Billy

[Good Pinch Of Snuff]

what a time for him to be hitting form though now

 

[spongebobblade]

Yes, you must have missed them. Because there have been plenty, even if many have backed him all along.

Edit: Not going to drag up individual posts because I don't want to pick on individuals. But just page one of this thread has mentions of all the the things I said, http://www.s24su.com/forum/index.php?threads/lavery-sharp.49648/

Point taken. Surprised but then again I shouldn't be with the overreaction of some people. Personally i thought he just wasn't firing on all cylinders like the Billy we know.wasnt a critisism but more of a concern. Certainly can't be accused of that now, particularly after watching the last three matches

 

[Bergen Blade]

We're all entitled to opinions and I respect yours. But I have to say, I just think you're wrong on this one. Some of Billy's hold up/link up play has been a cut above all season. He's worked hard for the team and scored goals (why don't penalties count?) even whilst the team haven't been providing him with great service. His work rate and will to win, in my eyes anyway, could never be questioned. He missed some chances, but these are chances he crafted with movement and intelligence that most strikers don't have at this level. His strike rate of, roughly, 1 in 2 has barely waivered.

If I'm wrong most people on here are wrong. His average rating as judged by this forum's posters:

4,97 - 4,62 - 5,05 - 2,25 - 3,68 - 6,21 - 5,05 - 6,60 - 7,05 - 6,36 - 5,93 - 6,37 - 5,07

11 day break

6,96
8,52
?,?? (Bradford)

Billy is human, had a slow start to the season and had yet to play a great game before Shrewsbury. He didn't score vs Port Vale, but I thought I saw enough encouraging signs to think he was on the right track. Like the rest of the team I got the feeling that Sharp had used the break well, looking sharper, hungrier, more determined, more aggressive. I've only seen the 10 minutes of highlights on BP from yesterday's game, but from those Sharp looked like a man possessed. That wasn't the case at the start and I think the s24su ratings reflect that.

 

[Ldn_Rd_Blades]

I don't think anyone is saying sharp played well up to the last few games

The point, I was making at least, is that even when he isn't playing well he will pop up with a goal or an assist.

Also you never know when he will be back on form, to drop sharp would be madness in my opinion.

 

[Bergen Blade]

I don't think anyone is saying sharp played well up to the last few games

The point, I was making at least, is that even when he isn't playing well he will pop up with a goal or an assist.

Also you never know when he will be back on form, to drop sharp would be madness in my opinion.

I think only two or three people have suggested that, though maybe partly because we've only had two fit strikers for a while.

We need Sharp to be at his best. People are very sensitive about him. Personally I don't think we'll get the best out of him by telling him he's the first name on the team sheet and is brilliant even when he plays poorly. He should be under pressure to deliver to the best of his ability like everybody else. He had a poor spell last season as well. He scored only once in 13 matches (Sept-Dec), got very poor ratings from people on here and eventually even Adkins dropped him. In that game he came on as a sub, the ball bounced in via his shoulder, and his scoring form returned. This season he's only recently found form, following a start I very much doubt he was happy with himself.

 

[Ldn_Rd_Blades]

I think only two or three people have suggested that, though maybe partly because we've only had two fit strikers for a while.

We need Sharp to be at his best. People are very sensitive about him. Personally I don't think we'll get the best out of him by telling him he's the first name on the team sheet and is brilliant even when he plays poorly. He should be under pressure to deliver to the best of his ability like everybody else. He had a poor spell last season as well. He scored only once in 13 matches (Sept-Dec), got very poor ratings from people on here and eventually even Adkins dropped him. In that game he came on as a sub, the ball bounced in via his shoulder, and his scoring form returned. This season he's only recently found form, following a start I very much doubt he was happy with himself.

I don't agree, a Billy sharp firing on half cylinders is good enough for this league and when he's on all cylinders he's too good.

As stated already there is more to his game than just scoring but he will always pop up with something because of the positions he gets into

Also, regarding the ratings, I think Billy can be judge by higher standards than other players

 

[DronnieBlade]

It's very easy.

Sharp scores. All is well in the world. Praise & top marks a plenty.

Sharp draws a blank. Needs to be dropped / is lazy / lethargic.

And this can happen from game to game !!!!

Defo more than one or two on here with a blind spot as regards what he actually brings to the side.

UTB

 

[PokerBlade]

Point taken. Surprised but then again I shouldn't be with the overreaction of some people. Personally i thought he just wasn't firing on all cylinders like the Billy we know.wasnt a critisism but more of a concern. Certainly can't be accused of that now, particularly after watching the last three matches

I think it's a valid criticism about Sharp to think that if the side isn't creating then he can become a passenger. If you take someone in our recent past like Kitson then he would always get mentions from the opposition for how much they hated him, and it's because he would never give defenders a break from the physical side of the game. But my opinion of that is that it's much easier to get a Wayne Allison that can come on and out-muscle a defence than it is to find a reliable goalscorer who will get on the end of whatever is crafted for him. When Sharp's not scoring, I think a lot of criticism goes to him that should possibly be levelled at other players.

You can always find big players willing to get into a scrap. It's much harder to find ones that can be regular scorers.

 

[DronnieBlade]

If I'm wrong most people on here are wrong. His average rating as judged by this forum's posters:

4,97 - 4,62 - 5,05 - 2,25 - 3,68 - 6,21 - 5,05 - 6,60 - 7,05 - 6,36 - 5,93 - 6,37 - 5,07

11 day break

6,96
8,52
?,?? (Bradford)

Billy is human, had a slow start to the season and had yet to play a great game before Shrewsbury. He didn't score vs Port Vale, but I thought I saw enough encouraging signs to think he was on the right track. Like the rest of the team I got the feeling that Sharp had used the break well, looking sharper, hungrier, more determined, more aggressive. I've only seen the 10 minutes of highlights on BP from yesterday's game, but from those Sharp looked like a man possessed. That wasn't the case at the start and I think the s24su ratings reflect that.

Your right

UTB

 

[Danny_Boy]

Argued many times on her and Twitter with folks saying either Clarke or Done are better or that Sharp should be dropped.

I'm just glad Billy is proving me right, it's a cliche but class truly is permanent.

The only reason I got defensive was because in my opinion some folks had an agenda. I remember a few people slagging him for the car he drives as well, all very silly.

Anyway here's to another good season for Billy, a better season for the team and us all being happy.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

If I'm wrong most people on here are wrong. His average rating as judged by this forum's posters:

4,97 - 4,62 - 5,05 - 2,25 - 3,68 - 6,21 - 5,05 - 6,60 - 7,05 - 6,36 - 5,93 - 6,37 - 5,07

11 day break

6,96
8,52
?,?? (Bradford).

I would give the collective views displayed in the forum ratings a 3/10 given the top 5 rated for the whole of last season:

1. Baptiste 6.74
2. Long 6.71
3. K Wallace 6.65
4. Sharp 6.56
5. Brayford 6.44

There's an argument that Baptiste was one of our better performers, but Sharp is lower than you'd expect, while Brayford mind-bogglingly ends up in the top 5.

 

[Bergen Blade]

I would give the collective views displayed in the forum ratings a 3/10 given the top 5 rated for the whole of last season:

1. Baptiste 6.74
2. Long 6.71
3. K Wallace 6.65
4. Sharp 6.56
5. Brayford 6.44

There's an argument that Baptiste was one of our better performers, but Sharp is lower than you'd expect, while Brayford mind-bogglingly ends up in the top 5.

Difficult to keep a straight face while making a case for anyone else though.

 

[frank drebin]

First spell wasn't spell.


2nd spell was the biggest mismanagement of a player ever. Sharp needs to be in the box, not fetching the ball for Beattie and Henderson like a bloody Labrador.

Adkins and Wilder know where he wants to and should play.

league one ?

 

[mattbianco1]

league one ?

His record in the Championship is:

Games - 241
Goals - 78
Ratio - 1 in 3.09

Take out the apps for SUFC (due to playing him as a winger) is:

Games - 188
Goals - 70
Ratio - 1 in 2.69

A 1 in 3 ratio is 15 league goals per season. If you don't include the SUFC championship games, he averages 17 a season.

Any player that gets a return of 15 goals in the championship is not to be sniffed at surely?

His championship record for SUFC is 8 in 53. Worst form of his career.

You should also consider that (not including this season) he has played 64% of his games at Championship level.

32% League 1.
<1% Premiership
4% League 2.

 

[frank drebin]

His record in the Championship is:

Games - 241
Goals - 78
Ratio - 1 in 3.09

Take out the apps for SUFC (due to playing him as a winger) is:

Games - 188
Goals - 70
Ratio - 1 in 2.69

A 1 in 3 ratio is 15 league goals per season. If you don't include the SUFC championship games, he averages 17 a season.

Any player that gets a return of 15 goals in the championship is not to be sniffed at surely?

His championship record for SUFC is 8 in 53. Worst form of his career.

You should also consider that (not including this season) he has played 64% of his games at Championship level.

32% League 1.
<1% Premiership
4% League 2.

I don't remember him once playing as a winger
Anyway hope his form continues because he when he isn't scoring the team suffers and get does seem to gone runs of scoring and not scoring

 

[Grecian2000]

I hate threads like this (which I fully expected to pop up the day after Shrewsbury to be honest).
I spent some time on a number of threads when he was under fire suggesting it wasn't right (especially the ridiculous he would be booed off if he wasn't a Bladey Blade nonsense) but I don't think him coming back into form and smacking a few goals should mean triumphalism reigns for some. We ALL want the team to do well, we ALL want us to win and we ALL want us to get promoted. How we show it might be different but it's there all the same.
I think the thing that surprises me is how many want to tinker with the team (drop Sharp, drop Done etc.) when we are actually on a good run. It seems to be working, I'm not sure messing when it is, is a sensible thing to do.

Well done to all for the current run, my favourite team to beat in the entire football league (for what they are as opposed to who they are)is coming up and scoring a few against them would be magnificent. Roll on Saturday.

 

[mattbianco1]

I don't remember him once playing as a winger
Anyway hope his form continues because he when he isn't scoring the team suffers and get does seem to gone runs of scoring and not scoring

OK maybe not an actual winger but, he was played as the second striker. The main/central striker was Beattie or Henderson. This meant that more often than not, Sharp was doing the job the Matt Done is currently doing, working his balls off so his partner can score all the goals.

 

[frank drebin]

OK maybe not an actual winger but, he was played as the second striker. The main/central striker was Beattie or Henderson. This meant that more often than not, Sharp was doing the job the Matt Done is currently doing, working his balls off so his partner can score all the goals.

They were better players than him though weren't they ?
Definitely in the case of Beattie,I saw sharp play plenty of games as the main striker and he was ineffectual

Really wanted it to work out for him at the Lane and I hope he carrys on this season in the current form he is in but I have to add I wouldn't fancy us to do much in the division above if he is our main striker

 

[Blade for Sale]

The two poor sides on show comment is an odd one!

I watched this with a group of Bradford fans and at HT we all agreed that it was typical 3rd tier football, high on errors.

The 2nd half was more exciting but neither defence can be happy with their showing. The only really unavoidable goal was Bradford's 3rd, the rest were down to poor defending and mistakes. It made for an exciting game, but I can empathise with those who highlight the large number of mistakes as well.

 

[Darthblade]

just starting to get into form, wonder if his haters still want him out ?

I'm not a "Billy hater" ...... I just want to see 11 consistent players in the first team, for 46 games, so that we can escape from our self-imposed exile in this Division.

Billy was in poor form up until the Port Vale game and imho was due to be dropped. Billy was in poor form last season up until late November ish and then came good in the second half of the season.

I'm absolutely delighted that Billy appears to have hit better goal-scoring form for us because its the team that matters, not the individual ...... as I'm sure that he would agree. I do not think that Billy makes a good team captain and I wonder if the added pressure affected his performances at the start of the season ..... who can say.

Either way ..... keep it up Billy and you will certainly have my support as will any other player in the red & white stripes who is delivering the goods on the pitch !!

UTB & FTP

 

[Revolution]

I'm not a "Billy hater" ...... I just want to see 11 consistent players in the first team, for 46 games, so that we can escape from our self-imposed exile in this Division.

Billy was in poor form up until the Port Vale game and imho was due to be dropped.

And who would have played in his place?

 

[Darthblade]

And who would have played in his place?

The tea lady with his early season form

UTB & FTP

 

[Kenilworth]

The only really unavoidable goal was Bradford's 3rd, the rest were down to poor defending and mistakes.

Disagree
If Bash had've tracked the scorer instead of stopping and just ball watching then he would not have been able to get the shot away.

 

[Revolution]

The tea lady with his early season form

UTB & FTP

Funny stuff.

Again please: you've dropped Sharp. Who's playing in his place?

The injured Clark?
The unfit Lavery?

Who?

 

[Good Pinch Of Snuff]

GrayBlade said: ↑
Billy isn't and wasn't a problem, he'll always score at this level and should be the first name on the team sheet IMO.

If we do have a concern, I think it's finding another striker who can chip in with goals on a regular basis.

That man is Leon Clarke when fit

Where is my cigar