He is of course a good player but I have found that players who are stars at one team find it difficult to adjust at other teams. I haven't seen him play for us yet but is this the case ? The partnership between himself and Lambert is potentially the best by a long stretch if Sharp can adjust.
I'm not worried for two reasons: 1. He's never struggled to adjust to a new team, and I don't think there's much adjusting to be done. 2. He's the perfect partner for Lambert.
No!!! Today you could just tell he is an intelligent player. His first touch is good; he is strong; he always looks to be in a good goal scoring postion and he linked up well with Rickie. That partnership will get better and better. It will be interesting, because Tadanari Lee looks very good too.
Nope, never worried. I've been wanting us to sign him since the second we got promoted. Was always my no.1 choice.
Well he'd already played for them before, so I don't know what the reason was for his poor performance there, but I have a sneaky suspicion it's because they were crap.
JMMP - if you'd seen him today, you wouldn't doubt it. He gives another option for the midfielders too as he looks to get in behind. The ball from Cork/Morgan that was dinked over his head and he controlled it on his head before trying to lift it over the keeper, was awesome.
Nigel will get his weight and diet sorted out (I thought he was a little overweight) and before you know it he will be as good as Rickie.
Godders I also thought he was overweight but I've been assured by a Donny supporting mate that he hits the gym hard. Having seen him up close today you can see that he's got a chest on him. Think it's more muscle than fat.
Yes, I was worried he was one of those players that a team was built around, and when moved to a team where he might not get the same service he might struggle (ala someone like Beattie or Carroll), but after seeing him today I have no worries, his first touch was excellent and already links up with Lambert very well. Give him 2 decent chances in a game I think you can bet that at least one of them will go in.
I didn't want what I said taken out of context. Happens all the time. Told my mates last week I gave my granny a creampie for her bithday, and believe me it was taken completely out of context.
The thing which I most liked about Sharp today was his frustration late on in the 1st half, when he wasn't a million miles away from ripping the back of the net out. All alone up front, so he holds the ball up before turning it round the corner for Lambert on the right wing. Rickie then goes down the wing, Sharp makes a dart for the penalty box, Rickie wips it in to try and pick him out to hammer home, but Lee Grant just manages to cut the cross out. So rather than smash the ball into the box of the net, Sharp instead smashes a water bottle standing close-by. Now leaving aside the fact that the water bottle could have done some serious damage to a fan behind the goal, I really liked seeing that from Sharp. For me, it showed just how much Sharp likes to score. A natural goalscorer with a slightly selfish streak - which is exactly what we've been missing (how many people on here want us to pull the trigger more?). So close to scoring, and yet so far, and it got him angry - despite the fact that we were 2-0 up and cruising.
Not worried about Sharp at all and was especially pleased because he really wanted to join us. Strange goal though..how did that go in!!!
Yeah, I had a slight worry, I still have. He's got to fit into the Southampton way of playing and that might not be the best way for him to play. But if he can make the adjustment and we can accommodate him, then fine. After all, these things are never cut and dried. For example, Fernando Torres went to Liverpool, where I think we could all agree he was very good indeed, but then went to Chelsea and the rest is history. Solent earlier were crediting Sharp's goal today as an own goal, although on the BBC website they had it down as Sharp's, so he's off the mark, according the them. Now for Tadanari Lee to do the same and everyone can feel a bit more cosy.
