The age issue - Billy & Leon

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

I think its about desire as much as anything, 32 is no age still and a super fit 25 year old with the desire will no doubt run rings around a 32 year old.

That said i wonder if the World cup hangover is affecting the likes of Pogba etc

If there were two bell curves, one showing age & levels physical fitness, the other age & number of footballers playing, I suspect they’d near enough match each other. For outfield players, 27 is their peak and 35 is the best most players can get to with luck, after 30 the drop off dramatically starts. There will always be exceptions to any rule, but having three of your most important attacking players at 33 isn’t clever, nor is it a solution to the problem to bring in 30 yr old (31 in November) with a history of injuries as a back up. Although if that’s all we can afford.....

AC Milan basically did the same thing. They thought with Milan Lab that they could push player’s careers out to 40. They couldn’t and they’ve still not recovered as a football team.

Porterfield had a go at it in the latter stages of his career at BDTBL, with Thompson, Lewington, McNaught, Withe, Mortimer & Burridge.

Other than issues of fitness, buying younger players also increases the chances of resale value, which is something we need to consider, because it’s our best chance of long term survival/success.

 

[super_pig]

Of course I'm not saying they have no ability you fool....what I am trying to say is that it's all about making the most of opportunities and we aren't doing that at the moment with our existing forward line.

We won on Saturday and I am as pleased and happy as the next Blade but yet again we should have been out of sight and we weren't. We rode our luck against Norwich, a better team would have punished us and how many of those who left the ground with 5 minutes to go did so because they could see the sucker punch coming.....again?

How many times did CW say last season that we created lots but didn't take our chances? How many times did he say we should have been out of sight? How many times did we dominate possession but fail to put teams to bed?

As far as I am concerned we play good football and we create chances. If we had a better forward line we would convert more of those chances.

pure speculation. unless you have access to alternate parallel universes

 

[jt64]

The age of our strikeforce (and Duffy) should've been a huge dictator in our summer recruitment following Brooks' sale.

You say that, but if they're still able to do a job for twelve months then why rush to replace them when there's areas of the squad that needed addressing immediately? Sure we'd all love a 22yo forward with pace to destroy opposition defensive lines, but we also needed to address the central midfield, central defence, goalkeeper, left back etc

 

[Ricky]

You say that, but if they're still able to do a job for twelve months then why rush to replace them when there's areas of the squad that needed addressing immediately? Sure we'd all love a 22yo forward with pace to destroy opposition defensive lines, but we also needed to address the central midfield, central defence, goalkeeper, left back etc

They won't repeat their goals total from last season though will they? So we needed to strengthen up front. And if you're going to do that, bring in players who will be long term replacements and assets.

Other areas needed addressing but that doesn't mean we had to sacrifice strengthening up front - we've brought in McGoldrick and Woodburn, bid £5m for Waghorn and now appear to be signing Hogan. This after signing Norwood. It's clear we've not been severely restricted and forced to sacrifice any area to strengthen another - and there's no way we should've been after selling Brooks.

In any case, the forward line was the priority at the start of the summer wasn't it?

 

[SwissBlade]

If there were two bell curves, one showing age & levels physical fitness, the other age & number of footballers playing, I suspect they’d near enough match each other. For outfield players, 27 is their peak and 35 is the best most players can get to with luck, after 30 the drop off dramatically starts. There will always be exceptions to any rule, but having three of your most important attacking players at 33 isn’t clever, nor is it a solution to the problem to bring in 30 yr old (31 in November) with a history of injuries as a back up. Although if that’s all we can afford.....

AC Milan basically did the same thing. They thought with Milan Lab that they could push player’s careers out to 40. They couldn’t and they’ve still not recovered as a football team.

Porterfield had a go at it in the latter stages of his career at BDTBL, with Thompson, Lewington, McNaught, Withe, Mortimer & Burridge.

Other than issues of fitness, buying younger players also increases the chances of resale value, which is something we need to consider, because it’s our best chance of long term survival/success.

There's always a balance and i think we're finding that balance at the moment. In 2003 when we had Brown, Tonge and Macca in midfield and it worked perfectly, but to replace Macca was something which was nearly impossible for the budget we had.

The thing now is that the older players are up front and using their experience well. We need that plan B though or perhaps a new Plan A with some pace to work off the older experienced players

 

[Esablade]

It’s certainly a great help to the club if both can maintain last year’s levels of performance...especially with our current issues getting another striker in,

Hopefully we get someone in soon though as apart from the age thing, we’re short on numbers up top.

 

[blade too long]

Well name a 24 year old that could come in like Billy has and score 3 in 3 against championship sides. And on a 1 in 2 ratio:

It's hardly a secret Wilder wants 1 maybe 2 more strikers. But we want people who want to come here

 

[snootyfenooty]

You say that, but if they're still able to do a job for twelve months then why rush to replace them when there's areas of the squad that needed addressing immediately? Sure we'd all love a 22yo forward with pace to destroy opposition defensive lines, but we also needed to address the central midfield, central defence, goalkeeper, left back etc

Unfortunately, unlike you, we don't have a crystal ball to tell us we won't need a back up striker or two for the next 12 months.

To not start phasing in new blood up front when the two main strikers and the main assister are in the twilight of their careers is suicidal and plain fucking stupid.

 

[Revolution]

One of the problems here is that whilst United's academy system has produced some fantastic players over the past couple of decades, they haven't really been forwards, and those forwards we have produced have been sold quickly.

I think I'm right in saying (and am happy to be corrected) that only one striker has come from the academy into the first team and scored a league goal - that's Jordan Slew, who managed a grand total of 3 goals before he was sold. Billy was of course a youth product but didn't score in his 2 games before his first sale in 2005.

We seem to be incapable of developing our own forwards and hanging onto them. That doesn't help in situations like this.

 

[ballyblade]

I’m 64 at Christmas and I can still give our Gert a good seein to

 

[blade too long]

One of the problems here is that whilst United's academy system has produced some fantastic players over the past couple of decades, they haven't really been forwards, and those forwards we have produced have been sold quickly.

I think I'm right in saying (and am happy to be corrected) that only one striker has come from the academy into the first team and scored a league goal - that's Jordan Slew, who managed a grand total of 3 goals before he was sold. Billy was of course a youth product but didn't score in his 2 games before his first sale in 2005.

We seem to be incapable of developing our own forwards and hanging onto them. That doesn't help in situations like this.

NOT JUST US
Name 20 top english strikers thats hit 20 to 25 a season , recently
theres not enough for the top division never mind all 92 clubs

they are like rocking horse shit

 

[blade too long]

And another thing

quoted we might get scott hogan

is he better than Sharp ,,,, not in my world
doesnt have that predatory instinct , or desire

 

[blade too long]

I’m 64 at Christmas and I can still give our Gert a good seein to

come and have a go at mine , prefer a sudoku nowadays
more satisfying on completion

 

[Revolution]

NOT JUST US
Name 20 top english strikers thats hit 20 to 25 a season , recently
theres not enough for the top division never mind all 92 clubs

they are like rocking horse shit

Someone who scored 4 or 5 in limited duty would be a good start.

 

[blade too long]

 

[HolmesfieldBlade]

Billy was deemed past it when we signed him 3 years ago for half a million quid. Since then he has scored 66 goals in 127 games. The amount of criticism the man gets is downright disgusting.

Spot on... He scores goals when in the team, time and time again.

BILLY SHARP IS A SHEFFIELD UNITED LEGEND.

 

[HolmesfieldBlade]

Simple for me; we need someone to partner Sharp. Wilder made a good point at the weekend.

Clarke has to be the one to make way based on current-form.

 

[Sheff de party]

Billy is scoring goals. If the adage “if you’re good enough you’re old enough” applies to the kids, it surely follows that “if you’re good enough you’re young enough.”

Leon isn’t scoring goals and he looks tired and directionless when I’ve seen him this season. He had a purple patch and it was great to watch, and whilst I don’t doubt his finishing ability, the team isn’t delivering the ball onto his left big toe. We are not Man City - we need more from our striker if he’s not scoring.

Don’t care how old they are, on current form we must have competition. I’m amazed CW can’t drop him, everyone I’ve spoken to and read comments from would.

 

[BorbokisKS]

Sharp has lost 7-10lbs coming into this season, he's leaned up and acknowledged he needed to shred unnecessary body fat to improve on last season and counter his aging decline in pace/acceleration. He's hungrier than ever and wants to make a point he's too good on the bench, you can see that from his past 2 goal celebrations. I reckon he'll deliver this season, he needs to considering our lack of options/activity in the loan market!

 

[Houston_Blade]

This season is not the problem, contrary to some opinions neither of these players’ legs have gone.

I just worry that by the time we need a replacement we’ll still consider £5m a decent amount to pay for a striker. That won’t get us much based on the suggestions I’ve seen as transfer targets this season, who aren’t any better than what we have. We need to strike lucky with a bargain basement signing again or scout a little wider than the EFL.