What about Billy Sharp?

[tomw24]

Sorry, but I think Billy should be sold. I just think he is not good enough for the PL. He is a very good Championship striker and I will always be grateful for his goals in our promotion season but it would be beneficial for both him and the club if he moved on.

 

[Lovelocum]

I like him and if we had the luxury of playing a classic 442 where the 2nd striker doesn't have to play so much midfield I would keep him. But he doesn't have the height to win balls if we change to a more direct approach (nb- I'm only advocating this when we play dross like stoke/spam) and he doesn't have the pace to play the pressing game. I also don't think he has the level of skill with the ball at his feet required, compared to lambert/J Rod. I think he will go to a good championship team.

 

[Beef]

Sharp will be sold, Leeds are ment to be really keen on him. He's a great guy personality wise it's just we have moved on quality wise and with our style of play. Good luck to him with his career whatever club it is, but it won't be us.

 

[fatletiss]

When we get the chance to double our money (1m loan fee, 2.5m deal to make permanent) on someone who would almost certainly be a bit-part player, why would we turn that down? It's not like he tore up the league for Forest, is it?

Agree. Financially NC will come out making on this deal.

I just don't think, as good as he was for us in the championship, he's premier league quality, and playing with only one striker would have meant he would have been lucky to even get on the bench.

It may have appeared an odd decision at the time but talk of politics and conspiracy theories are rather excessive.

I agree that he may not have been right in the Premier League.

Sorry, but I think Billy should be sold. I just think he is not good enough for the PL. He is a very good Championship striker and I will always be grateful for his goals in our promotion season but it would be beneficial for both him and the club if he moved on.

Yes, he holds a special place in our hearts and this in a season when he went through his personal grief too, possibly makes a stronger bond with us fans. I'd love him to score 15 goals for us in the Prem, but I just can't see it and sentimentality needs to be put aside

Sharp will be sold Leeds are ment to be really keen on him. He's a great guy personality wise it's just we have moved on quality wise and with our style of play. Good luck to him with his career whatever club it is, but it won't be us.

I can see him being a massive hero at Leeds. I'll have a soft spot for him wherever he goes, for his football, his goals, his goal for Donny the week he lost Louie, his heart wrenching interview I read online about his son and the important part he played in getting us up. I hope he is very successful, whatever he does.

 

[TheSecondStain]

I just don't think, as good as he was for us in the championship, he's premier league quality, and playing with only one striker would have meant he would have been lucky to even get on the bench.

It may have appeared an odd decision at the time but talk of politics and conspiracy theories are rather excessive.

He was obviously brought in to make sure of our promotion, but once we were up we signed J-Rod, so Billy was surplus to requirements. Harsh as that might be, it's how football has always worked. If he does play for us again, I'll be very surprised.

Can only echo the two opinions above. It had not a jot to do with finances. Sharp was brought in to take the pressure off Rickie to catapult Saints into the PL. If he proved he was a complete enough player over the half-season, I've no doubt his services would have been retained. Fact is, he's a great poacher and little else. That isn't enough in the PL these days, unless you're Reading and you have Adam Le Fondre as a super-sub. Oh..! Of course, that wasn't enough either.

 

[lamby]

Agree. Financially NC will come out making on this deal.



I agree that he may not have been right in the Premier League.



Yes, he holds a special place in our hearts and this in a season when he went through his personal grief too, possibly makes a stronger bond with us fans. I'd love him to score 15 goals for us in the Prem, but I just can't see it and sentimentality needs to be put aside



I can see him being a massive hero at Leeds. I'll have a soft spot for him wherever he goes, for his football, his goals, his goal for Donny the week he lost Louie, his heart wrenching interview I read online about his son and the important part he played in getting us up. I hope he is very successful, whatever he does.

Well said FLT!

 

[Piebacca]

As far as I'm concerned, he was brought in to do a job, and he did it. Time to move on.

 

[#42]

Loaning him out was a stupid decision. Especially if you consider that our 2nd top scorer got only 6 goals this season. He was very good for us last season and deserved a chance. We'd have ended up in the playoffs if we hadn't signed him. Loaning Hammond out was stupid also considering the injury to Cork.

I think it's too late now and we should sell them though.

 

[saintkitch]

I personally think that had he been our main striker this season instead of Rickie he would have scored more goals than Rickie did, the downside to this though is that i believe that overall we as a team would have scored alot less. If that makes sense.

 

[I Sorry I Ruined The Party]

He was treated a bit poorly, IMO. He was loaned out awfully early, and it doesn't sound like he was consulted about it either. I feel he deserved a shot even if he likely wouldn't have made it, or at least a premier league appearance.

That said, it's probably best for all sides at this point if he goes. I hope that Cortese doesn't try to squeeze any bidders for the last penny though. I think we got him for 1.5 million and there should be several teams willing to at least pay 1 million for him. I'd go ahead and accept any bid at or over that price and give Sharp more options to choose as to where he lands. He was vital in getting us promoted so he's already earned the club more than his transfer fee IMO.

 

[Beef]

He was treated a bit poorly, IMO. He was loaned out awfully early, and it doesn't sound like he was consulted about it either. I feel he deserved a shot even if he likely wouldn't have made it, or at least a premier league appearance.

That said, it's probably best for all sides at this point if he goes. I hope that Cortese doesn't try to squeeze any bidders for the last penny though. I think we got him for 1.5 million and there should be several teams willing to at least pay 1 million for him. I'd go ahead and accept any bid at or over that price and give Sharp more options to choose as to where he lands. He was vital in getting us promoted so he's already earned the club more than his transfer fee IMO.

Well apparently we got 1m for sending him on loan to Forest. Plus would get another 2m if he joins them.

 

[Qwerty]

Is the Leeds move looking like a done deal for him. He could make the difference for them. I kind of expected him to rejoin Nigel but I guess being back in that region was a pull as well.

 

[TheSofaSaint]

I personally think that had he been our main striker this season instead of Rickie he would have scored more goals than Rickie did, the downside to this though is that i believe that overall we as a team would have scored alot less. If that makes sense.

That is exactly what I was thinking. Sharp seemed to have a better eye for goal than Ricky but provides less in terms of link up play. After how he was scoring in pre-season last year I was surprised he was sent out. If we are continuing our rise he won't have a place in our team next season though.

 

[Saint Mayhew]

West Ham did the same when they bought in Nicky Maynard, once they were promoted he was loaned out. A good scoring record in the championship but is there a place in the team for him now

 

[#42]

I personally think that had he been our main striker this season instead of Rickie he would have scored more goals than Rickie did, the downside to this though is that i believe that overall we as a team would have scored alot less. If that makes sense.

I think you'd play them both if Sharp started. Otherwise Sharp as a sub. Adam Le Fondre got 8 goals from the bench this season so who knows what Sharp might have given us even if only used as a sub.

 

[Lovelocum]

That is exactly what I was thinking. Sharp seemed to have a better eye for goal than Ricky but provides less in terms of link up play. After how he was scoring in pre-season last year I was surprised he was sent out. If we are continuing our rise he won't have a place in our team next season though.

Sacrilegious.

 

[I Sorry I Ruined The Party]

Well apparently we got 1m for sending him on loan to Forest. Plus would get another 2m if he joins them.

Yes, I was aware of that. And I think that would be a good solution and probably the most likely one. That 2 million is supposedly in the loan agreement so I wouldn't let Forest off the hook.

But it's possible there are other teams interested, and maybe someone comes in who Sharp would prefer to play for. In that case, if I were Cortese I wouldn't require them to match Forest's bid/agreement amount.

 

[FdsaJoe]

I personally think that had he been our main striker this season instead of Rickie he would have scored more goals than Rickie did, the downside to this though is that i believe that overall we as a team would have scored alot less. If that makes sense.

Billy Sharp for (Championship) Nottingham Forest: 10 goals in 39 games
Rickie Lambert for (Premier League) Southampton: 15 goals in 38 games

I doubt Sharp would have scored more goals than Rodriguez this season, there's absolutely no chance he would have scored more than Lambert. Sharp is a good championship player at best and scored well for us because we had a good team. Good positionally, excellent finisher but has little else about his game. Slow, poor touch and doesn't contribute very much in the build up.

 

[st_brendy]

With our current squad, I would take him back in a flash. Not only did the likes of De Ridder and Lee make the odd appearance on the bench (Lee did, right?) - Sharp is better than both imo - but we were also fortunate that Rickie stayed fit for the whole season.

However, one has to assume that we'll be strengthening the squad this summer - potentially quite heavily - and in that case any slight need for Sharp disappears. I just hope that he succeeds wherever he goes next.

 

[Beddy]

Sharp is a good Championship player but would it be hard to make the grade up to an average player in the premiership. Sad as that may seem. All speculation of course although I do think he would have had a better impact than Mayuka or what ever his name is. Even Rodders may not be anything better than a bench warmer next season (Cover for Ricky perhaps). Think Sharp will go to Leeds...Not sure NF have the money to pursue........