Sharpe/Clarke debate

[DronnieBlade]

Excuse me asking, but exactly which bits of your first post are the constructive bits?

Just looks like a player demolition to me.

Some see the point. Others won’t pipe up.

You are of course entitled to yours.

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[DronnieBlade]

Most of the time the above is a fair assessment, but not last night. Last night he gave Ashley Williams a torrid time...

Then 1 swallow does not .............

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[Maidenhead]

Some see the point. Others won’t pipe up.

You are of course entitled to yours.

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So that'll be none of it then.

 

[LSF]

WUM = challenging the popular view.

Slow start = exactly that !! We have no room for passengers.

Outstanding last night = no comment necessary . Our views on what outstanding looks like clearly differ !!

Destructive = constructive as previous.

Smart arsed quip .............

UTB

There you go...

 

[DronnieBlade]

So that'll be none of it then.

Yeah. None of it.

I make shit up for my own amusement if that helps !!!

As I say, others also see it. Read the whole thread.

More fool you (and a boatload of others) if you can’t / won’t !!

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[I should coco]

Constantly lacks anticipation.

Like when he 'anticipated' the free kick might need some help if the keeper got a hand or it hit the post.

Permanently on his heals instead of his toes.

Heels? He's not a balerina FFS.

I don't recall Edwards, Lineker, Rush, Fowler, Shearer being famous for toe balancing.

And for a CF, who is judged mostly on scoring goals, that’s 1 for the season. Lost count of the sitters in that time.

I'd rather say 'a 100% scoring record in games since 21/10'.

t is PAINFULLY obvious that a high percentage of our fan base give huge credit to a player that runs around a lot (that mostly amounts to little achieved) and who occasionally wins a header that amounts to summat

Good point. That is ALL we see.
We are cretins and we bow to your wonderful football knowledge.

Your so sure I am a bloke ?

Yep.

A right miserable one.

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

Not Sharp bashing here.....just food for thought.

Leon was involved in most things last night, won most aerial battles and races and his link up play was decent. Capped off the display with a goal.

Billy vs Derby didn't touch the ball all game, most will say it's because he didn't get the service, but someone else putting it on a plate for him 4 yards out and him scoring doesn't translate his anonymous performance into a superb one does it?

Two different strikers, Clarke offers more all round play, Sharp will sniff a chance put across the goal. Both have their own uses.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Not Sharp bashing here.....just food for thought.

Leon was involved in most things last night, won most aerial battles and races and his link up play was decent. Capped off the display with a goal.

Billy vs Derby didn't touch the ball all game, most will say it's because he didn't get the service, but someone else putting it on a plate for him 4 yards out and him scoring doesn't translate his anonymous performance into a superb one does it?

Two different strikers, Clarke offers more all round play, Sharp will sniff a chance put across the goal. Both have their own uses.

Agree......but it’s unfair to compare Clarke and Sharp because they are so different.
Sharp often tends to disappear in games hardly touching the ball.....then he’ll pop up with a goal.
Clarke is a better allrounder, more of a target man and always tends to be more involved than Sharp but isn’t a reliable goal scorer, in fact Clarke is liable to score the difficult chances but miss the easy chances.

They both offer different qualities and both should be cherished for what they bring.
Both are more than decent if used correctly but neither are great at everything.

 

[IdLiketoRogerMoore]

Then 1 swallow does not .............

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...make a bukake party?

 

[Houston_Blade]

Your so sure I am a bloke ?

Gay ??

Be careful !!!!

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Whatever you want to identify as is fine by me.

 

[fintious maximus]

Whilst I thought that Leon had a good game, i think that Billy would have scored a couple that Leon should have.

 

[Topplayersleave]

I don't think it matters which of them we play, or both of them.
When we are on the front foot we usually get the goal we need, we might have to wait for it sometimes but as long as we keep going it usually comes.
The problem is mentally what they're doing once we get the goal

The ability to last 90 minutes seems to be a problem playing our style of play and a goal seems to give them the perfect opportunity to have a rest

Like most opponents in professional sport, give them an inch and they'll take a yard

 

[JackSUFC]

To me the fact that we didn't win (again) when Sharp was dropped militates against the idea that it was a good decision.

I know it’s pedantic but this wouldn’t even have been a debate if Stevens hadn’t given away a stupid free-kick and Henderson had have covered his near post. Wilder can’t account for those two things.

I’m a big Sharp fan and agree he should feature as much as possible as he’s been brilliant so far this season, but I understood the decision to go with Leon last night from a tactical point of view.

 

[wizadry]

Sharps’ all round game is better than some give him credit for and has come on leaps and bounds in recent years so I disagree with everybody who says he can’t do that side of the game and Leon can. Sharp also scores crucial goals, especially in home games so if it was a choice between the two (which it doesn’t always have to be) then it’s Billy all day long.

 

[Broomhall Blade]

Constantly lacks anticipation.

Permanently on his heals instead of his toes.

Frustratingly, rarely gets in front of his marker to latch on to forward passes, thus turning over possession.

And for a CF, who is judged mostly on scoring goals, that’s 1 for the season. Lost count of the sitters in that time.

It is PAINFULLY obvious that a high percentage of our fan base give huge credit to a player that runs around a lot (that mostly amounts to little achieved) and who occasionally wins a header that amounts to summat !!

UTB

I wouldn't say amounts to little archived.
Clarke's chasing down (or running around alot) stops defenders having time on the ball to pick their pass. Clarke does this better than both Sharp and McGoldrick.
I would be very interested to see any stats (if they are available) on how many misplaced passes Stoke defenders did due to Clarke's running around alot.

 

[DronnieBlade]

Agree......but it’s unfair to compare Clarke and Sharp because they are so different.
Sharp often tends to disappear in games hardly touching the ball.....then he’ll pop up with a goal.
Clarke is a better allrounder, more of a target man and always tends to be more involved than Sharp but isn’t a reliable goal scorer, in fact Clarke is liable to score the difficult chances but miss the easy chances.

They both offer different qualities and both should be cherished for what they bring.
Both are more than decent if used correctly but neither are great at everything.

Oops !!

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[nopigfansintown]

I know it’s pedantic but this wouldn’t even have been a debate if Stevens hadn’t given away a stupid free-kick and Henderson had have covered his near post. Wilder can’t account for those two things.

I’m a big Sharp fan and agree he should feature as much as possible as he’s been brilliant so far this season, but I understood the decision to go with Leon last night from a tactical point of view.

And that would've been academic if we were three or four goals up.Our play merited that. I don't think we can control 100% of the game. Opposition as good as Stoke and Derby are always going to get a few opportunities.

 

[nopigfansintown]

Not Sharp bashing here.....just food for thought.

Leon was involved in most things last night, won most aerial battles and races and his link up play was decent. Capped off the display with a goal.

Billy vs Derby didn't touch the ball all game, most will say it's because he didn't get the service, but someone else putting it on a plate for him 4 yards out and him scoring doesn't translate his anonymous performance into a superb one does it?

Two different strikers, Clarke offers more all round play, Sharp will sniff a chance put across the goal. Both have their own uses.

Sharp's all round play has been excellent this season. CW has been at pains to point this out after many games.

 

[DronnieBlade]

Sharp's all round play has been excellent this season. CW has been at pains to point this out after many games.

Games. Plural.

Could you confirm a few. ? I reckon I must have blinked and missed it !!

I am aware of one time, but not several.

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[Sean Thornton]

 

[nopigfansintown]

Games. Plural.

Could you confirm a few. ? I reckon I must have blinked and missed it !!

I am aware of one time, but not several.

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Just listen back to the interviews, it's there.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Has Leon shagged your wife?!

Bet he's not shagged Leon's.

 

[coaxingstar71]

I hope I didn't trigger too many people with the deliberate misspellings

I feared for you initially, but nice recovery.

Not going to get into an argument about who should play, but these are the kind of awkward decisions that Wilder wants.

I thought Billie Sharpe had picked up a knock so was only ever going to get on the pitch in an emergency. I suspect when all are fit and firing it will be a case of horses for courses.

 

[Come from away]

Long term lurker, finally fancied throwing myself into the shark tank.

Seems a lot of people were questioning dropping Sharpie for clarky tonight, but I for one thought it was necessary. Clarkie was outstanding tonight and was probably his best performance for us in quite a while. I'm not bashing billie though, he's had an excellent start to the season!

However, both have shown to be players who tend to score in bursts and whilst that's fine when they are finding the onion bag, it becomes an issue when they don't. Most people said at the end of the season we needed another striker and whilst McGoldrick has surprised many, I think some still feel another is needed.

Whilst we may benefit from an additional striker, we can reap the benefits far more from wilder accurately rotating between Sharp and Clark when they are on form and I have a suspicion that this is what he's trying to do. On their day both are unplayable and when they are not, though I don't necessarily agree, can sometimes offer little.

Be interesting to see how this season pans out. I have a sneaky suspicion we shall see this rotation between these two often and I wouldn't be surprised if both Clark and Sharp are on similar goal tallies at the end of the season.

I hope I didn't trigger too many people with the deliberate misspellings

While we question these two strikers remember our top transfer priorities/recruits that we could not 'afford' were Hogan and Waghorn - think what we have is not that bad.

 

[Bladesman]

While we question these two strikers remember our top transfer priorities/recruits that we could not 'afford' were Hogan and Waghorn - think what we have is not that bad.

I'd go back in for Hogan if Dean Smith wants to let him go.

 

[Harry's Game]

Look at the stats.....


We score more goals and win more games when Billy starts. End of debate.

 

[DronnieBlade]

Look at the stats.....


We score more goals and win more games when Billy starts. End of debate.

That is, bluntly, as much to do with the ineffectiveness of one of our strikers, just as much as it is the effectiveness of another

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[ilovesufc]

I thought Billy took a knock on Saturday evening so I wasn't surprised to see him on the bench last night. In Wilders interview he says something about needing to look after him and he'll be back rested for the next match. I think people need to accept that he's getting on a bit and we can't take any risks with him - would we rather he misses say 5 matches than 1? Leon didn't do much wrong last night, played well and scored - no complaints from me and good for his confidence and fitness... hopefully which might lead to better performances and more goals from him. Just accept that Billy isn't indestructible and we need to keep him as fit and healthy as possible all season, if this means he has to miss a couple of matches then so be it! We all know we need another striker to take the pressure off our older players but as yet he's a figment of our imaginations so let's just get a grip.

 

[OO 21]

Leon is too soft compared to Billy.

On his day he's a real pain to defenders, thought he was decent last night (put a running shift in etc) but, as always he went in for 50/50's with no conviction.
Just being there isn't enough, you've got to challenge for the ball.
He's not the only culprit for this but I find with him especially, it's as if he's made of glass.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

One thing last night which I found appalling - walking along the front of the Kop about 20 minutes before kick-off, behind the shoot-in practice goal, I heard loud jeers every time Leon had a shot. He was clearly aware of the jeers, and looked as if it wouldn't have taken much more to have provoked a response from him. What kind of 'fan' jeers his own player even before kick-off? There are legitimate debates to be had about team selection with our strikers, but that just seemed ridiculous in the extreme. For what it's worth, as I have mentioned elsewhere, I felt our 2 strikers last night, who cost very little and are relatively unknown, performed way better than Afobe and Berahino, who each cost 10 million plus, I believe.