Summer 2013 Transfer Rumour Thread - Mk4

Sharp has had his say


billy sharp ‏@billysharp10 3m
Hearing lots of rumours on here about me,like I've said before 2 years left on Southampton contract an I will continue to fight for my place

billy sharp ‏@billysharp10 1m
And if another club comes in for me in the meantime I will assess the situation.like I've said before hear it from the horses mouth
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Basically just what his agent said then. Talks a good game to be fair, but I can't really see him getting back into the first team I'm afraid.

 

It's a shame, because I really do like Sharp. In my opinion he's a better option off the bench than Guly or Mayuka, but hey ho I'm not manager and unfortunately it doesn't seem like he's impressed Pochettino, so I agree, I think his time with us is up.

 

billy sharp ‏@billysharp10 7m
And lots of crap today regarding my agent,for the record my agent is Paul masterton @marzey29 first eleven

It appears that wasn't his agent....

 

Sow what?

 

He's not had the chance to impress Pochettino too much.

 

The only way I see Sharp suiting our system is when we want to chuck on another striker with 15-20 minutes to go for a late goal.

Other than that, I don't see how he fits the system of 4-2-3-1.

 

Sharp maybe needs to read the Times. This is from today's Times regarding a meeting between Ian St John and Bill Shankly. Football can be very cruel.

Day the Saint discovered he was mortal

On the Monday morning. The Monday morning after the game, the Monday morning before the training. Ian St John knocked on the door to the office of Bill Shankly. Ian St John opened the door to the office. And Ian St John said, Bob said you wanted to see me, Boss?

Yes. I had a call from George Eastham last week.

George Eastham? How is George?

George sounds very well, said Bill Shankly. He is out in South Africa now. George is in Cape Town. He’s managing a side out there called Cape Town Hellenic . . .

That’s nice for George. That’s nice for him. And I hope he’s having a nice time out there. But what’s that got to do with me, Boss?

George wanted to know if I would let him speak to you.

Speak to me? Speak to me about what, Boss?

Speak to you about you going out there.

Out where?

Out to South Africa, said Bill Shankly. Out to Cape Town.

Ian St John looked across the desk at Bill Shankly. Ian St John stared at Bill Shankly. And Ian St John said nothing.

George is offering you a hundred quid a week, said Bill Shankly. The same money as you are on here. But George also wants you to be player-coach. And I know you’ve been to Lilleshall and got your whatever-it-is-they-call-it these days . . .

My FA coaching certificate.

Yes, said Bill Shankly. That thing. And so I thought you might be interested. I thought you might want to have a chat with George. To listen to what he has to say . . .

Ian St John stared at Bill Shankly. And Ian St John smiled.

Bill Shankly picked up a scrap of paper off his desk. And Bill Shankly handed the scrap of paper to Ian St John — That’s his number. Give him a call.

Ian St John took the scrap of paper from Bill Shankly’s hand.

Ian St John looked down at the telephone number on the scrap of paper. Then Ian St John looked back up at Bill. And Ian St John said, Do you know when I realised I was finished here? It was not that day at Newcastle when you dropped me. It was not that day. And it was not the Monday after, when I came to see you here in this office. Not that day either. It was when I went to the snooker room to get my Christmas present from the club. The turkey you give us every year as a thank you.

And I went to the table I usually go to. And I picked up a turkey. A big one. A good one. Like I usually do. Like I’ve always done. And that bloke Bill Barlow. Your assistant club secretary or whatever-it-is-you-call-him these days. That bastard said, The birds on this table are for first-team players. Your bird is over there. On the table for reserve-team players.

And I turned around and I looked at the turkeys over there. The little ones. The **** ones. And that was when I realised I was finished here. After I had played four hundred and twenty-four times for Liverpool Football Club. After I had scored one hundred and seventeen goals for Liverpool Football Club. That was when I knew. When your little bloody lap dog gave me a tiny ****ing budgie for my Christmas turkey. That was when I knew I was finished at this club.

But I still played for you on Saturday. And I still scored for you on Saturday.

Didn’t I, Boss? For you. For you, Boss . . .

It comes to us all, said Bill Shankly. It happens to us all, son.

 

Nah, he's the kind of player that's going out of fashion unfortunately. There are teams in the Championship and SPL who would love him, but not us.

 

I think that's what I'm trying to say, albeit indirectly. He has very little use for us. We'd have to just be pumping balls towards Rickie late on in the hope of Billy winning something off of those.

Basically, he's a top bloke and what not - but he's not what we need or can feasibly use at current.

 

Are we still banging on about sharp?

 

Anyone else find it slightly weird that a player can say, in all seriousness, that he's heard lots of rumours about himself today.

 

That's Twitter for you.

 

Not sure. Simon Peach tagged him in a tweet from his 'agent', only for Sharp to then say that the guy they have quotes from isn't even his agent.

Apparently.

 

Oops, well it's already in tomorrow's Echo, never mind.

 

I like Sharp for many reasons ie the loss he has suffered, but I felt he was more of a fox in the box and doesn't really have much else to offer. I think he is more clinical than Jay but doesn't really offer much else. I know a lot of forest fans who think the jury is still out

 

He will have to show us from the bench Him and Lallana are fighting against each other in my eyes and at the moment I think Lallana is the better option. Just my opinion though.

Not justifying it at all. Another poster has questioned people saying that we have a squad capable of top 6. I don't think we have a squad capable of top 6. I do think we have a first 11 capable of it. Like the other poster says, we will get injuries and we will get suspensions so that first 11 isn't going to be able to play every week but in dreamworld where we picked the same 11 week in and week out I think we could get top 6.

As for the Top 10. It is people on this forum that suggest we are aiming for Top 10. Do you really think Cortese is thinking that? I would say that if we came 10th that Poch will immediately be under pressure for the season following.

 

Impsaint, you really think we have a top 6 first 11?. Two players different from our best last year takes us from 14th to potentially 6th.

I admire your loyalty and optimism, yet I think th expression "rose tinted glasses" may be appropriate here.

 

With you 100% Mr Saintly, with the business done so far I can see only a small improvement this season with only two new players.
Teams around use (Swansea, Norwich etc) have already done their business and have their new players settled into their squads and can see them remaining above us.
It would be very unfair for MP to come under pressure when our management team have failed to bring in many quality players despite all the hype however NC move NA on so. Can see MP going the same way as suggested by Imps
We need 2 or three good quality additional players fast
,

 

I agree with you FLT, however I will point out that I think some are overlooking the fact that players we had last season also have a very high potential to improve. We have a lot of young players and almost all of our players were playing in the league for the first time. Shaw, Clyne, Gaston, Schneiderlin, Lallana, Rodriguez and Cork are all still young and/or inexperienced enough to improve significantly and even the likes of Rickie and Fonte could fare better with a years PL experience under their belts. Some teams around us may have brought in more reinforcements in the window but don't have the same base of young talent as we do, so that should add to our progression. Like you say though, that progression will not be from 14th to 6th with last seasons squad and the additions of Vic and Dejan alone.