CONFIRMED Billy Sharp

[Dkc]

I like the bloke and wish him well but I can't understand why everyone is getting so enthused about Higdon. He showed last season that he doesn't have a lot of pace, is a clumsy tackler, and not a clinical finisher. Sharp and Higdon up front wouldn't fill me with confidence. I hope I am proved wrong.

Also, all this about how many goals strikers get is false logic imo. It should be goals and assists. If Sharp is one-on-one with the keeper, but the angle is very tight, and his teammate is facing an open net, you'd expect him to square it not shoot. Making opportunities for others to slot in is just as important as scoring yourself. Perhaps the reason that some players appear "greedy" is they know that their goal stats have a large bearing on their value.

 

[mattbianco1]

I like the bloke and wish him well but I can't understand why everyone is getting so enthused about Higdon. He showed last season that he doesn't have a lot of pace, is a clumsy tackler, and not a clinical finisher.

Just check his goals on YouTube. You'll see he is. Also his goal vs Cheltenham the other night proved his instinct in front of goal.

Many on here questioned Jamie Murphys finishing until Clough came in

 

[SotonBlade]

Does anyone actually think the possibility of signing Billy...again, is a good move?

I personally don't

 

[YES Blade]

Does anyone actually think the possibility of signing Billy...again, is a good move?

I personally don't

I personally do!

Every club in League One (except Wigan maybe) would love to have Billy in their team next season.

 

[Rossb123]

I personally do!

Every club in League One (except Wigan maybe) would love to have Billy in their team next season.

I think even Wigan would welcome his signature. He is a proven goal scorer, we saw what happened with Evans when he moved down to an easier level he scored for fun....there's no reason why Billy can't do the same.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

I personally do!

Every club in League One (except Wigan maybe) would love to have Billy in their team next season.

Not sure why they would, there's nothing in the past few years that would suggest he's going to be an automatic success.
That's not to say he won't, but he's quite a big risk, especially for his wages and transfer fee. I don't think most clubs at our level would take that risk.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

I think even Wigan would welcome his signature. He is a proven goal scorer, we saw what happened with Evans when he moved down to an easier level he scored for fun....there's no reason why Billy can't do the same.

Not in the past 3-4 seasons he ain't - and that's the risk and he's a bigger risk than say Ebanks-Blake at Chesterfield was.
We're just seduced by the Billy Blade factor which seems to have a massive influence of some fans objectivity of his record, current abilities and worth.

 

[Davie Blade]

I never thought I'd agree with FB.
But spot on with BS,
instead of spot on with BS.

 

[Rossb123]

Not in the past 3-4 seasons he ain't - and that's the risk and he's a bigger risk than say Ebanks-Blake at Chesterfield was.
We're just seduced by the Billy Blade factor which seems to have a massive influence of some fans objectivity of his record, current abilities and worth.

I don't care who Billy supports or who he has ever played for, the fact of the matter is he will score goals. This bladness business is soo tedious now.

Why would Adkins take him to four different teams if he didn't believe in his ability? He is guy that see's his ability day in day out.

Last four season's his form hasn't been to bad, you could look at his Leeds career as a failure but the team was in turmoil with no consistency. For Forest he is highly thought of and scored quite a few goals for them again in a better league than we are. Doncaster he scored a few goals even though he had no fitness after being left out of the Southampton's set up again in a better league than we are currently in. Reading he didn't perform, sometimes it just doesn't work for a player.

I'm not saying Billy is going to take us to the Prem but the priority right now is getting out of this league! McNulty and Higdon might come good who knows, but last season in this league neither of them showed any consistency.

Ebanks Blake had scored one league goal since 2013, Billy has regularly scored goals in the Championship that alone is worth his value.

 

[YES Blade]

Not sure why they would, there's nothing in the past few years that would suggest he's going to be an automatic success.
That's not to say he won't, but he's quite a big risk, especially for his wages and transfer fee. I don't think most clubs at our level would take that risk.

There is always going to be an element of risk with any signing. Taking out transfer fees and wages, if Billy was willing to drop his wages and sign for say Rochdale, Fleetwood or Port Vale would they turn him? Of course not because Billy is a player who has played the majority of his career in the division above and also has a decent record.

Which strikers currently signed to League One clubs would you rate as better than Sharp? There are very few in my opinion, which is why at this level he is the type of player a club with ambitions of automatic promotion should be signing.

 

[Jackson Blade]

I have the answer to all your questions re strike partnerships......

Apparently billy is going to be playing CB.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

I don't care who Billy supports or who he has ever played for, the fact of the matter is he will score goals. This bladness business is soo tedious now.

Why would Adkins take him to four different teams if he didn't believe in his ability? He is guy that see's his ability day in day out.

Last four season's his form hasn't been to bad, you could look at his Leeds career as a failure but the team was in turmoil with no consistency. For Forest he is highly thought of and scored quite a few goals for them again in a better league than we are. Doncaster he scored a few goals even though he had no fitness after being left out of the Southampton's set up again in a better league than we are currently in. Reading he didn't perform, sometimes it just doesn't work for a player.

I'm not saying Billy is going to take us to the Prem but the priority right now is getting out of this league! McNulty and Higdon might come good who knows, but last season in this league neither of them showed any consistency.

Ebanks Blake had scored one league goal since 2013, Billy has regularly scored goals in the Championship that alone is worth his value.

But who he supports is clearly a factor else you wouldn't be making all the excuses for a player who's recent record is 21 goals in 91 game which I'm happy to accept was at the level above us.
He's not scored more than 15 goals in a league season since 2006 which was at the level we're currently at, but it was a significant time ago.

I used Ebanks Blake as an example particularly to highlight the Blade bias being given to Billy, as proven by the plethora of excuses you lay out to explain Billy's poor return you then use a single season to compare with EB. Their records are broadly comparable, apart from EB played 3 seasons at Premier League level but you aren't considering taking that into account and comparing them fairly.
For the record I wouldn't have gotten excited about EB either, but it's the way the he is written off and Billy is built up way beyond his real likely impact that is just blatant and undue bias and the only reason that's the case is because he's a Blade.

 

[mattbianco1]

If Billy Sharp had never played for the blades previously 95% would be behind his move.

 

[ziggy4001]

Why don't we give him a chance before we write him off?

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Why don't we give him a chance before we write him off?

I think very few posters are writing him off, maybe 1 or 2 on the whole site.
What I'm talking about is having realistic expectations and putting those against spending over £1 Million on a player. How many given those circumstances would put that outlay against Billy? I'm not sure most would have the ability, but those that could do you think they'd risk it?

 

[blader]

But who he supports is clearly a factor else you wouldn't be making all the excuses for a player who's recent record is 21 goals in 91 game which I'm happy to accept was at the level above us.
He's not scored more than 15 goals in a league season since 2006 which was at the level we're currently at, but it was a significant time ago.

I used Ebanks Blake as an example particularly to highlight the Blade bias being given to Billy, as proven by the plethora of excuses you lay out to explain Billy's poor return you then use a single season to compare with EB. Their records are broadly comparable, apart from EB played 3 seasons at Premier League level but you aren't considering taking that into account and comparing them fairly.
For the record I wouldn't have gotten excited about EB either, but it's the way the he is written off and Billy is built up way beyond his real likely impact that is just blatant and undue bias and the only reason that's the case is because he's a Blade.

But look at everyone who got over 15 goals in L1 last season:

Garner
Henderson
Williams
Grigg
McLeod
Beckford
Done
Wilbraham
Bradshaw
Alli
McDonald

How many of those players had a better record than 21 in 91 previous to that season (and at a higher level, with a large amount of sub appearances in there)?

Beck ford and Wilbraham are the only 2 in there to come down from a higher level and their previous scoring records were much worse than Sharp's. It's no guarantee that Sharp will be prolific, but it seems a good bet compared to anyone we have on our books or anyone else we're realistically going to sign in my opinion. If we do get Sharp, I'll be interested to see who our competitors sign to make a fair comparison. I think everyone else in L1 would be delighted with Sharp.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

But look at everyone who got over 15 goals in L1 last season:
I think everyone else in L1 would be delighted with Sharp.

you missed the important bit "at the cost of over £1 Million".

 

[YES Blade]

But who he supports is clearly a factor else you wouldn't be making all the excuses for a player who's recent record is 21 goals in 91 game which I'm happy to accept was at the level above us.
He's not scored more than 15 goals in a league season since 2006 which was at the level we're currently at, but it was a significant time ago.

I used Ebanks Blake as an example particularly to highlight the Blade bias being given to Billy, as proven by the plethora of excuses you lay out to explain Billy's poor return you then use a single season to compare with EB. Their records are broadly comparable, apart from EB played 3 seasons at Premier League level but you aren't considering taking that into account and comparing them fairly.
For the record I wouldn't have gotten excited about EB either, but it's the way the he is written off and Billy is built up way beyond his real likely impact that is just blatant and undue bias and the only reason that's the case is because he's a Blade.

He scored 19 goals in the 2011/12 season!

Also 15 league goals for Donny in both 2009/10 and 2010/11, 15 goals for Donny in the Championship is a pretty impressive record if you ask me.

Matt Done's career record is 27 league goals in 280 league appearance, makes Billy's 21 in 91 appearances look pretty special. Let's sell Done, he clearly isn't good enough!

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

He scored 19 goals in the 2011/12 season!

Also 15 league goals for Donny in both 2009/10 and 2010/11, 15 goals for Donny in the Championship is a pretty impressive record if you ask me.

Matt Done's career record is 27 league goals in 280 league appearance, makes Billy's 21 in 91 appearances look pretty special. Let's sell Done, he clearly isn't good enough!

Shame we weren't buying him in 5 years ago then really isn't it, and Sylvan scored 25 in 2008/9 btw?

You're clearly getting a little upset about this. No one, or should I say very few are saying Billy is shit, but for £1 Million+ investment at league one level he has to deliver and I don't think it's guarenteed.
I hope it he does it, but it isn't the no brainer some are making it out to be, its a very expensive risk.

 

[blades78]

I think the issue with most of us, is that we look like spending big money (for a league 1 side) on a player who plays in a position that we have plenty options. If we weren't so short defensively, I don't think people would have an issue. We had the same situation with Brayford.

 

[FTPE]

Don't Cardiff want £500,000 for ALF? The money we would save could pay for Hoopers wages for the season.

 

[Bladesman]

Does anyone actually think the possibility of signing Billy...again, is a good move?

I personally don't

It's a bad move.

 

[YES Blade]

Don't Cardiff want £500,000 for ALF? The money we would save could pay for Hoopers wages for the season.

But Hooper doesn't want to play in League One.

 

[YES Blade]

Shame we weren't buying him in 5 years ago then really isn't it, and Sylvan scored 25 in 2008/9 btw?

You're clearly getting a little upset about this. No one, or should I say very few are saying Billy is shit, but for £1 Million+ investment at league one level he has to deliver and I don't think it's guarenteed.
I hope it he does it, but it isn't the no brainer some are making it out to be, its a very expensive risk.

No signing is ever going to be guaranteed, but spending £500k plus wages on Sharp is a better bet than some free transfer like Ebanks-Blake who has only started 1 league match and come off the bench 8 times in each of the last 2 seasons.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

No signing is ever going to be guaranteed, but spending £500k plus wages on Sharp is a better bet than some free transfer like Ebanks-Blake who has only started 1 league match and come off the bench 8 times in each of the last 2 seasons.

Agree , and to some point we know what we are getting , as it says on the tin, with Billy Sharp . Also BS ,( IF he signs ) , i hope is not just coming for money , as i am sure it will be a 3 to 4 year contract . BS knows , if a true blade , how important it is for the club and fans to get out of league 1 , therefore should work is balls off , to help to achieve that aim.

Could be good for all parties , but the decision lays with Adkins , as does any new CB players . NA knows what he is doing and knows what he wants . Backing of us fans and the board are equally important to help the cause.

UTB

 

[mattbianco1]

Wouldn't be surprised if he is unveiled on sunday

 

[Blade58]

Rob Staton's latest tweet -

"Hearing encouraging things about #SUFC pursuit of Billy Sharp. Feeling is there could be an announcement after the weekend."

 

[Revolution]

If Billy Sharp had never played for the blades previously 95% would be behind his move.

Unfortunately, he did play for us previously. It was a disaster.

Fun fact: Sharp failed to score in his last 16 league appearances for us.

 

[Caseh]

Unfortunately, he did play for us previously. It was a disaster.

Fun fact: Sharp failed to score in his last 16 league appearances for us.

Fun fact: Sharp was playing out of position in the majority of his last period with us. He needs to be in and around the box, not chasing after things like he was made to do.

 

[wizadry]

I think the issue with most of us, is that we look like spending big money (for a league 1 side) on a player who plays in a position that we have plenty options. If we weren't so short defensively, I don't think people would have an issue. We had the same situation with Brayford.

Good post and good points. I suppose we can wait and see who Adkins brings in at CB before we make our minds up on this respect. It needs addressing still and until it's sorted there will still be questions asked. I know Adkins has said that transfers could be right up until the last minute so i think we as fans owe him the time required to address the problem, although sooner the better for this crucial position. For those that think we don't need any CB's, don't make me laugh.