Billy

[Lane Ender]

As I said the same about Norwood every Championship squad would love to have Billy in it

 

[Revolution]

If all the strikers are fit, would Sharp deserve to start? No.

Are all the strikers fit? No, 2 are out and one is carrying an injury.

Hence Sharp is getting (some) minutes. He has his uses. He’s also has very little chance to score thus far.

 

[northsomersetblade]

I suppose it's against the rules to graft his head onto Brewsters body.

 

[Grumps]

Ye of little faith.

He's just come back from injury, he's 38. It's going to take time to get back up to full match fitness and even so, our play isn't directed for him to go get goals anymore. It's to set up Ndiaye to be Ndiaye.

Which is exactly what Sharp did when he drew two defenders off him, which allowed him to get the winning goal.

If Sharp wasn't on the pitch last night, we wouldn't have won.

36 now,37 next year

 

[N20 Blade]

With fairness to Billy, we haven't exactly played to his strengths the last few matches he's been in.

We put two balls of note into the box.

The first one was a little away from him and he got in a header the keeper saved.

The second one, he attracted two defenders, challenged and N'Diaye then scored.

That was all the service he got.

In a game of midfield attrition with zero chance creation, you're never going to see the best of him.

I wonder whether he might still play a big part vs Burnley. We'll be more on the front foot. Well quite possible have Anel marauding forward at every opportunity, Stevens, Baldock, Norwood and Doyle putting balls into the box, 3 of which didn't play the other day. He'll be against 2 very inexperienced centre backs in Harwood-Belis and Bayer. Remember you can't take your eyes off Billy for a moment, he's so wily.

I can potentially see us going that way and bringing McBurnie on later. We'll need McBurnie to start against Rotherham to be the zone man because of their set-pieces. Whereas in contrast, as a plan B having Oli's height in the last 20-30 might be a good change of tack. Oli doesn't have to start vs Burnley. I think he does vs the Millers.

Burnley will be happier if Billy doesn't play.

 

[ATL Recs]

With fairness to Billy, we haven't exactly played to his strengths the last few matches he's been in.

We put two balls of note into the box.

The first one was a little away from him and he got in a header the keeper saved.

The second one, he attracted two defenders, challenged and N'Diaye then scored.

That was all the service he got.

In a game of midfield attrition with zero chance creation, you're never going to see the best of him.

I wonder whether he might still play a big part vs Burnley. We'll be more on the front foot. Well quite possible have Anel marauding forward at every opportunity, Stevens, Baldock, Norwood and Doyle putting balls into the box, 3 of which didn't play the other day. He'll be against 2 very inexperienced centre backs in Harwood-Belis and Bayer. Remember you can't take your eyes off Billy for a moment, he's so wily.

I can potentially see us going that way and bringing McBurnie on later. We'll need McBurnie to start against Rotherham to be the zone man because of their set-pieces. Whereas in contrast, as a plan B having Oli's height in the last 20-30 might be a good change of tack. Oli doesn't have to start vs Burnley. I think he does vs the Millers.

Can’t see us on the front foot v Burnley they will have possession and look to push our wing backs in and deep nullifying our game and midfield meaning a more direct approach might be taken

 

[TopBoy]

Billy will score the winning goal for us in the playoff final come May. You heard it here first.

 

[Carlton Blade]

Our CF has to be heavily involved in play in order for how we attack to be successful. Last year Billy was great at the role. Post injury he can't get close enough to either our players to link or defenders use his strength and hold up play.

It's no slight on him to say that he looks a mile away from his own performance level of last season and isn't offering the team much positive output. He's 36 and didn't get a pre season. He's basically desperately trying to get back in shape on the pitch

 

[ISZA ⚔️]

A classic case of one or two doing well making others look as though they’re not up to it.

 

[GrayBlade]

I think Billy seems to be playing within himself slightly his last injury so I don't know if there's anything to read into that, but as we all know with him one goal and it could kick start his season. I'm not writing him off yet.

 

[Overthehills]

Billy is Billy… and well, if we know owt, it’s that billy scores goals.

But I also think it is inevitably going to get tougher for him as well. I agree that the overall tempo is increasing and that even Defenders are becoming more athletic.

Billy still has a role to play and you can’t write him off ever. His experience will be ridiculously important in a good few fixtures, especially when trying to hold the ball and run down the clock.

But I finish as I started… Billy scores goals! And even in a limited capacity this seaso he would bag half a dozen.

 

[Alfiesdad]

For the guys that made this point.
If the only contribution Sharp made on Tuesday night was

" to draw defenders away from Illi for the goal"

Then ask yourselves would you accept that level of contribution from any other player in the squad.

He's a 10 minutes at the end of a game player, if needed, now.

Take the point though that currently we are desperate for fit strikers.

It's not 'the only thing he did'. It was the significant thing he did to help us get the only goal of a horrible game. I doubt Reda would've done that if Billy had been hooked in the 1st half.

 

[Freddie]

It hard to say but with every game he plays now he absolutely gives nothing to the team we look slow and a poor team when he plays I think it’s time he hangs his playing boots up and gets involved training the youth strikers of sufc. He will always be a legend to us blades but I think now is the time

Utter rubbish. Billy will play a big part in our promotion this season.

 

[wf9-Danny]

I like how he judges his game on how many fouls he pulls in, and complains when he gets none.

 

[wf9-Danny]

Agree with all this, but just clarify he's 36 not 38.

Err, he is neither. 36 or 38.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

I like how he judges his game on how many fouls he pulls in, and complains when he gets none.

Fuck off.

 

[wf9-Danny]

Fuck off.

I know enough to get his age right at 37

Heckingbottom said we are too honest - yet we all know, or at least see that Billy plays for fouls every game he plays and always has done - he mentioned it in the interview that will likely get him sanctioned.

If you can't see that you are a fool.

 

[Balham]

Err, he is neither. 36 or 38.

He was 36 in November 2022, when Panini made his post.

 

[Sneinton Blade 1952]

He was 37 on the 5th February - a young sapling still