Jump to content
IGNORED

Why all the Nathan Baker negativity?


Super Scotty Murray

Recommended Posts

It is clearly a huge loss that Kalas is going to be out for around 6 weeks due to the injury sustained against Wigan, but there seems to me to be a lot of anti Nathan Baker sentiment here that I just don't understand.

He clearly did not have a great end to last season, but up until January him & Flint were pretty much the best centre back pairing in the Championship and we were all waxing lyrical when we managed to sign him at the start of last season.

Why not give the guy a chance to prove he is still the player that we know he has been for most of his career, rather than assume he is the player who had a few bad games at the end of last season?

The only slight concern with Baker is that as we are trying to play it out from the back this season he may struggle a little on the ball. However, as we have overplayed it at times this season it might not be a bad thing to have one player who keeps it simple.

Can anyone please let me know if there is anything I have missed here? (Same goes for Bailey Wright, our captain, who many seem to have also written off for similar reasons).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If on form then yes he's an excellent option but when he's not I feel it hurts us. Look at when he came on against Wigan we had 2 centre backs who were happy with the ball at their feet and to play it around, Baker came on and we go long ball as he gets rid of it up field. Its why I'd rather move Kelly to CB and play Dasilva or Wright at RCB with Webster if he's back and ready to go.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Super Scotty Murray said:

It is clearly a huge loss that Kalas is going to be out for around 6 weeks due to the injury sustained against Wigan, but there seems to me to be a lot of anti Nathan Baker sentiment here that I just don't understand.

He clearly did not have a great end to last season, but up until January him & Flint were pretty much the best centre back pairing in the Championship and we were all waxing lyrical when we managed to sign him at the start of last season.

Why not give the guy a chance to prove he is still the player that we know he has been for most of his career, rather than assume he is the player who had a few bad games at the end of last season?

The only slight concern with Baker is that as we are trying to play it out from the back this season he may struggle a little on the ball. However, as we have overplayed it at times this season it might not be a bad thing to have one player who keeps it simple.

Can anyone please let me know if there is anything I have missed here? (Same goes for Bailey Wright, our captain, who many seem to have also written off for similar reasons).

The answer can be spelt out in four letters .................... O  T  I  B  :disapointed2se:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, EnderMB said:

Every year we seem to have a scapegoat, and since we're not doing "terribly" it tends to be a player that is to blame. Seems like Baker is the scapegoat for now.

I think he will be fighting Marley Watkins for that undeserved title.

I agree with OP we should be glad we have him as a fallback - we all said last season we were weaker when he wasn't playing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

32 minutes ago, hodge said:

If on form then yes he's an excellent option but when he's not I feel it hurts us. Look at when he came on against Wigan we had 2 centre backs who were happy with the ball at their feet and to play it around, Baker came on and we go long ball as he gets rid of it up field. Its why I'd rather move Kelly to CB and play Dasilva or Wright at RCB with Webster if he's back and ready to go.

Bearing in mind the front four that Villa may have up against us then think Kelly and Dasilva is the better option especially being at home

Bit of a snub for Baker but if LJ wants us to continue to play from the back then that's what he needs to do in my opinion 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When on form a top player...but not seen enough of it this year. Same goes for Pato.

Both need to up their game and become more consistent.

 A Kalas Webster Partnership for me, could be in with a chance of top 6.

Without Kalas... I feel the replacements of either Baker, Wright or even Kelly would lead to more inconsistent performances and more likely a mid table finish.

Hopefully Baker and Pato find their true form soon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From a technical (as in ball-playing) standpoint, he's not the best tbh.

However one quality centre back defensively (Baker?) and one of Webster and Kalas could be a useful pairing IMO, that is if one of the latter pair isn't fit. However ball playing centre backs in a 4-4-2 is an interesting move- really it needs to be a 3-5-2 or a 4-3-3 to get the optimum out of such a setup IMO, between the lines in a way that can dominate the ball- ironically though we seem to have done better when we've had less of the ball this season (check the possession stats for all our games), which seems to have been a bit of a shift from the games v Bolton and Middlesbrough.

Regardless of that though, a fit and in form Baker is surely an asset- but both Webster and Kalas as a pair would provide the best pair technically. Still think our bringing it out would be more cohesive with a 3 man midfield, but that's another debate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Negativity? I don’t see much negativity about Baker. 

Hes a decent enough CB but has been injured and Kalas came in alongside Webster so Baker became third choice.

His ‘issue’ is that he tends to be something of a hothead and the Villa boys will know that.........if he gets thru the game without a yellow I’ll be surprised. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I get the impression that Baker is still in shock having left such a big club as Villa to suddenly find himself a long way off the Prem at lil ol' Bristol City .

We need to see more of the monster that ran half the length of the pitch to get in a good tackle only to be sent off unjustly.

Come on Bakes we know you can do it .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, ChippenhamRed said:

Are we happy with “best centre back pairing in the Championship until January”?

Pretty big claim that. I’ll need convincing. Especially given there were both regulars all season in a team that eventually finished 11th.

No, it wasn't the best but Wright, Flint, Baker and Bryan/Magnússon were conceding a goal a game (24 in 24 games) up to and including Reading on Boxing Day. Fulham conceded a goal a game (46 in 46) last season (Wolves and Cardiff 39) so, up until January, we were defending at play-off standard/level.

The best central defence so far this season is Middlesbrough's: 3 conceded in 9 games! That's a lot of clean sheets. Flint has played every game; every minute of every game. 

I'd imagine Pulis organises his team so that his centre backs are not exposed in the way Flint and his fellow cbs were here by the awol tendencies of, and limitations of, and/or the general piss-poorness of the likes of Luke Ayling, Mark Little, Adam Matthews, Korey Smith etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Robbored said:

Negativity? I don’t see much negativity about Baker. 

Hes a decent enough CB but has been injured and Kalas came in alongside Webster so Baker became third choice.

His ‘issue’ is that he tends to be something of a hothead and the Villa boys will know that.........if he gets thru the game without a yellow I’ll be surprised. 

If he get's through the game without a Yellow, I will be disappointed 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

39 minutes ago, Moments of Pleasure said:

No, it wasn't the best but Wright, Flint, Baker and Bryan/Magnússon were conceding a goal a game (24 in 24 games) up to and including Reading on Boxing Day. Fulham conceded a goal a game (46 in 46) last season (Wolves and Cardiff 39) so, up until January, we were defending at play-off standard/level.

The best central defence so far this season is Middlesbrough's: 3 conceded in 9 games! That's a lot of clean sheets. Flint has played every game; every minute of every game. 

I'd imagine Pulis organises his team so that his centre backs are not exposed in the way Flint and his fellow cbs were here by the awol tendencies of, and limitations of, and/or the general piss-poorness of the likes of Luke Ayling, Mark Little, Adam Matthews, Korey Smith etc.

Fair play I said I’d need convincing and you’ve put together a good case. Undeniable that the stats were good until January. But to be considered anywhere near the best, I think you’ve got to do it over a whole season.

Only thing I’m not happy with is the phrase “piss poor ness” being used anywhere near Korey Smith. Though I appreciate you’re referring to him as a full back, which is not what he’s about.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...