Billy Sharp

[supersonic]

He can't do it in the championship, what on earth makes you think he can do it in the Premier League?

[SNSUN]

Would Sharp even want to play for Saints again after we gave him his shot of Premier League football gave him a few minutes (if memory served) and sent him off on loan?

 

That's perhaps more the question than whether he's good enough or not. (Though I agree with some, if Guly can play in the Premier League as a bit part player, I'm sure Sharp could. Far worse strikers have graced the Premier League. We'll never truly know anyway unless we try him for a bit, not that I think we will.)

[CB Fry]

Would Sharp even want to play for Saints again after we gave him his shot of Premier League football gave him a few minutes (if memory served) and sent him off on loan?

 

That's perhaps more the question than whether he's good enough or not. (Though I agree with some, if Guly can play in the Premier League as a bit part player, I'm sure Sharp could. Far worse strikers have graced the Premier League. We'll never truly know anyway unless we try him for a bit, not that I think we will.)

He tweeted about being back in training the other day. A right keeno. He would love to play for us again. He's not going to get Premier league football with anyone else.

[davefizzy14]

I think there are a lot of people who may eat their words on this thread. Once a season....someone comes good. Sharp is in his prime and appears hungry to impress.

 

Billy Sharp. Could well be the surprise package. Go Billy. Prove the doubters you're as good as your potential says you are. This is your season.

 

Agreed. Would love for this to happen. Always liked Billy Sharp

[SNSUN]

He tweeted about being back in training the other day. A right keeno. He would love to play for us again. He's not going to get Premier league football with anyone else.

 

Fair play if he's trying.

[Batman]

I wonder if anyone would be excited or predict good things had we never had sharp and signed him after the last seasons form

 

Or any other Champ striker with a comparable record in the last 12 months

Like marvin sordell or jermaine beckford. Who both score more than sharp?

 

Even David mcgoldrick scored more than double that of sharp?!!

Edited 12 July, 2014 by Batman

[Isla Wight]

Billy Sharpe has the knack of scoring goals. I would love it if he were included in the squad and be given the chance he deserves.

[supersonic]

Billy Sharpe has the knack of scoring goals. I would love it if he were included in the squad and be given the chance he deserves.

 

His stats over the past 2 season suggest otherwise

[Saint Charlie]

He will probably score 5 against the fifth tier Belgian team, just to fuel the delusionals.

[CB Fry]

Billy Sharpe has the knack of scoring goals. I would love it if he were included in the squad and be given the chance he deserves.

16 in over 60 games over two seasons for a front line poacher does not suggest that much of a knack.

[Lallana's Left Peg]

He was a gun for hire who did his job well but we've moved on now and I suspect he knows that as well. Going to be hard to shift him because of his wages, and even then that it appears no other Premier League team wants him should given an indication as to his level of ability.

 

I'm going to guess he remains with us to the end of August where he'll find a loan to a team that will only pay a certain % of his wages. At the end of the season he gets released.

[eelpie]

Keep him as back up if he is wlling to be one, there were times last season where Guly played 10-15 mins up top and had nothing, so I am sure Sharp can do some good work in the prem.

 

This. We have no other choices at present, unless one of the youngsters makes an impressive Premiership start to the season - or we come good with a new striker signing. Sharp is a poacher - that is where he scores most of his goals, admittedly when he is at his best.. There were times last season when we could have had done with a goal poacher up front. Worth a try.

[CB Fry]

No point writing him off. He has everything to prove.

No point saying "no point writing him off". He will not play for SFC in the PL.

[david in sweden]

a free transfer and a chance to choose his own destiny is a just reward for Billy Sharp. His short but meaningful stint with Saints was enough to see us over the line and up into the Premier League in 2012.

 

To be fair, Bill isn't Prem. quality and it seemed to some that a move from the bottom of the Championship to the top end was about the limit of his advancement, but the record books will show twenty or so apps. and the invaluable 8 goals in 8 games that gave us that promotion spot, just at the time when the ever-dependable Rickie Lambert was going through the worst goal-drought in HIS Saints' career.

 

Without the burden of a £1 million PLUS transfer fee...." the right club " will pay Billy a decent salary, more in line with his previous earnings and the hope that he has a more dignified ending to his career.

 

Maybe he has started to like life on the South Coast?, in which case Brighton might be a good move, but being a Yorkshireman born-and-bred ...will the lure of a move to Leeds seem more attractive, I wonder ?

 

Despite their tragic demise/relegation down to L1 - (we know what that feels like) - Leeds still holds a special place in the hearts of Yorkshiremen, having been so very successful for past decades.

 

Whatever his eventual choice of new club...good luck Bill ..and thanks for the memory

[Foxstone]

He did great for us in our promotion season, and he really stepped up to score some vital goals when Rickie went of the boil in particular.

 

Will always remember his time here fondly and I wish him every success.

[Window Cleaner]

He did great for us in our promotion season, and he really stepped up to score some vital goals when Rickie went of the boil in particular.

 

Will always remember his time here fondly and I wish him every success.

 

Whoa there, he has to find a club that will pay him well yet, until then we're stuck with his salary until next June. Doubt if he's going to move on for less, hasn't done so up until now. If he can get a near offer maybe, but doubt if he'll accept a lot less.

[hasper57saint]

If I had to choose between Gallagher and Sharp it would be Sharp every time.Don't write him off.If he was a rubbish as some of you 'think' then why is he still here? Korean obviously sees some potential or he wouldn't even be training with us.

Edited 8 August, 2014 by hasper57saint
Substitute Koeman for Korea

[hasper57saint]

That should read 'Koeman' (bloody spellchecker!!!!!)

[Window Cleaner]

If I had to choose between Gallagher and Sharp it would be Sharp every time.Don't write him off.If he was a rubbish as some of you 'think' then why is he still here? Korean obviously sees some potential or he wouldn't even be training with us.

 

Well at at guess I'd say he's still here despite a few loan outs because he's got a contract that says we have to pay him about 1.2 million £ per annum and no-one else wants to give him that. If you believe the Echo the club have told him he can have a free transfer if he can find a suitable deal with another club. Hardly what you'd tell someone that the manger really wants to keep is it.

[hasper57saint]

Of course he's got a contract and he's fulfilling it unlike some of the 'deserters' and wants to play for Saints.

[Matthew Le God]

If he was a rubbish as some of you 'think' then why is he still here?

 

Because no-one as of yet wants to buy or loan him. His wages will put a lot of clubs off.

 

Simply still being at the club doesn't by default mean he is good enough for the level of the club. Tommy Forecast saw out his entire 5 year contract, largely because no-one else wanted him for the wages he'd be missing out on if he left Saints. So he stayed with us.

 

Korean obviously sees some potential or he wouldn't even be training with us.

 

He is a contracted senior professional employee, what is the alternative to him training with the 1st team when he's done noting wrong? Koeman has now stopped putting him in match day squads for friendlies, does that not suggest to you Koeman doesn't want to use him?

Edited 8 August, 2014 by Matthew Le God

[ThaiSaint]

Whoa there, he has to find a club that will pay him well yet, until then we're stuck with his salary until next June. Doubt if he's going to move on for less, hasn't done so up until now. If he can get a near offer maybe, but doubt if he'll accept a lot less.

 

I think that depends on whether he has ambition or not. Will he be happy to stick around, draw his wages, then leave having not played for a long time? Maybe he still has something to offer and wants to prove himself.

 

Regardless, fate dealt him a bad hand and he had the resilience to stick with it.

 

Good luck Billy.

[Window Cleaner]

Of course he's got a contract and he's fulfilling it unlike some of the 'deserters' and wants to play for Saints.

 

Trouble is Saints don't seem to want Billy Sharp to play for them, catch 22 situation really.

[Smirking_Saint]

Of course he's got a contract and he's fulfilling it unlike some of the 'deserters' and wants to play for Saints.

 

Um.... Its probably more like nobody else is willing to match his wages, he went on loan to doncaster last year ffs, he is hardly of any real quality right now. Hence why he is hanging around seeing out his contract

[hasper57saint]

If that's the case why haven't they put him for sale?

[CB Fry]

If that's the case why haven't they put him for sale?

What does that even mean? Stand him in the window of the club shop?

[Smirking_Saint]

If that's the case why haven't they put him for sale?

 

What you mean like trying to get him a loan ? Saying he is available on a free ?

 

CB beat me to it but what exactly do you want ? His mug on the side of a bus or a 5 day ebay auction ?

[Whitey Grandad]

If that's the case why haven't they put him for sale?

 

They have, they're giving him away for free.

[buctootim]

He's only got another year on his PL wages and hes available on a free so presumably a Championship club could pay him say £10,000pw and a signing on bonus of £500,000. Club would be happy to get a good player for £500,000 and Sharp would be happy because bonus covers shortfall in wages for first year.

[Whitey Grandad]

He's only got another year on his PL wages and hes available on a free so presumably a Championship club could pay him say £10,000pw and a signing on bonus of £500,000. Club would be happy to get a good player for £500,000 and Sharp would be happy because bonus covers shortfall in wages for first year.

 

That's the general idea with freebies. It's a good deal for the player.

[scotty]

"hasper" is an anagram of "sharp".

 

Apart from the "e".

 

 

 

This must prove something, but I don't know quite what.

[Marino]

Billy' story is similar to those of Hammond, Harding et al.....decent in the Championship for us

but not given a chance to prove themselves in the Premier as they were considered not good

enough. However this can't actually be established until they play in the Prem. As someone

else remarked it's a Catch 22 situation.

[hackedoff]

Also found it strange why Guly had so many chances but not someone like Sharp. Would not want him to stand in the way of another striker coming to the club, but until that happens give him a go.

Would Sharp even want to play for Saints again after we gave him his shot of Premier League football gave him a few minutes (if memory served) and sent him off on loan?

 

That's perhaps more the question than whether he's good enough or not. (Though I agree with some, if Guly can play in the Premier League as a bit part player, I'm sure Sharp could. Far worse strikers have graced the Premier League. We'll never truly know anyway unless we try him for a bit, not that I think we will.)

[DuncanRG]

Close to signing for Leeds, so says Simon Peach.

[S-Clarke]

Welcome Sam Byram?

[Colinjb]

Welcome Sam Byram?

 

Ooooo, interesting....

[SuperSAINT]

Close to signing for Leeds, so says Simon Peach.

 

Great move for him (and them).

 

Welcome Sam Byram?

 

Now that would be a great move by us IMO.

[Bewildered]

Welcome Sam Byram?

 

Bit of a blunder if we want Byram and have not offered Cash plus Sharp is Leeds want him.

[S-Clarke]

Bit of a blunder if we want Byram and have not offered Cash plus Sharp is Leeds want him.

 

Maybe we have given Leeds exclusivity to sign him, as part of a potential deal for Byram? Feels likely to me, given that 'Sky Sources' said y/day that we'd gone in with a 2nd bid.

[CB Fry]

Bit of a blunder if we want Byram and have not offered Cash plus Sharp is Leeds want him.

I thought we've been touting him around for free, anyway, just get him out the door. Can't really do that and then apply a value to him with a club we happen to want a player from.

[S-Clarke]

I thought we've been touting him around for free, anyway, just get him out the door. Can't really do that and then apply a value to him with a club we happen to want a player from.

 

To be fair, he's still under contract with us, so even though we may be offering him for free - it's safe to assume a fair few clubs want him, maybe Leeds have been one of those all along? And by including him in a deal for Byram, Leeds then get full exclusivity. Just thinking out loud.

 

Seems too much of a coincidence to me though, 2nd bid in....Sharp now off to Leeds. hmm.

[SuperSAINT]

It's possible we could supplement his wages for the remainder of his contract to sweeten the deal?

[JoeShmoe]

To be fair, he's still under contract with us, so even though we may be offering him for free - it's safe to assume a fair few clubs want him, maybe Leeds have been one of those all along? And by including him in a deal for Byram, Leeds then get full exclusivity. Just thinking out loud.

 

Seems too much of a coincidence to me though, 2nd bid in....Sharp now off to Leeds. hmm.

 

Sounds too plausible to be true but hope it is, rate Byram

[saint1977]

It's possible we could supplement his wages for the remainder of his contract to sweeten the deal?

 

That's what I was thinking, Billy's wages would push up their FFP quota. Byram is quality and might stop Clyne resting on his laurels. Or Clyne could be pushed further forward for the WBA game if we haven't got a winger in by then?

[Roger]

Clyne is quality he won't rest on his laurels ffs.

[Block34]

Got to laugh at this.....

 

http://leedsallover.com/leeds-hold-talks-with-sharp/

 

...from which...

 

"There aren’t any negatives if the signing of Sharp is confirmed in my opinion, as long as Byram isn’t involved in any deal. He’s a proven goalscorer at Championship level. Given the chance he will score goals, even in this side. If Bianchi lives up to the hype and Murphy is played in a more advanced role then it would look a promising attack. I believe Sharp would also work well playing off Matt Smith.

 

Promising times… Now we wait for the announcement that the deal is Cash + Sharp for Byram."

[saint1977]

Clyne is quality he won't rest on his laurels ffs.

 

Alright then Roger, what about if Lovren nails him on Sunday and he's out for 2 months? We saw in 12/13 how well Maya at RB worked (not).

[ericofarabia]

Close to signing for Leeds, so says Simon Peach.

 

Hmmm ... wonder if Sharp is happy to go along with this?

 

Being a huge Sheff Utd fan I'd guess Leeds would be joint top of local rivals alongside Sheff Wed. A tough call for him to make.

[Roger]

Alright then Roger, what about if Lovren nails him on Sunday and he's out for 2 months? We saw in 12/13 how well Maya at RB worked (not).

 

That's different. We do need byram but Clyne won't rest on his laurels.

[Patrick Bateman]

Hmmm ... wonder if Sharp is happy to go along with this?

 

Being a huge Sheff Utd fan I'd guess Leeds would be joint top of local rivals alongside Sheff Wed. A tough call for him to make.

 

Quite! Although given the choice of no contract, shorter contract, or longer contract with your rivals and therefore better family security, what would you do?

 

Moral dilema. Not sure I could ever bring myself to play for Pompey (I'm probably still not even good enough for them, haha), but if they were offering me a decent contract which would give me some security, I may have to swallow my pride ... ?