CONFIRMED Billy Sharp

[Flatulent_Bob]

Sorry Bob, that's bull and the kind of semantics Pinchy would be proud of!

When you say 'player is declining', you don't mean 'a player's record is declining', you mean his ability.

In this case, Billy MAY have declined as a goalscorer because he's been faced with harder opposition, or not been played in the right way. It doesn't necessarily mean he's declined as a player. Don't get me wrong, he MAY have, but it's certainly not the fact you would have it as from earlier in the thread.

We were being presented the statement that Billy is a natural goalscorer. My argument always was that "is" was a highly debatable point. I hope he still is, and can turn his recent record around but as a natural goalscorer he has been in decline.
Not sure we're going to agree on this though.

 

[Houso]

We were being presented the statement that Billy is a natural goalscorer. My argument always was that "is" was a highly debatable point. I hope he is, but as a natural goalscorer he has been in decline.
Not sure we're going to agree on this though.

I very much doubt it too. And I still would argue to my last breath than you can be as natural a goalscorer as you like, but there's no god given right to goals, particularly when circumstances aren't 'right'. There's certainly no facts involved.

 

[SUFC Guy]

I honestly think some of us are still struggling to align our expectations in the transfer market to where we currently find ourselves. Granted, we'll always be a big attraction in league one when compared against the rest of the clubs in the division, but we're still in league one all the same.

Putting Billy's previous spells to one side, he's a striker that has a good goal scoring ratio and has succeeded in this division before under the same manager. He's played plenty of football at the division above, granted with varied success, but in terms of 'proven' players, he's probably as proven as anyone we could expect to sign.

I'm also not sure what relevance his previous spells with us have. Different manager, different coaches, different team mates....his previous spells with us can't be used as an indicator as to how he will do this time.

Re: Sammon, I have to say I've only seen him a couple of times. Hopefully at league one level he will be more of a goal threat than he has been in divisions higher but he appears to be more of a foil to the main man at top rather than the man you expect to get the goals. Again, as a league one club, signing players that are capped at international level and have played a lot of football at a higher level shouldn't be sniffed at. Whether he is a success with us or not is another matter of course and time will tell, but I don't think the club or Adkins can be criticised for these signings.

Most sensible comments on this thread. Have a like sir!

 

[jt64]

Remind me which of those players is a proven L1 striker.

Maybe if we had centre backs last season we could have been more aggressive in general and some of the players that we have would have become "proven league one strikers".

Finally how do you know Adkins isn't trying to get a centre back in?

Appreciate that these signings don't prevent this, but I'd have thought it would be the first thing that would be sorted.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

Maybe if we had centre backs last season we could have been more aggressive in general and some of the players that we have would have become "proven league one strikers".



Appreciate that these signings don't prevent this, but I'd have thought it would be the first thing that would be sorted.

Goals win matches . You can always out score the opposition . Adkins has got the incoming signings the right way round . Next stop CB.

UTB

 

[sheffielder]

Judging by the pictures on Twitter, Sharp looks to be the best shape of his life.

You can never have too many strikers, because you always have to allow for loss of form, especially at this level

 

[YES Blade]

We were being presented the statement that Billy is a natural goalscorer. My argument always was that "is" was a highly debatable point. I hope he still is, and can turn his recent record around but as a natural goalscorer he has been in decline.
Not sure we're going to agree on this though.

Do you think if Sharp or any Championship striker for that matter, had been banging in the goals for the last couple of season, he would then sign for a league one club?

No league one club is going to sign a player from the championship who's career is on the up. It doesn't happen!

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Do you think if Sharp or any Championship striker for that matter, had been banging in the goals for the last couple of season, he would then sign for a league one club?

No league one club is going to sign a player from the championship who's career is on the up. It doesn't happen!

Agreed, but I'm not sure what point you are making.
Those championing Billy before the signing were using terms such as "guaranteed goals, proven goal scorer, everyone in league one would want him" those disagreeing were simply saying those three comment were up for question, based on the past few seasons.

 

[SwitchBLADE Smiles]

Judging by the pictures on Twitter, Sharp looks to be the best shape of his life.

Quite right.... uploaded on 16th July...

 

[YES Blade]

Agreed, but I'm not sure what point you are making.
Those championing Billy before the signing were using terms such as "guaranteed goals, proven goal scorer, everyone in league one would want him" those disagreeing were simply saying those three comment were up for question, based on the past few seasons.

My point is simply that I can not think of any strikers (realistic transfers) who are better or as good as Sharp.

Does this mean we can start celebrating our impending promotion? Or put every penny I have Billy being League One top scorer? Of course not, this is football, we could sign Messi and it go tits up, there are never any guarantees. But signing players with decent records from the division above gives us a better chance of success than signing injury prone free transfers.

 

[SwissBlade]

http://www.sufc.co.uk/news/article/sheffield-united-conor-sammon-billy-sharp-2571229.aspx

Best signing ever

 

[pommpey]

Best signing ever

Happy with Sammon. Hope Sharp is played in the correct manner and position that suits his talents this time.

Now, the central defence and midfield ... and a goalkeeper.

pommpey

 

[Kev Gee]

2 Great signings. Really cant see the negativity from some on the Sharp signing? Hes got loads of experience under his belt & knows were the net is & Adkins knows were to play him..

Some of you lot may need to eat humble pie.

 

[Revolution]

It was no coincidence that he started scoring after beattie left. He then got injured for the remainder of the season

That is not true. Sharps last goal in 2008-9 was in September against Coventry.

The 2 personnel decisions that mainly caused our rise up the table to 3rd were the dropping of Sharp and Cotterill's restoration to the team. This is readily apparent from the results and performances at the time.

Welcome back Billy. Please do better this time round.

 

[bartman]

And score twice against us in relegation season at the lane, behaving like a proper twat in front of our fans after his goals
Take something fucking special for me to forgive that.

Player celebrates when scoring a goal ....... not sure what the issue is with this.
.

 

[Rollerball]

i have a question for the billy sharp detractors. as has been mentioned often on this forum and other places, most of our strikers infact our team are on the whole, medoiocre, but can we realistically expect much better than such as billy in the position we currently find ourselves in, a player that has played and scored in both divisions above us, albiet not numerous, and has scored in this division but more to the point and my main question to billy sharps haters...would you rather have a mediocre striker playing for SUFC with his pay packet as his only real incentive or a player that yes will be playing for the same, money BUT a further incentive of being a Blade and a sheffield lad?
ill go for the latter every day.

 

[Houston_Blade]

2 good signings these, really happy, good players who will work hard for the team. Sharp's issue before was always that he was asked to do his work on either wing and was never in the middle to score the goals.

Surprised the negative brigade haven't trotted out the "We only sign from Derby" and "you should never go back to ex-players".

As mentioned before we are limited in who we sign and for me these 2 are Championship signings made by a league 1 club so have to be a good thing. I must say though that we must be approaching the FFP wage cap unless we ship a few out. Brayford & Sharp are likely to be in the top 5 earners in the league so it doesn't leave much budget for the CB's and GK that we need.

 

[Kenilworth]

FFP not necessarily a problem if the owners inject cash.
Think how Brizzle and earlier, Bournemouth sorted it.

I think they believe they have the right man in NA and they are putting their collective cocks on the block - this will be especially evident IF we do sign Harlee Dean. He will be a show of intent if that's the case.

 

[super_pig]

say what you like about sharp but 140 goals in 290 starts is a decent record PLUS
Nigel knows what to do with him

 

[Pinchy]

would you rather have a mediocre striker playing for SUFC with his pay packet as his only real incentive or a player that yes will be playing for the same, money BUT a further incentive of being a Blade and a sheffield lad?
ill go for the latter every day.

The Bladey, Bladey nonsense rolls on.....

It's bollocks...it really is.

 

[judge]

The Bladey, Bladey nonsense rolls on.....

It's bollocks...it really is.

Yeah youre spot on there

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

I don't think the club or Adkins can be criticised for these signings.

Agree with that, let's hope the Sharp saga dragged on because Adkins was tied up on the phone all the time speaking to agents of three centre halves?

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

The Bladey, Bladey nonsense rolls on.....

It's bollocks...it really is.

Shurrup. Bladeybladebladebladeyness....

Now where are Brian Deane and Michael Brown?

 

[Highbury_Blade]

Sorry I didnt realise I repeated ad nauseum the same half dozen sentences

For the benefit of posters that don't wander over to the General Chat forum, I'm going to assume you are light heartedly taking the piss out of yourself here.

 

[Pinchy]

Shurrup. Bladeybladebladebladeyness....

Now where are Brian Deane and Michael Brown?

Well, Deane of course should be our manager by now. He's a Blade you see, so that will make him a better manager, just like Mickey Adams.

In the same way, Billy Sharp is much more likely to score a goal than, say Matt Done, because he's a Blade.

That's how it works in professional football....

 

[DronnieBlade]

Message to all you doubters.

If Sharp signs, see if the bookies install him as Fav to be L1 top scorer ? Why might that be ??

Still think you know better ???

Make NO mistake, every other L1 club manager would want to have Billy Sharp available to them. Every single one.

UTB

Billy Sharp

Favourite (Sky Bet) to be L1 top scorer.

Nuff said.

Master stroke by the club. Credit where credit is due.

UTB

 

[Pinchy]

Billy Sharp

Favourite (Sky Bet) to be L1 top scorer.

Nuff said.

Master stroke by the club. Credit where credit is due.

UTB

Your last paragraph may well be right mate. I hope it is a master stroke and certainly, whether it is or not, credit to the board and management for getting the deal done.

However, it is a complete non-sequitur from your previous paragraphs, isn't it?...Surely only time and real goals will tell whether it's "nuff said"?

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Your last paragraph may well be right mate. I hope it is a master stroke and certainly, whether it is or not, credit to the board and management for getting the deal done.

However, it is a complete non-sequitur from your previous paragraphs, isn't it?...Surely only time and real goals will tell whether it's "nuff said"?

Are you suggesting that the bookies might not know what they're talking about? Why can't you have more faith and trust that the guy that knows best is our manager, Phil Parkinson?

 

[DronnieBlade]

Your last paragraph may well be right mate. I hope it is a master stroke and certainly, whether it is or not, credit to the board and management for getting the deal done.

However, it is a complete non-sequitur from your previous paragraphs, isn't it?...Surely only time and real goals will tell whether it's "nuff said"?

Being a favourite to do something is one thing.

Doing it is another.

But please try and understand WHY the bookies have installed BS as favourite to be L1 top scorer. The evidence is there.

But for some reason, a section of our support can not accept this fact. And it is a fact, not an opinion.

Sharp has been and continues to be an emotive subject for us Blades. I will even go as far to say that there might be one or two knobs who just might boo the fella when he is introduced. Now if this happens, IMHO it tells you MUCH more about the characters that will be doing the booing than it ever could about the credentials of Sharp to do what he has been brought in to do.

Welcome back Bill.

Please now give me reason to forgive you for signing for those twats up the M1 !!!

UTB

 

[Pierre's PC]

The caution I show towards the Billy signing does not mean I want him to fail.

His record IS decent and holds up against other strikers of this level. That is a fact.
He has failed to stamp his qualities on this club twice before. That is a fact

You cannot hold one of these as valid while dismissing the other in the same way as giving suggestions on why he failed before cannot be a guarantee of his success now.

I hope he does go on to be an integral part of championship winning team this year, I would suggest that the others on here who also have a certain amount of caution on this signing feel the same.