Should Billy Sharp return for the third time?
Posted by
Bergen Blade on April 30, 2014 at 4:00 PM
Billy Sharp has been linked with a return to Bramall Lane and it's not surprising. The Blades need a goal scorer, Sharp has scored a lot of goals at this level before, and of course, is a real Blade. But is he ideal? Is he the same player that he was a few years ago?
There comes a time for all strikers when they just seem to stop scoring, suddenly or gradually. James Beattie was an example of the former, doing well and scoring goals for Stoke in the Premiership, but then failing to score at all for his next three clubs. The third was his return to Bramall Lane, which we all know didn't work out.
If you look at the
leading scorers list in the Premiership there aren't many strikers aged 30+ there. Some strikers who have stopped scoring can temporarily regain their scoring touch by dropping down a level. (Beattie scored a few for Accrington in League Two after he left us). Richard Cresswell stopped scoring in the Championship, then got a few in his first season in League One, before the goals dried up again, and he had to move further down the leagues.
Billy Sharp scored 9 goals in 11 starts at Southampton, continuing his good form at Doncaster and helping Southampton to promotion. He failed to get into the team in the Premiership though, and went on loan at Nottingham Forest, scoring 10 goals that season. The record wasn't too bad, but not as good as it used to be. This season he's had two loan spells, at Reading and back at Doncaster, scoring just 6 goals in 25 games. These are disappointing figures for a player like Sharp and he was recently also dropped from Doncaster's starting line up.
Sharp's main weakness has always been his lack of pace. It is impressive that he's been able to score as many as he has with such a limitation. It shows that he's been good at other things - determination, a predator's instinct, quick turns, calm head, good finishing technique, anticipation, body strength.
But even though Sharp hasn't relied on pace, there will come a day when his agility, mobility, ability to turn quickly will deteriorate a bit more, meaning that he will require an extra tenth of a second to get shots in, which will see many of them blocked. He's just 28, so he may be able to regain his scoring touch, even at Championship level. But it could also be the case that Sharp's lack of natural athleticism will see his goals dry up quicker than some other strikers. Has it started already? I watched him at the Keepmoat Stadium last month. He had a quiet game, but he did get on the scoresheet - a teammate's header hit him and bounced in. It's hard to make conclusions based on one game. Hard to criticise a poacher who scored a goal.
I think it's vital that we study Sharp's performances this season, not just look at his record and general game a few years ago. Clough must also decide if Sharp is the type of striker he needs in his set up next season. It wouldn't be nice to see Sharp being brought back and then not being given his favored role as a goal poacher. What will happen if we do bring Ched Evans back, and he's preferred as our main striker? I can't see Sharp and Evans working well together, and there will be others who can do a better job as a target man or supporting striker.
Clough has played 4-5-1 most of this season and has played very different type of players (than Sharp) in the striker position. The player who's most similar to Sharp, Shaun Miller, was sent out on loan, suggesting Clough didn't want a goal poacher. Formations and preferences can change for next season though.
It would be fantastic to see Sharp return and get 30 goals to fire us to promotion next season. Fans would love it. But let's do our home work before we decide. He won't be a cheap signing and we need to be confident that he's exactly the player we need.
