I've said for years you need to play a certain way if you're going to play with sharp in your side.
I also said I'm not sure playing that way would equal being up there with the best... but I believe this was because Adkins convinced me, the majority and the squad that we were too small and as said above as he isn't a speedster or big lad you're basically missing one or the other.
I now think provided you have someone to stretch teams (e.g. Done) he's pretty fricking awesome at what he does. Plus I think defenders are constantly worried about him now which also helps him/ the team.
I said on a forum many years ago that we should keep Sharp, play to his strengths and build a side round him and sink or swim, believing we would swim.
I was against Warnock selling him for £100k despite him scoring hatfuls of goals throughout his career with us and Scunthorpe.
McCabe bought him back and Robson never fancied him, what bigger endorsement would any club want?
Not big enough for Blackwell, he was blinded by Beattie.
Billy Sharp is S2 through and through and is one hell of a player as well. Agree we need a team to play to his strengths but so do Messi, Bale, Ronaldo and Ibrahimovich. .
What our club needed to do was build on the strengths and commitment of the Sharps of this world.
He and a few others could have taken us where Southampton are, Bournemouth, Boro and Watford, Leicester and Stoke.
Now it's too late for all that. We have to build brick by brick and one step at a time. No way will our young players stay with us for long if they are any good. Sharp was in the last era of players wanting to play for their club and their supporters, regardless of cash.
