Man of the season so far

[1danewhitehouse]

Not for me he hasn't. He's not in the same class. Not by a long way. Not denying the lad has done really well for us in terms of goals, that's indisputable. But there's goals and there goals and class. And Billy isn't in the same league as Deane and Edwards I'm afraid. Good lad though he is.

I think Billy will be the first to admit that. There was a recent twitter vote about who was better between Billy and Deane. Billy himself voted “Deano of course” citing him as his childhood hero. Still, top man Billy Sharp.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Got to disagree there. Got no doubt personally that in terms of "holding his own" as a top class goalscorer, Billy's right up there with Edwards & Deane. It's more a case of them both having built hero status here over a longer period.

Would you say that Deano was a better player because he achieved at a higher level, or that Keith was a "purer" goalscorer?

In Billy's case, apart from him arguably having a better record at other clubs, of course there's his Bladeyness & the natural sheer goodwill towards him. Not just that, but the narrative of him returning home & succeeding after all the trials that had gone before. And his captaincy & influentialness. Sustained goalscoring prowess over two seasons now (even during the clownish Adkins's tactical black hole last time round) & consistently high levels of performance this season.

Most important of all, & overriding all else, though is: 1982 Darlington, 1990 Leicester, 2017...

I can’t comment on Edwards as he was before my time. I would liken Billy to Deano in the sense that he is the main man and top scorer as the good times are returning to the club. Like you say, there’s also the bladeyness and captain’s armband in his favour too.

But Deano was just a whole different class of footballer. He was a top flight player and an England international. People talk about Billy almost singlehandedly keeping us out of danger of relegation to League 2 last season. Deano almost singlehandedly kept us in the Prem in a similar way. Similar impact but at a higher level. I’d say Benteke at Villa was comparable to Deane for us.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

I'm happy to give my opinion on this Alfreton. I've seen all three of them play - and in Edwards case, I remember seeing him as a young 18 year old whippersnapper coming into the first team.

Billy Sharp is the least effective of all these three, by quite a long way. Don't forget, he's been here how many times now? Three isn't it? And he's done nothing in the other two times. He was a complete flop under 3 different managers. When you start to compare players with others, you can't just select a couple of seasons out of their career with United, you have to look at the total contribution, and that's what I'm looking at.

Keith Edwards, imo, was the best finisher of any player I've seen in a Sheffield United shirt. The fact he was likened to Jimmy Greaves is a fine testament to him. Edwards may have got criticism for appearing a bit "lazy" and not chasing down every ball - but I have never seen a player with a more astute killer instinct than him in front of goal. If that lad had the barest sniff of a chance he'd take it. He could score with his head or his feet. And he had attitude with it. He was supremely confident and wouldn't hesitate to lob a keeper from 40 yards, or, in one case as I remember in front of the kop, sell the keeper a complete dummy and run around him and tap it in. If the ball came to Edwards, anywhere within 30 yards of goal, it was likely to be ending up in the back of the net.

By contrast, I think Billy has done well for us, but my God, how many sitters has he missed too? I think I could count the number of sitters that Edwards missed in his entire career on one hand. I would need both hands to count Billy's missed sitters just for this one season. That's not knocking Billy - I think the lad's done fantastic for us this season - but I can tell you that Edwards would have been on 40 goals by now in this team.

Deano was a great player too. He was the perfect foil for the hardworking, creator, Tony Agana. I don't think Deane was as good in the air as he should have been, given his height, but he scored some great goals and showed terrific composure under pressure. But was he as good as Edwards? No, I honestly don't think he was - despite him being much taller and arguably more athletic. Edwards just had something about him.. A swagger. A confidence that no way was any keeper going to get the better of him. And they rarely did.

I think Sharp is a great poacher, but he doesn't do a lot outside of the box - unlike both these other two.

I wouldn't even put him 3rd best striker tbh. I'd put Billy Dearden ahead of him for various reasons. But it's all about opinions eh?

Many put Mick Jones above those two as well. For me, the best striker I’ve seen for the blades is Deane and there’s a bit of a gap to the chasing pack which includes Beattie, Fjortoft, Blake, Bent, Sharp, Agana, Kabba, Hulse, Evans. When selecting a Blades 11 over my time, it’s always Deane and one other.

 

[HolmesfieldBlade]

I noticed that and immediately wondered what he was saying. After CW's post match interview though I believe it was Samir's positional freedom on the pitch that they were trying to iron out.

It's mental how tactically astute this manager, coaches and set of players are.

Make Nigel Clough look like a Sunday league coach

 

[Pinchy]

I noticed that and immediately wondered what he was saying. After CW's post match interview though I believe it was Samir's positional freedom on the pitch that they were trying to iron out.

It's mental how tactically astute this manager, coaches and set of players are.

Make Nigel Clough look like a Sunday league coach

Clough bears a resemblance to Morgan??

 

[Pinchy]

Many put Mick Jones above those two as well. For me, the best striker I’ve seen for the blades is Deane and there’s a bit of a gap to the chasing pack which includes Beattie, Fjortoft, Blake, Bent, Sharp, Agana, Kabba, Hulse, Evans. When selecting a Blades 11 over my time, it’s always Deane and one other.

The many are right. Mick Jones was way better than either Edwards or Sharp. He was a top league player; the other two lower league. No comparison.

 

[Revolution]

Many put Mick Jones above those two as well. For me, the best striker I’ve seen for the blades is Deane and there’s a bit of a gap to the chasing pack which includes Beattie, Fjortoft, Blake, Bent, Sharp, Agana, Kabba, Hulse, Evans. When selecting a Blades 11 over my time, it’s always Deane and one other.

Mick Jones and Brian Deane:

- were both the best forwards for United in a 3 season spell in division 1
- both won 3 England caps on the back of their good performances (all Deane's were as a Blade: Jones won 2 as a Blade)
- were both sold to Leeds United, which played a big part in United being relegated immediately afterwards

Every book I've ever read that mentions Jones' brief England career states that he was a Leeds player when he made his debut: this is of course untrue. He was the youngest England centre forward of the 20th century until Michael Owen.

I am too young to remember Jones but both him and Deane have to be ranked higher than Sharp if you are ranking them on the basis of their Blades careers alone or on their entire career.

King Keith is more interesting: I'd put Deane ahead of him having seen them both play regularly, and even if I hadn't Deane's 3 excellent top flight seasons put him ahead of King Keith for me (indeed, if I were ranking players of my United supporting lifetime, Deane would be number 1, just ahead of Jagielka).

Jones on the other hand....he played 6 seasons for United, scoring 63 league goals. Two of those seasons saw only a few games for him and one was half a season. But all were in the top flight. United were essentially a mid table team throughout.

Edwards played 7 more or less full seasons and had a few sub appearances in one other, and scored 144 league goals...but none of those seasons were in the top flight (4 in Division 2, 2 in Division 3, 1 in Division 4). On the other hand, United were promoted twice during those seasons.

I'm confident Jones was the better player - but did he have the better United career? Not sure he did.

 

[Cyprus Blade]

Many put Mick Jones above those two as well. For me, the best striker I’ve seen for the blades is Deane and there’s a bit of a gap to the chasing pack

For me it has to be Doc Pace - 1957-1964 Sheffield United 253 appearances (140 goals) Top scorer for six successive seasons.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

I'd like to thank my mom, my dad, all my friends, my Botox dealer but a special mention to...

the fans! Stuck by us after 6 shit years. Bigger than four PL crowds on Saturday. Over 55k in the last 2 home games. Averaging 20,955 this season. I'm filling up...

View attachment 23857

Don't forget that there have been many posts on here 'blaming the fans' at times.
Anyone who has done that should apologise.

 

[ourbob]

Samir by a country mile.

 

[Hodgyman]

If you believe in Lord Wilder's methods and results, then it is the whole squad mentality that has achieved the great things this season. They have all helped and supported our efforts whether they are "the best player" or not, whether playing or not.
I think that it would be great to recognise this by awarding the squad as a whole rather than individuals. There are too many brilliant individuals this year to chose from anyway.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

The many are right. Mick Jones was way better than either Edwards or Sharp. He was a top league player; the other two lower league. No comparison.

Would you say Jones was better than Deano? The one true, international class forward we’ve had in my lifetime.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Edwards was a special case because he was a pure goalscorer.
He wasn't really a team player, never used to pass to anyone.
I remember loads of games where he was poor and someone in the crowd would want him subbed
Then he'd pop up and tap one in from close range. He'd done nothing all game apart from score.
Other memories of Edwards is that he rarely used to miss. He had the knack of always hitting the target to force the keeper into a save. He always used to position himself on the shoulder of their last defender all match and make forward runs. He must have got caught offside about 10 times every match but when he did beat the offside trap, clean through with just the keeper to beat, the Kop were cheering before Edwards took his shot because you knew he would score. Don't rate him as a great allround striker but at finishing he was THE BEST.

Deane had a much better allround game. It always used to make me laugh how the media seems to label him as a tough direct battering ram type forward when the physical side and toughness up front was one of Deans weaknesses. In his early days I always rated Agana as being a better player than Deane but Deane got better with age. Could dribble, had decent skill for a big man, good in the air and scored all types of goals. He had more ability that the media gave him credit for and it was quite funny how when on the wing he would regularly put in a fantastic cross, could have been a winger ha.

Sharp is another special case. Don't think he has anywhere near the allround ability of Deane or finishing levels of Edwards but Sharp has been a leader and influential in helping Wilder change a club with a nervous losing mentality into a positive "we are Blades" winning mentality. Really pleased that Billy will be able to look back at his career at his boyhood club and know that at the 3rd attempt he was finally a big success.

So all 3 are really special in there own way and it's probably unfair to compare them.

 

[Pinchy]

Would you say Jones was better than Deano? The one true, international class forward we’ve had in my lifetime.

Too close to call, mate. Mick was very much an old fashioned centre-forward, though not short of skill. When we had a corner, he would start his run about 10 yards from the edge of the box so as to maximise momentum. Of course, on those days you could do that without a defender literally wrestling you to the ground or (again literally) trying to rip the shirt off your back! He was a fearsome figure. Deano was a quite different brand of centre forward, possessed of a bit more finesse.

My personal preference was for Deano, but only by a cig paper. I'd welcome the view of Silent Blade.

 

[Silent Blade]

Too close to call, mate. Mick was very much an old fashioned centre-forward, though not short of skill. When we had a corner, he would start his run about 10 yards from the edge of the box so as to maximise momentum. Of course, on those days you could do that without a defender literally wrestling you to the ground or (again literally) trying to rip the shirt off your back! He was a fearsome figure. Deano was a quite different brand of centre forward, possessed of a bit more finesse.

My personal preference was for Deano, but only by a cig paper. I'd welcome the view of Silent Blade.

My dad rated Jones better

 

[Lmaobob]

Flecky

 

[I should coco]

My dad rated Jones better

Aye, some player that Jones.

I'm surprised he packed up footy and went into acting though.

 

[Tunstall Fred]

Aye, some player that Jones.

I'm surprised he packed up footy and went into acting though.

Personally i am glad he packed in football,dyed his hair and formed the Clash

 

[Hodgyman]

My dad rated Jones better

Your dad was right

 

[Hodgyman]

Going back to the OP, neither Deane or Jones will win the "man of the season" this year as they have not played once