Why did Billy leave Southampton so suddenly?

[Red Rover]

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Billy-Sharp-pledges-prove-Forest-Southampton/story-16909701-detail/story.html



BILLY Sharp today revealed he left Southampton because he did not want to 'go stale' on the sidelines – and pledged to prove his worth at Nottingham Forest.

The striker admitted his frustration and surprise at being told he would be a peripheral figure on the south coast.

Sharp fired eight goals to help Southampton to promotion, after moving from Doncaster in January – and he expected to have the chance to prove he could cut it in the top flight.

But now he admits it would be hard to return to St Mary's in the future – and instead hopes to earn a Premier League opportunity with Forest, after joining on a season-long loan.

"I don't want to go into too much detail, but it was best for me to leave. I don't want to be sat around not playing, because then you go stale," said Sharp. "Things would have to change for me to go back there.

"I thought I was at the peak of my career. I was stronger, I was leaner and I felt as though I could have challenged for a place in the starting 11 down there.

"But it was not meant to be.

"You never say never. But I am a Nottingham Forest player now and I am looking forward to being part of things here.

"Hopefully I will play a lot of games and score a lot of goals.

"I was enjoying it at Southampton. But I found out a few things and it was best for me to move on.

"Football can change quickly and I was not prepared to just sit around and not earn my money.

"People often say that footballers are well paid – well, I like to earn my wages and I hope I can do that here."

Sharp will face a fight for his place at Forest as well – but is likely to be given his full debut against Birmingham today, with Simon Cox recovering from a foot injury collected on international duty with Ireland.

"Southampton was a club with a lot of strikers and I was willing to fight for my place there," he said.

"It is the same situation here. There are a lot of good strikers here, with a goal threat.

"It is just a question of making sure you work hard to give yourself a chance of being in that team."



All sounds a bit weird to me... 

[Filo]

"I was enjoying it at Southampton. But I found out a few things and it was best for me to move on.

He found out what a lot of us were saying at the time, he was signed as an insurance policy in the event that Lambert got injured and would be dumped if they got to the premiership, if they did n`t get there then they had a proven goal scorer at championship level and would n`t have signed the strikers that they did in the summer

[MachoMadness]

Still gutted that we only got £1.8m for him. About £500k profit (maybe less with the Blades sell-on clause) on one of our best-ever players was criminal.

[DRNaith]

Still gutted that we only got £1.8m for him. About £500k profit (maybe less with the Blades sell-on clause) on one of our best-ever players was criminal.

Well, if that was the only way we could get him here as a Rovers player than that's what we had to do.

[neil grainger]

"I was enjoying it at Southampton. But I found out a few things and it was best for me to move on.

He found out what a lot of us were saying at the time, he was signed as an insurance policy in the event that Lambert got injured and would be dumped if they got to the premiership, if they did n`t get there then they had a proven goal scorer at championship level and would n`t have signed the strikers that they did in the summer

Nail.....Head.....I think you hit it there Filo

[ridgewoodrover]

not 1 to  be  nasty or  vindictive ,   just  hope the saints trouble derby's lowest points total. :rtid

[BillyStubbsTears]

I said 12 months ago that, much as Sharp was superb for us, I simply didn't see him cutting it at Premiership level. He has not got the pace/physique/skill to cut it at the level above. He has enough of each of those to be excellent at Tier 2 level, but he's not exceptional at any of them and you need to be exceptional in one of those assets to regularly trouble top level defenders.

Adkins knows it, which is why he has signed (what he believes to be) better alternatives. I suspect that Sharp knows it in his heart and it probably hurts like hell. But credit to the lad for dropping down a division to set about proving himself all over again. He is a footballer at heart and that is a big compliment to pay.

[The Red Baron]

Agreed- it would be easy for him to take the money on offer and play a dozen or so games for them this season. As you say, I think what really drives him on is the chance to be involved every week- which is why we got lucky with him in the first place when he was kicking his heels at the Blunts.

I will throw something else into the mix- Billy is very much a Sheffield/ Yorkshire lad and I wonder if he didn't really settle down at Southampton?

[newyankee]

The way things are going at Southampton, look to them throwing Adkins overboard very soon. Eric Winalda was very critical of him and his lack of experience at the weekend on Fox Soccer Channel over here.  If he can see that, then I think better minds  ( men with money at Southampton ) will also  see what is needed. Sorry, Nigel.

[grayx]

The way things are going at Southampton, look to them throwing Adkins overboard very soon. Eric Winalda was very critical of him and his lack of experience at the weekend on Fox Soccer Channel over here.  If he can see that, then I think better minds  ( men with money at Southampton ) will also  see what is needed. Sorry, Nigel.

I can see Adkins going the same way as Mick McCarthy. Did well to get to Premiership, not a prayer of staying there,then getting the sack. Then the poor fcuka who replaces him will do no better. I really rate Adkins,and I know JR does too.

[DonnyNoel]

The way things are going at Southampton, look to them throwing Adkins overboard very soon. Eric Winalda was very critical of him and his lack of experience at the weekend on Fox Soccer Channel over here.  If he can see that, then I think better minds  ( men with money at Southampton ) will also  see what is needed. Sorry, Nigel.

I can see Adkins going the same way as Mick McCarthy. Did well to get to Premiership, not a prayer of staying there,then getting the sack. Then the poor fcuka who replaces him will do no better. I really rate Adkins,and I know JR does too.

Agreed, thats why I hate the premiership in some ways - its like a standalone division that shows no regard for how people have done in the past. For me Adkins is a top quality manager (two promotions on the spin) and deserves time.

With regards to Billy I think he definitely could make it in the Prem, he'd just need to be the main point of attack and thats not going to happen with much better available. It will be interesting if Forest go up...

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Shame he never got the chance really, big shame.

[newyankee]

Just to clear up my comment, I do not want Nigel Adkins to lose his job, but I think it may come to that if things do not improve.

[Red Rover]

All he wanted was the chance. Whether ppl thought he was good enough or not, we will never know. He had one sub appearance I think. They signed a £12 MILLION striker...what chance did he have?! Huge shame

[Chris Black come back]

Think if Billy played 30 games a season he would get you low double figures in the Premier League. Great player, real handful and good finish on him. Sadly I think now that he will have another good season at Forest but does anyone really think that if the Kuwaitis get them promoted they are going to be content with Billy as their number 9?

Feel sorry for the lad but the only way he was probably going to be a regular starter in the Premier League was with us.

[DC-]

He'd be a few goals a season in the Premiership, enough to keep him on the books but he'd get pushed to the bench at any team, not just Southampton.

[Standanista]

I spoke to a Southampton fan about Billy recently.  He reckoned that the general consensus amongst Saints fans was that Sharp wasn't good enough for the Premiership and was always going to be moved on.

[ctay]

I have connections to Southampton (not the football club), but the feeling has been since the summer that Adkins has served his purpose and a new manager is already in the wings.

I didnt think Billy was good enough for the EPL, but his fitness looked liked it had improved and thought he may have been given a crack at it. Its a shame for him, but I am sure he will get another chance.

Lets be honest, nobody thought Grant Holt would be enough..and he may be just a one season wonder, but least he's done it now.

[DonnyNoel]

Lets be honest, nobody thought Grant Holt would be enough..and he may be just a one season wonder, but least he's done it now.

I'd chuck Jon Walters into that list too - Ipswich fans were laughing their tits off when they got £3m for him but he's done well. The thing him and Holt (and Billy) have in common is that they are incredibly hard workers. Given the ammunition I think Sharp would score for most teams in the Prem as his finishing is good enough. It seems unlikely though he's going to get the ammunition whilst their are so many strikers at Prem clubs.

[ctay]

Yeah Jon Walters is a good shout. I suppose we have seen a few over the years. I think people expect Lambert to fall in that category.

[roverstillidie91]

If saunders ever went i'd definetly have Nigel Adkins as our manager, think the problem with southampton is they haven't really strengthened at the back and they are conceding like crazy

Said all along Sharp wasn't good enough on other threads. Top 2nd tier striker

[Sammy Chung was King]

Billy is Premiership class,he would score goals wherever he went,i'd take him back here like a shot if we could afford him,there's worse strikers scored goals in the Premier,he's got the knack of being in the right place at the right time,he's got good movement when he's on form,enough pace to get by,strong as an ox for his size,and is adept at working an angle for a shot,best striker ive seen for us by a country mile!!,if his contract had been longer he is a five million pound player!!

[wilts rover]

Billy is Premiership class,he would score goals wherever he went,i'd take him back here like a shot if we could afford him,there's worse strikers scored goals in the Premier,he's got the knack of being in the right place at the right time,he's got good movement when he's on form,enough pace to get by,strong as an ox for his size,and is adept at working an angle for a shot,best striker ive seen for us by a country mile!!,if his contract had been longer he is a five million pound player!!

You missed out ....... 'worth a punt'...

[Mr1Croft]

You can never tell with players from the Championship making in the Premiership, the likes of Holt and perhaps Shane Long come as surprises whereas players like Beckford and Ebanks Blake who were scoring for fun in the Football League struggled to get off the mark.


My opinion is that when Billy was here (and at Scunthorpe) he was a very big player at a relatively small club, but when he moved to Southampton he was playing with players the same level or higher than him. It could have lasted in the Championship but when they were promoted his goalscoring record in the Championship was not really good enough for a chance in the PL despite scoring an average of 1 goal every 2 games.


As for why he left maybe he felt that joining Southampton when they looked a dead cert to go up he may feel he cheated the system for an easy way into the Premiership and wanted to go back to the Championship to prove to himself that he can give his all to get a team promoted and earn his spot in the PL.

[neil grainger]

He would have scored goals in the Premier League given the chance.


Fact...

[1879Rovers]

The first fan on 606 last weekend was calling for Adkins to be sacked. Only four games into the season and on the back of back to back promotions.

I was talking to a saints fan on Monday night and they are all disappointed that Sharp hasn't been given a chance.  I was disappointed when he left for Southampton but could understand why. I was gutted when he moved to Forest.

[newyankee]

Good to see Southampton come back with a cracking win over Villa.Maybe Adkins will keep his jod, hope so!!!!

[Mr1Croft]

He would have scored goals in the Premier League given the chance.


Fact...

I suppose you could compare this to when he moved from Scunthorpe to Sheffield United, he could score goals in the Championship if given the chance but he wasn't because he wasn't their top striker, his second time at Sheff U will have probably been the worst few years of his career and sitting on the bench for Southampton probably made him question his own beliefs which could be why he made the step down to Forest.

[DRFCSouth]

I would have him down as a 10-15 man in the premier league in a decent team. That would be on a good day IMO. I look at players like Doyle who have failed to bag more than this amount.