Billy's goal drought

[DronnieBlade]

I'm just going to say the following about Sharp's scoring rate with Hanson: lol sample size

Fair comment. And difficult to disagree with.

But I'll trust, as ever, what my eyeballs are telling me rather than numbers and statistics, even though I use them a lot to emphasise precisely what my eyeballs are in fact seeing consistently.

UTB

 

[Sean Thornton]

It's called sarcasm ... look it up

Really? Like my reply then. I thought you were Blackpool Blade, now Eckington Blade but you do seem a bit too lively.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Fair comment. And difficult to disagree with.

But I'll trust, as ever, what my eyeballs are telling me rather than numbers and statistics, even though I use them a lot to emphasise precisely what my eyeballs are in fact seeing consistently.

UTB

Are they painted on?

 

[DronnieBlade]

So you don't recall the numerous games where we struggled to score and break down an 11 man defence at home. I know its a good few months ago with your selective memory. I presume Big Jim gave your Mrs a better time or something ?

First 4 games aside.

We have lost 3 games in 36. Home and away. Struggling to break teams down ? Yes. Occasionally. So do Barca and Real. That's footie. To the extent that this has been a consistent problem ?? Nah.

I really don't see your point. Either pre or post the era of Hanson.

UTB

 

[LJBlade]

Whereas I've looked at games when they have both been on the pitch at the same time. So slightly different. Your way is 8/9 incl pens, mine is 5/11 including pens.

I would suggest Sharps lean spell earlier in the season is mostly (not all) down to a similar problem he had playing alongside Clarke. Same problem I have identified that seems lost on most alongside Hanson.

I'm not trying to immunise Sharp from criticism. All players go through lean periods, even the very very best. I do believe Sharp has enough credits to be shown a degree of slack though, given he has had lean spells and has still racked up more goals than anyone in the country.

Care to answer why our new golden boy has scored just once in 11 games ?

UTB

Out of the 4 games mentioned Sharp only played with Clarke twice so that obviously wasn't the issue.

Hanson hasn't scored many because that's not what he's there for. He's there to help Sharp, the stats indicate that so far he has done.

I'm also not trying to argue that they're the best partnership in the world, I'm just pointing that your criticism of Hanson isn't backed up by any evidence.

As I stated earlier there's nothing to suggest that Sharp's run without a goal is anything but coincidence.

 

[DronnieBlade]

Out of the 4 games mentioned Sharp only played with Clarke twice so that obviously wasn't the issue.

Hanson hasn't scored many because that's not what he's there for. He's there to help Sharp, the stats indicate that so far he has done.

I'm also not trying to argue that they're the best partnership in the world, I'm just pointing that your criticism of Hanson isn't backed up by any evidence.

As I stated earlier there's nothing to suggest that Sharp's run without a goal is anything but coincidence.

My eyeballs are my evidence.

Or would you like to rubbish that as well ?

UTB

 

[LJBlade]

My eyeballs are my evidence.

Or would you like to rubbish that as well ?

UTB

Just because you think you're seeing something doesn't make it true. For example, Wilder is using his eyeballs as his evidence. Which one of you do you think is right?

 

[DronnieBlade]

Are they painted on?

 

[PokerBlade]

Fair comment. And difficult to disagree with.

But I'll trust, as ever, what my eyeballs are telling me rather than numbers and statistics, even though I use them a lot to emphasise precisely what my eyeballs are in fact seeing consistently.

UTB

I enjoy stats, even if that comment was a bit glib. It's just a drop from 1.66 per game to 1.25 per game, or whatever it was, is well within normal variance for stats over that sample. Fact is, the team as a whole is winning games and scoring plenty of goals with Hanson in it.

I expect that going up will spell the end to Hanson's career at United. I doubt he'll cut it a step up. I just think he offers us something we didn't have and was a necessary signing to get us over the line. Basically, the best we could do in the JTW needing a target man.

 

[DronnieBlade]

Just because you think you're seeing something doesn't make it true. For example, Wilder is using his eyeballs as his evidence. Which one of you do you think is right?

I refer the right honourable gentleman to my previous answer.

UTB

Ps I'm being serious. Tufty has this wrong. IMHO. While the points keep rolling in, it's not a problem. But watch this space If he is an integral part of plans for next year, we will go down. That's my prediction.

 

[Sean Thornton]

View attachment 24961

Look into the eyes, look directly into the eyes.....

As the Wendy fan trying to chat up a woman - yes, unlikely as it may seem) "you have beautiful eyes. I could live in them". "You'd be at home, she said, there's a sty in one of them"

 

[LJBlade]

I refer the right honourable gentleman to my previous answer.

UTB

Ps I'm being serious. Tufty has this wrong. IMHO. While the points keep rolling in, it's not a problem. But watch this space If he is an integral part of plans for next year, we will go down. That's my prediction.

I'm not arguing that Hanson will be any good for us next year. It could well be that after he leaves here we look back and consider his signing to be a bad one. However, so far the evidence suggests that he's made a positive impact.

 

[DronnieBlade]

I'm not arguing that Hanson will be any good for us next year. It could well be that after he leaves here we look back and consider his signing to be a bad one. However, so far the evidence suggests that he's made a positive impact.

Then I will agree that Hanson can have a 17 game Sheffield United career, contributing "positively" to a promotion clinching campaign and is then sent to Coventry. Maybe literally as Div 4 is about right. IMHO !

UTB

 

[I should coco]

Ps I'm being serious. Tufty has this wrong. IMHO

Good point.

In your extensive experience as a poster on a forum who apparently has the benefit of his own eyeballs, Hanson is crap.

Poor old Chris only gets to see him in training every day as well as at the matches so obviously can't compete with your eyeballs.

Hanson Out!
Wilder Out!
Every other dozy Blade out!

Make way, the Eyeball King is coming through....

 

[DronnieBlade]

Good point.

In your extensive experience as a poster on a forum who apparently has the benefit of his own eyeballs, Hanson is crap.

Poor old Chris only gets to see him in training every day as well as at the matches so obviously can't compete with your eyeballs.

Hanson Out!
Wilder Out!
Every other dozy Blade out!

Make way, the Eyeball King is coming through....

Please find a quote stating I have said Hanson is crap on this thread.

 

[I should coco]

Please find a quote stating I have said Hanson is crap on this thread.

Ok, I withdraw the word 'crap' but you might as well have done

The side in an offensive sense is now built around Hanson. Billy is clearly suffering as a consequence.

If your going to set your stall out with Hanson as your focal point of the attack, Sharp may as well go down the boozer

If you honestly believe that it is CORRECT to set your offensive stall around a slow, cumbersome non footballer in the mould of a James Hanson who can genuinely not be relied upon to pass a simple ball straight or to control a simple ball played in to him then, I for one believe this is a recipe for disaster.

Clearly evident 2nd half last night when we stopped using our midfield and started using Hansons 50p head.

Ps I'm being serious. Tufty has this wrong. IMHO. While the points keep rolling in, it's not a problem. But watch this space If he is an integral part of plans for next year, we will go down. That's my prediction.

Then I will agree that Hanson can have a 17 game Sheffield United career, contributing "positively" to a promotion clinching campaign and is then sent to Coventry. Maybe literally as Div 4 is about right. IMHO

Not 'crap' at all then?

 

[DronnieBlade]

Ok, I withdraw the word 'crap' but you might as well have done













Not 'crap' at all then?

Positively glowing is that.

UTB

 

[I should coco]

Positively glowing is that.

Well you made it clear in no uncertain terms that you don't like Hanson, so not sure what you expect.

A medal?

 

[ucandomagic]

At the risk of upsetting zillions of Blades fans on here, who will defend Billy to the enth degree, it has to be said he was poor last night v Millwall (and at Oldham) and I think he probably should have been subbed off in the second half at some point. That's not to say I don't appreciate him or the fantastic goal effort he's put in this season. He's been in the right place at the right time and without his goals we wouldn't be sitting at the top of the table, that's for sure. But also, that doesn't make him fireproof from being subbed during a game does it? Or does it?

If you're looking back at the full video of last night's game then look closely at his performance and you'll see what I mean. In the opening minute a ball is sent up to Hanson - Hanson flicks it on with his head down the left flank. Billy is stood out on the left flank but despite knowing what Hanson is likely to do with the ball, he is slow to react and anticipate the flick on. He's about 5 yards away from where the ball is heading. He chases after it but it's too late by then and it goes out for a goal kick. This same scenario is repeated several times throughout the game. Hanson flicks on - but Billy is nowhere near it. He really did very little throughout the whole game last night and I know that he's always likely to put a half-chance away, and that's why he's on the pitch, but I think when we are comfortably ahead, as we were last night at 2-0, with 20 mins to go, he should have come and watched the rest from the dug out and give someone else a chance.

I have to say that I think we will need to find faster, more agile, strikers, than our current front two for next season. And I hope we aren't seriously thinking of Lee Gregory from what I saw of him last night. I thought he was poor.

As I said on another thread - when Jayo came on he immediately picked up on two flick-ons from Hanson, as he is much quicker than Billy - as is Caolan. I think Tufty would have brought Billy off earlier, but we were comfortable and he has in mind the 30 and 200 targets and is mindful that when he did bring Billy off at Swindon we then got a penalty that Coutts put away. Next season I think Billy will be a 60-70 minute player like Okazaki - go and run yourself into the ground and then rest up for next time.

UTB - The Magic Is Back

 

[DronnieBlade]

Well you made it clear in no uncertain terms that you don't like Hanson, so not sure what you expect.

A medal?

View attachment 24967

Blue Peter badge would be better.

Thanks.

UTB

 

[blade too long]

to compare hanson with Akinbiyi is ridiculous
Akinbiyi was a selfish player who yes scored more goals but that was because he never helped the team
Hanson works every secomd hes on the pitch , does all the support work and laying off

Hes there to feed the others
a slight clue in in the fact we are now ELEVEN games unbeaten

some of the best money weve ever ever invested
we are going up because CW signed him

it really is that clear
Billy Sharp ask him his thoughts on Hanson
see if he thinks hes useless

 

[ChipButtyBlade]

Sharp were'nt too sharp last nite,is he feeling the pressure.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Sharp were'nt too sharp last nite,is he feeling the pressure.

No. He's either shit again or Hansons spoiled him. Something like that anyway.

 

[Blend-it-like-Harris]

Someone is clearly up to his eyeballs in prejudice and can't see t'wood f'trees

 

[Cerberus Blade]

I read that as Cerberus Blade meaning he should have been subbed at some point at Oldham, not last night.



He does seem to find it difficult to play alongside Hanson and read the flick ons, it happened several times last night where Hanson won the ball, but Billymade a run but was so far away from him, he didn't get anywhere near the ball. More frustrating than anything.



Ah, just read yours after I typed mine

Yes, sorry, that's what I meant. He was of course subbed last night, but I'd have done that much sooner tbh. The only reason why we took him off last night was to go 1 up top and put an extra man in midfield to play the game out. I thought he was poor bordering on awful last night tbh. He messed up just about everything that came his way. He shouldn't stay on the pitch when he's playing that poorly and there are others waiting for a chance imo.

 

[DronnieBlade]

Someone is clearly up to his eyeballs in prejudice and can't see t'wood f'trees

If that's aimed at YT, I will happily admit to a healthy prejudice (or even an unhealthy one) against players, professional players, paid tens of thousands of pounds a year who cannot, repeat cannot demonstrate an ability to consistently control a simple ball, or make a simple straight pass. Consistently this is the case with James Hanson. Sorry if this upsets a few but the evidence is very very clearly there.

I prefer my footballers to be able to play football. I prefer to support a football team that plays football. I do not, unlike hundreds (if not thousands) of our paying fans choose to clap and cheer when our CF heads it straight to an opponent. Throughout the game. Consistently.

That's NOT football. Not in a month of Sundays.

UTB

Ps just to add to my prejudice, does this look like a side that's wobbling around 10 games ago and in desperate need of a Hanson ? Or does it look like a side superior to all comers in this league, destined for promotion with or without a Hanson ?

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Didn't it appear as though Billy couldn't play with Clark?

Does it appear as though Billy can't play with Hanson?

Who's the first name on the team sheet? If it's Billy for most fans, then either of the above isn't the answer.

The answer might be someone/something else - including not Billy.

The problem could actually be Billy - but he'd be one of the first on the team sheet for me next season.

We don't, as the graph shows above, need to solve the problem this season - it certainly will need solving for next season - I do hope CW & AK have something in mind.

UTB

 

[Keen Blade]

Oh dear , i have gone and upset the Billy men , and I'm not even a Catholic !
I didn't say "fuck him off" if we go up.
I said he's my hero captain this season and will stay , in some capacity , maybe sub.
I said bye-bye McNulty , Clarke & Done for reasons too obvious to rehearse here.
I said Billy will start if the Board don't buy younger faster strikers of a higher quality than Billy.
God knows how much that costs and whether we'll spend it.
Lavery has time to develop , if not crocked by Gerrard's block which i was about 15 yards from and heard as much as saw. Lav put his full force into a goalscoring shot and hit the brick wall that is Gerrard.
After that , who've we got ?
Billy , an ex-Championship scorer (so he has the pedigree) who remains remarkably injury-free , but isn't getting any younger. He could help us struggle to survive , but our future progress can't depend on him.
Hanson , a willing presser and winner of the majority of his headers (which Billy rarely feeds off) but who has never played above this level.
If that is our first-choice pair in the higher division , will we score enough to survive ? Barely.
So logically we must get at least one , if not two strikers - and if the Club has ambitions , it is no good getting strikers who are older or slower or lower quality than Billy.
This is not being disrespectful to Billy , it is just logic.
If we don't get a better striker than Billy in the summer , i will conclude my Club has lost its ambition.
And with McCabe in charge , i have every right to be vigilant on that score.

 

[YES Blade]

Please find a quote stating I have said Hanson is crap on this thread.

Can I say it for you? Hanson is crap!

Conor Sammon (15/16) - 6 goals
James Hanson (16/17) - 5 goals

Says it all for me, I honestly think you could put Sammon in a team as good as us he wouldn't do any worse than Hanson. If Hanson had been signed last season he would have got as much stick as Sammon

 

[Fanny magnet]

Saw it earlier in the season with Clarke.

And previously alongside Beattie and Henderson.

Now with Hanson.

The minute you start using another CF as the focal point / target CF is the precise moment you reduce top scorer Billy Sharp to a bit part role from the flanks.

It's not a coincidence he has gone 4 games drawing a blank.

I don't "blame" Hanson for this. I have not said this.

What I HAVE said is that the two do not combine well. IMHO.

If you play Hanson you MUST go with a Nahki Wells type. IMHO. So the nearest we have would be Lavery I guess.

Sharp MUST be played alongside a proper footballing CF or he may as well warm the bench. IMHO.

The evidence is there, and it's pretty darn clear from where I sit, and will require serious consideration from the management team if we do indeed get promoted.

UTB

Never known a player in the history of Sheffield United have so many excuses made for him
If he doesn't score in a couple of games it's the other players fault his previous two spells were the managers fault I suppose if he gets pissed and locked up it's heinikens fault