Saints are in the middle of a striking crisis, with Billy Sharp returned from Doncaster should they consider using him on Sunday against Manchester United.

Its been almost two complete seasons since Billy Sharp last played for Saints, at the start of last season he made two appearances off the bench in the Premier League plus a goalscoring League cup match against Stevenage, before being shipped off on loan to Nottingham Forest.

This season has seen spells at first Reading followed by Doncaster Rovers and now with the Championship season over he has returned to St Mary's for yet another uncertain summer.

It was always strange how Sharp was suddenly persona non grata at St Mary's, he was a key signing in our promotion season from the Championship and it was his goals that fired us over the finishing line as we stuttered near the end of the season.

His reward was to be shoved out of the door on loan without much of a chance to show what he could do in the Premier, it was more than just ability there was something else and it was clear that with the arrival of Mayuka someone wanted Sharp out of the way.

Now he returns to a Saints side short on goals after the injury to Jay Rodrigues, so could Billy Sharp offer us an option even if only from the bench.

In the last five games Saints have scored four times, on paper that doesnt sound like a complete crisis, but if you consider that one was from the penalty spot, two were own goals to beat Everton and the winner at Swansea would have also have been an OG if Rickie Lambert had been a yard slower.

Quite simply in the past five matches we have barely troubled the keeper ourselves and apart from the odd chance have not looked like we could score by our own means, Sam Gallagher has run around with plenty of enthusiasm but rarely got in a goalscoring position and with a midfield that is not exactly prolific it leaves the only players with an eye for goal as Rickie Lambert or Adam Lallana who has scored only two goals in the past 13 matches.

Put bluntly we need to have an option who can score goals and Billy Sharp could offer us that.

There are several reasons why bringing him ack into the squad even on the bench make sense, first there is the aforementioned goal scoring option we lack, second there is the doing something different to break the drought scenario, but thirdly and perhaps morally most important there is the chance for Billy Sharp to if not just show us what we might have missed over the past two years, but to get a proper farewell and thank you from Saints supporters.

Being ostracised from the club so abruptly last season meant that we never got the chance to thank him properly and perhaps it would give the club the chance to right a wrong on Sunday, help our own plight but let Billy say his goodbyes properly as Im sure that next season he will again spend it away on loan.

Saying that Im being unfair on the striker, OK he isnt in the class of Suarez but he does have a knack for scoring goals, personally I think he might just have offered us a better option off the bench than we have had most of the season and along the way he might have popped up with a late goal or two that could just have changed the course of the season and meant that Sunday's game could have been for more than just pride.

So thanks to Billy Sharp, I remember and appreciate what you did for this club and without you we might not be in the position that we are now, to put you in the squad on Sunday would not be charity it would make perfect sense given our lack of goals of late.

Photo: Action Images

welhamdowed added 17:39 - May 6 No
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codge added 17:41 - May 6 Totaly agree Nick, he needs to at least be included in the squad, he helped us out when we needed it and l can't understand why he never got a chance to show what he could do in the Premier League. We have nothing to lose by giving him a run out and would give the fans a chance to show there appreciation for what he did for Saints, good luck to Billy in what comes next for him...

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lockseaf77 added 18:34 - May 6 No? Let's put Guly out there then
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jonrog added 21:02 - May 6 Yes Not sure what position Guly plays but it's not a striker is it?
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1970 added 21:35 - May 6 I agree with the first comment 'No' the reason he's not playing in the first place is because he doesn't fit our pressing style,he's an old fashioned poacher,have you not noticed how hard Gallagher works trying to chase down defenders, Billy wont do that so again, No.
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1970 added 21:38 - May 6 cropper chambers stephens cork targett sinclair wanyama sneiderlin rowe reed gallagher
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Toussaint added 22:30 - May 6 Gallagher should of scored with the header/cross from Clyne,if he put that away it would of cemented his place in the squad...maybe we only use 1 up on saturday and flood the pussy -cat dolls
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felly1 added 22:42 - May 6 No! Why?? He is neither part of our plans nor good enough. You have a bit of a blind spot for the lad, it was very clear in the Championship that he lacks the quality needed in the top division. Play more youngsters ..they are our future .
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saintstuinoz added 01:34 - May 7 Yes, we should give Sharp a run out, but I bet we don't.
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ExiledSupporter added 10:42 - May 7 Agree with you entirely Nick...but if MP won't even give other young players, than Gallagher, minimal exposure to the real experience of Prem League football with next season in mind, then there is no chance that he will do that against ManU. I think his main focus is on the record points tally to put himself as firmly in the driving seat as possible for contract re-negotiations. How else do you explain his evident reluctance to blood young players over the last four or so games, given that he came with a reputation for doing exactly the opposite?

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Fordy added 10:49 - May 7 No. He's hardly been setting the Championship alight when he's been away. He clearly has no future at the club so why give him a place when we could look at a youngster? It's not a match where the result matters. If we needed a result I might say use him but as we don't I really can't see the point.
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slynch added 11:38 - May 7 Shouldn't it be him saying thank you to the club for giving him a half a mill for a couple of goals?
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davepid added 12:21 - May 7 Like most premier managers , I can't see MP doing sentiment . But if he does wouldn't we rather see Matt get a final home game as he didn't under Strachan the year he retired.
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simmo400 added 14:55 - May 7 Can see why we could play him but lets not forget he has been payed by Saints for 2 years also. Hard done by i agree but thats football.
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itoldyouso added 11:02 - May 9 Not a big fan of Sharps, more to do with his attitude than any ability, the first interview he did after our return to the premiership sealed his fate, complete deference to the big teams and an acceptance of failure, it certainly set the alarm bells ringing with me. No harm at all against Man utd though, Rooney isnt playing or Jones I see
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