every game at this stage of his career.

 

[A Storm of Blades]

3rd coaching spot?

 

[Gareth Kay]

took three hours to get back to `derby but well worth it.

Took 2 and half for me to get to North anston. As you say though it was worth it. Thought mcgoldrick was class and Billy outstanding when he was on

 

[ancientblade]

Should start every game...still the best striker at the club.

well think hecky in his post match interview hinted that sharpy and brewster were his favoured strike partnership but i think billy is handy coming on for the last 25 and finishing a game off like he did today

 

[dillis]

He is genuinely better than Currie. Not sure why he never got an England cap

 

[Scargill]

took three hours to get back to `derby but well worth it.

Took me 3 hours to get back to York.

 

[Toronto Blade]

We do have some either out of shape or injury prone strikers. Moose injured and Brewster tends to run out of energy in the 2nd half when he starts. McCall and Lester need to work on these two to get them right.

 

[DronnieBlade]

For me, it's not about "slagging him." It's more a sad acceptance of the fact that he is 35, and at the end of his career. We NEED to build for, and plan for, a post-Billy era at the club. I'm a solid advocate of starting Brewster every game, not because I think Sharp is past it, or not good enough, but because I see that he struggles to play every game when we are sometimes playing 3x per week, and because we badly need a younger, faster striker to shoulder the bulk of the goalscoring responsibility.

Billy is and will always be a legend, that is beyond dispute. But if he can keep coming off the bench and scoring winners, or (like today) scoring goals that seal wins, then that is great. It's no slight on him, his record, or his character to suggest that maybe he shouldn't be starting every game at this stage of his career.

Hear what you say. You shouldn’t run your show pony in to the ground.

But.

The kid has loads to offer the team on the pitch. Loads.

It’s a little disappointing in many ways that the 35 year old BS is the very best version of BS there has ever been. No doubt in my mind on this. His dedication to his profession has attained a new level.

Would have been interesting to know how far in the game he would / could have gone if this same dedication was more prevalent earlier in his career. You only have to look at pics from 10 years ago against pics of him now to realise he has worked his ass off to stay relevant.

Long may it continue.

Others - please continue to write him off. It’s comedy gold .

UTB

 

[ForgeBlade]

Hear what you say. You shouldn’t run your show pony in to the ground.

But.

The kid has loads to offer the team on the pitch. Loads.

It’s a little disappointing in many ways that the 35 year old BS is the very best version of BS there has ever been. No doubt in my mind on this. His dedication to his profession has attained a new level.

Would have been interesting to know how far in the game he would / could have gone if this same dedication was more prevalent earlier in his career. You only have to look at pics from 10 years ago against pics of him now to realise he has worked his ass off to stay relevant.

Long may it continue.

Others - please continue to write him off. It’s comedy gold .

UTB

He does. Undoubtedly he does. In no way am I trying to say that he is "past it" or "not good enough anymore."

All I'm saying is that maybe the club and management need to realise that he physically cannot be our main striker, playing 90 mins every game anymore.

Can/should he start a decent % of games? Absolutely yes. He is a natural born goalscorer the like of which comes around very, very rarely. His record speaks for itself in that respect.

SHOULD he be our main striker, starting every game? Imho no. Through no fault of his, his body simply cannot maintain the levels that he demands when the games come as thick and fast as they now do in a championship season.

Billy has a huge, vital role to play this season. In some games, he'll start, run his blood to water, score a goal or 2 and then be subbed off. In other games (see: today), he'll be held back, and sent on when we NEED a goal, or we need someone to cause some problems for the opposing defence.

That is the proper way to manage a player like this. Someone who still desperately wants to score goals, but who physically cannot be the main striker in a team every single game.

 

[Lane Ender]

Should start every game...still the best striker at the club.

He is the best finisher at the club but let’s look after him he could carry on into his 40s

 

[DronnieBlade]

He does. Undoubtedly he does. In no way am I trying to say that he is "past it" or "not good enough anymore."

All I'm saying is that maybe the club and management need to realise that he physically cannot be our main striker, playing 90 mins every game anymore.

Can/should he start a decent % of games? Absolutely yes. He is a natural born goalscorer the like of which comes around very, very rarely. His record speaks for itself in that respect.

SHOULD he be our main striker, starting every game? Imho no. Through no fault of his, his body simply cannot maintain the levels that he demands when the games come as thick and fast as they now do in a championship season.

Billy has a huge, vital role to play this season. In some games, he'll start, run his blood to water, score a goal or 2 and then be subbed off. In other games (see: today), he'll be held back, and sent on when we NEED a goal, or we need someone to cause some problems for the opposing defence.

That is the proper way to manage a player like this. Someone who still desperately wants to score goals, but who physically cannot be the main striker in a team every single game.

Given the high pressing nature of the strategy, it’s doubtful any of the strikers can be the “main” one all the time. Even the younger lads. Strikers frequently rotated after 60 / 70 minutes is the biggest clue on this.

Bash could do it but he’s a bit of a freak (plus not a striker in any way shape or form !).

UTB

 

[shrubbery]

took three hours to get back to `derby but well worth it.

Took me 2.5 hours to get the 8 miles back to Rotherham ffs!

 

[Yogi]

Hear what you say. You shouldn’t run your show pony in to the ground.

But.

The kid has loads to offer the team on the pitch. Loads.

It’s a little disappointing in many ways that the 35 year old BS is the very best version of BS there has ever been. No doubt in my mind on this. His dedication to his profession has attained a new level.

Would have been interesting to know how far in the game he would / could have gone if this same dedication was more prevalent earlier in his career. You only have to look at pics from 10 years ago against pics of him now to realise he has worked his ass off to stay relevant.

Long may it continue.

Others - please continue to write him off. It’s comedy gold .

UTB

I think he’d have been an established top champ lower prem striker bit like Shane long but despite the shape he’s in I don’t think he’d ever have got that extra yard of true pace that most established prem strikers seem to have.

 

[ForgeBlade]

Given the high pressing nature of the strategy, it’s doubtful any of the strikers can be the “main” one all the time. Even the younger lads. Strikers frequently rotated after 60 / 70 minutes is the biggest clue on this.

Bash could do it but he’s a bit of a freak (plus not a striker in any way shape or form !).

UTB

Bash is an outlier as I'm fairly convinced he's superhuman at this point

Fair points though, agree with you on all of it.