Lavery & Sharp?

[Superbladesman7]

If and when all 4 strikers are fit and ready, would these two be the best starting option?

Don't me wrong I really like Done, but I think a fully firing Lavery could do his job even better. A lot of people seem to be under the impression that Done is quite pacey, I'd say he was no slouch, but I think his tenacity and running style actually makes him look quicker than he is. If you think about it, he rarely leaves a defender for dead unless being played behind with a clever through ball.

Admittedly I haven't seen a great deal of Lavery but even in his 10min cameo against Bristol Rovers I tried to watch him closely and he appeared to be a lot lot quicker. He is also potentially a more natural finisher than Done.

Imagine starting with these two and brining Done on when defences are tiring, nightmare for them! Or Clarke if we need to mix it.

Just think its what I'd go for if all are fit and firing. Thoughts?

 

[Ricky]

Pretty much agree, and I think Done will end up being fourth choice striker. With the lack of goals and pace elsewhere in the team, it should take more than just a good work rate to be Sharp's (or Clarke's) regular partner throughout the season.

I'm confident that our best strike partnership will include Lavery. He has pace, work rate and quality, which none of the others do, and he's the sort of player Sharp's done well with in the past. Clarke and Lavery could be the best combination though, certainly if Sharp doesn't improve.

 

[Grizzly blade]

Nope.
For me, none of the strikers on show so far are pulling up any trees with quality, skill and class.

Work rate...Sharp not bad, Done excellent. But very little to zero genuine quality or class. Sharp has so far been poor the majority of the time.
Lavery hasn't had much of a run and Clarke much the same.
But where we are seeing some quality in midfield, in goal and occasionally at the back we aren't seeing quality up front, and for me we need to be looking for more.

January will be very interesting, and if we could secure that one top quality striker I would be fine with us moving some of the current forwards on to make way.

 

[Tyler Durden]

Aye, fuck Billy Sharp. Apart from all those goals what else has he done? I hope I'm not too late in jumping on the bandwagon.....

Put Coutts up front with Coutts and have Coutts just behind the front two.

 

[Ricky]

We need to improve elsewhere but I would like to see more quality up front. Someone physically good who can create and make things happen. As I've said a few times, I'd like us get Jon Obika from Swindon. Good all round forward, left footed, strong, quick, can score and provide, Nicky Ajose is struggling without him this season. Out of contract in the summer and would be affordable in January. I'd say Omar Bogle from Grimsby too but his price tag will be getting a bit too high.

 

[JohnDenver]

Give Clarke some time. He's not played since we started being adequate.

 

[FTPE]

Give Clarke some time. He's not played since we started being adequate.

Which came first? Chicken or the egg?

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

I don't think Done is a natural goal scorer, therefore striker full stop.

 

[JohnDenver]

Which came first? Chicken or the egg?

We were shite long before Clarke rolled up. He'll contribute in time.

 

[Ricky]

We weren't shite because of Clarke, we were shite due to the system Clarke's presence partly dictated, along with other reasons.

He might never be an ideal partner for Sharp but in the current 3-5-2 I think we'd have done just as well with those two up front, if not better.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

I think Sharp is ready for the knackersyard personally. He's slow and unfit and if it wasn't for the fact "he's a Blade" you'd all be booing him off the pitch every week.

It's going to need someone like Lavery to come in and show you the difference - but even then you won't admit it so no point really!

Neither Sharp or Done are good enough. That's my honest opinion. We can and will find better.

 

[Tyler Durden]

I think Sharp is ready for the knackersyard personally. He's slow and unfit and if it wasn't for the fact "he's a Blade" you'd all be booing him off the pitch every week

If it wasn't for all those goals you mean.....

Carry on slagging him off though, it's very fashionable these days.

 

[Grizzly blade]

Aye, fuck Billy Sharp. Apart from all those goals what else has he done? I hope I'm not too late in jumping on the bandwagon.....

Put Coutts up front with Coutts and have Coutts just behind the front two.

"He's scored loads of goals".....blah blah blah.....

He's a blade. He's missed many more than he's scored. He's slow. has been poor for large periods in the majority of games. But guess which one of the above statements appear most important to some?? He's a blade of course!!

We can either maintain where we are, with a forward Line completely dependant on tap ins or penalties to score...or we can look to bring in a more mobile, threatening, varied and class forward line with ability to put the ball in the net when handed a chance and get even better.
It's the acceptance of crap, workmanlike rubbish and mediocrity from the "blades way brigade" that has seen this club go backwards. What a shame we have a number who are happy with this and would rather keep a player just because he is "one of us" than see the team improve. I mean, it's the key to success to never look to make the team better!

But it's ok.....we can always recall a time when we had a manager who failed to get the best from obvious quality like Coutts and decide that it was all the players fault. I think Mr Wilder making a few look pretty clueless has hurt their feelings.
Won't be long before he's shifted on....and you can direct you wrath towards the manager. In the meantime I hope he resolves his lack of chance conversion success...improves his decision making...finds some pace and starts beating a few players before thumping the ball into the net.

 

[Sheff de party]

I think Sharp is ready for the knackersyard personally. He's slow and unfit and if it wasn't for the fact "he's a Blade" you'd all be booing him off the pitch every week.

It's going to need someone like Lavery to come in and show you the difference - but even then you won't admit it so no point really!

Neither Sharp or Done are good enough. That's my honest opinion. We can and will find better.

Unbelievably harsh bored wrong on naive. He's scored 2 pens in the late stages which have won us 3 points total, plus 3 other goals.

He is a bit slow but he is far too good a finisher for this level. Give him service and he will get at least 20 in this league.

 

[Blade for Sale]

Which came first? Chicken or the egg?

Egg

 

[Tyler Durden]

"He's scored loads of goals".....blah blah blah.....

He's a blade. He's missed many more than he's scored. He's slow. has been poor for large periods in the majority of games. But guess which one of the above statements appear most important to some?? He's a blade of course!!

We can either maintain where we are, with a forward Line completely dependant on tap ins or penalties to score...or we can look to bring in a more mobile, threatening, varied and class forward line with ability to put the ball in the net when handed a chance and get even better.
It's the acceptance of crap, workmanlike rubbish and mediocrity from the "blades way brigade" that has seen this club go backwards. What a shame we have a number who are happy with this and would rather keep a player just because he is "one of us" than see the team improve. I mean, it's the key to success to never look to make the team better!

But it's ok.....we can always recall a time when we had a manager who failed to get the best from obvious quality like Coutts and decide that it was all the players fault. I think Mr Wilder making a few look pretty clueless has hurt their feelings.
Won't be long before he's shifted on....and you can direct you wrath towards the manager. In the meantime I hope he resolves his lack of chance conversion success...improves his decision making...finds some pace and starts beating a few players before thumping the ball into the net.

His remit is to score goals.

He scores goals.

Sorry if he doesn't do it prettily enough, but Association rules say it counts all the same.

But it's ok, he won't be around forever. We'll have another top scorer one day, and it'll be fashionable to slag him off as well.

 

[Grizzly blade]

Unbelievably harsh bored wrong on naive. He's scored 2 pens in the late stages which have won us 3 points total, plus 3 other goals.

He is a bit slow but he is far too good a finisher for this level. Give him service and he will get at least 20 in this league.

How do we know someone else wouldn't have scored these penalties?
Perhaps someone with more pace could generate us a few more penalties to convert? And as for his finishing....not seen a lot of good finishes this season. And give Done good service....Clarke...Lavery great service and they too would score 20 FFS.

But in a side not creating loads of clear chances we need some players who can make their own goals, we have none with Done and Sharp up top.

 

[Grizzly blade]

His remit is to score goals.

He scores goals.

Sorry if he doesn't do it prettily enough, but Association rules say it counts all the same.

But it's ok, he won't be around forever. We'll have another top scorer one day, and it'll be fashionable to slag him off as well.

"Billy...just score goals. Don't worry about anything else....you just have to score goals. Everyone else will do all the work for you, you just have to wait for them to make you a goal so you can tap it in."
And if you think a Wilder team is operated like that I'm afraid you are wrong.

Never slagged Evans....right up to him getting caught. Was always a good player. Nor Beattie...scored goals all on his own.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

I think the last few games have shown we are desperately lacking a decent target man up top, the ball has been played forward and come straight back, putting the rest of the team under the cosh. Clarke has to start when fit, then pair him with either Done or Lavery, either will have a field day playing off Clarke. Sharp, who has been awful so far this season, can then be used as a plan B from the bench if we need a late goal.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

If it wasn't for all those goals you mean.....

Carry on slagging him off though, it's very fashionable these days.

It's not slagging him off at all. I'm being totally honest about what I see. I'm looking at his total performance not just the goals. He's been poor both last season and this so far. Do you remember he was so poor that even Adkins dropped him? He improved after that. Maybe he needs dropping again?

It's his third coming at United and he's not impressed me at all on any of them - but now he's older, slower, more unfit than ever before.

Look.. I've nothing against Billy Sharpe but I don't give a damn about him or any other individual at that club. I only want the best for Sheffield United. And I don't get all moist and forgiving just because someone is "a Blade". I judge on performances not popularity.

 

[Tyler Durden]

"Billy...just score goals. Don't worry about anything else....you just have to score goals. Everyone else will do all the work for you, you just have to wait for them to make you a goal so you can tap it in."
And if you think a Wilder team is operated like that I'm afraid you are wrong.

Never slagged Evans....right up to him getting caught. Was always a good player. Nor Beattie...scored goals all on his own.

Actually Beattie was slated by a large section of our wonderful fan base for having a shit/non-existant work rate, in spite of the hatful of goals that he put away.

Not one set of supporters in the country subjects their top scorer to such ridiculous criticism quite frankly.

If Alan Shearer had been a Blade, the fans would be slagging him off for scoring too many penalties and not varying his goal celebrations enough.

 

[Tyler Durden]

It's not slagging him off at all. I'm being totally honest about what I see. I'm looking at his total performance not just the goals. He's been poor both last season and this so far. Do you remember he was so poor that even Adkins dropped him? He improved after that. Maybe he needs dropping again?

It's his third coming at United and he's not impressed me at all on any of them - but now he's older, slower, more unfit than ever before.

Look.. I've nothing against Billy Sharpe but I don't give a damn about him or any other individual at that club. I only want the best for Sheffield United. And I don't get all moist and forgiving just because someone is "a Blade". I judge on performances not popularity.

Poor last season?

So 22 goals when surrounded by the worst Sheffield United side in 35 years is poor?

Where exactly do you set the bar at 'good' then?

 

[Grizzly blade]

I don't recall a great deal of slagging off headed his way...especially as he was making a goal from nothing!

And putting Sharp in the same conversation as Sharp?...hmmm....one record scorer at the very top of English football...the other only really been remotely consistent in league one.

 

[Tyler Durden]

I don't recall a great deal of slagging off headed his way...especially as he was making a goal from nothing!

And putting Sharp in the same conversation as Sharp?...hmmm....one record scorer at the very top of English football...the other only really been remotely consistent in league one.

I wasn't comparing the two strikers, I was highlighting this fanbases irrational and bizarre attitudes.

 

[PokerBlade]

Still would put money on Sharp finishing the season with 15+. A wager I wouldn't make with anyone else in our side.

As for Done, his major selling point in this system is that he presses off the ball better than anyone else we can put up top at the moment. One of the things that's been said about Lavery is he has an excellent work rate, so maybe he can do that as well or better. I don't know. Haven't seen anywhere near enough of him to make a judgement on him, let alone start dropping players doing well for him.

 

[Pinchy]

Good Pele, it's not only me who realises that Bladey-Bladism is crass, parochial nonsense and that players should be judged on their merits. There is intelligent life in S2.

Well done Grizzly and Cerebus. Thank you for intelligent, common sense comment that looks beyond our own back yard. You have restored some of my faith in my fellow Blades.

 

[Ricky]

Actually Beattie was slated by a large section of our wonderful fan base for having a shit/non-existant work rate, in spite of the hatful of goals that he put away.

Not one set of supporters in the country subjects their top scorer to such ridiculous criticism quite frankly.

If Alan Shearer had been a Blade, the fans would be slagging him off for scoring too many penalties and not varying his goal celebrations enough.

You can't say that about our supporters with any confidence unless you regularly check up on what fans of every other club say.

If we're comparing with Beattie, remember when we sold him in January and then our goalscoring and results actually improved with Henderson in the side? Overall he was poor value for money.

For Sharp to justify his place in the team he needs to be scoring 20+ goals. If he scored 15 but maintained his current levels of performance he'd actually be hindering us, especially if you bear in mind at least 5 of those would likely be penalties.

I'm confident Wilder won't hesitate to drop him if he doesn't improve. Maybe it's what he needs, like last season.

 

[Revolution]

All this is academic.

Clarke and Lavery aren't fit enough to play.

In Clarkes case that's bad luck. In Lavery's case we've had a quarter of a season with a man down because we signed someone with no pre season behind him and got rid of 3 other forwards. That was an odd move.

 

[Keen Blade]

I think the last few games have shown we are desperately lacking a decent target man up top, the ball has been played forward and come straight back, putting the rest of the team under the cosh. Clarke has to start when fit, then pair him with either Done or Lavery, either will have a field day playing off Clarke. Sharp, who has been awful so far this season, can then be used as a plan B from the bench if we need a late goal.

A late goal .......from a penalty.

 

[Tyler Durden]

Funny thing is, it's only Billy Sharps detractors (and the bit of pondlife who turned up later on) who use the "Blade" angle to attack him.
Those of us who possess the power of reason only need to point to his record to defend him, or anyone else scores the goals for that matter.

We also don't think that the strikers birthplace and footballing allegiences are some dirty thing to be ashamed of. If I felt that way, then I'd have to look very close to home about myself, then I'd be filled with self-hate and feelings of inadequacy, then I'd be posting crap about "Bladey Bladeness" every two fucking minutes in order to try and compensate.

Imagine that eh.......