Nathan Baker - Sold

[Hookeysmith]

Has come in for loads of stick, including me to begin with. He was impetuous, poor timing in tackles and positionally awful at the start of his career and looked even worse when aside Clark. But with the influence of Vlaar and his maturing over time he is starting to really look like a player and i feel has stole a march on Clark to stamp a regular place in the team.

I appreciate that most of the England squad places are taken but there cannot be many better young, English CH's around at the moment.

Eitherway  well done son for proving me and a few others i bet wrong - keep it up and make Jores Okore work for his place

[eastie]

Deserves the plaudits as does lambert for picking him ahead of Clark which surprised many of us , myself included.
All bodes well for the future with the defence looking more solid and okore still to return.

[Singapore Villa]

Agreed Hookey.  Fair play to him.  Don't underestimate Vlaar's influence.

[nigel]

He was immense against Chelsea.
When you consider he was booked after 3 or 4 minutes, it was an incredible performance, absolutely faultless.
He never shirks a challenge and is always ready to 'Take one for the team'
Yes, he has his limitations, and I don't underestimate the Vlaar influence, but I think he's a great centre back and will become the backbone of a future Villa defence.

Fair play for the post, too, Hookey.

[paul_e]

It's looking increasingly like we have 4 very good , fairly young central defenders on our hands, even Vlaar has at least 5-6 years at this level, looking ok at fullback as well now, a midfielder who can keep the ball and make things happen and a wide forward who's more suited to the role and we'll be in a pretty good place I think, then it's just about buying competition for places.

[PaulWinch again]

He has looked better lately, but he really needs to work massively hard at his positioning as it's his biggest weakness and leads to his poor tackles.

[Toronto Villa]

He has looked better lately, but he really needs to work massively hard at his positioning as it's his biggest weakness and leads to his poor tackles.

I think he has been, and to be fair to him he didn't put a foot wrong at the weekend. Now, I'll temper that by saying Chelsea only played one up front, and that one being Torres. It's a little different when opponents have played two up front and one or both of the forwards are quick or can turn quickly. He's not as comfortable then (presents Shane "Messi" Long as Exhibit A). But he's coming along and for me until proven otherwise he is in competition with Clark for the 3rd CB spot.

[Matt Collins]

I thought he was crap for most of the season and clark pretty good. Role reversal of late. I guess that's why you have a squad

Still think Okore will be first choice tho next season

[Brend'Watkins]

I'll be the first to admit that he's improving by the game now that he appears to have cut out having visits of the phisyo during each and every game. Saturday was his best showing thus far. While I still think Clark is the better footballer all round Baker is better in the air. If he continues to develop he will be a good option to have should Vlaar or Okore ever be out.

[supertom]

He's doing well lately. He's definitely improving his concentration. It helps getting to play with an on form Vlaar. Right now Clark and Baker need Vlaar. He's helping to look out for them and develop them and it seems to be paying off.

I think the main thing at the moment which helps is options. With Vlaar fit now we have the ability to take either Clark or Baker out the side when they need it. They're young so occasionally they'll have a bad run. In the past we've lacked the ability to be able to take certain players out the side when things weren't going well.

Look at Bennett last season. Baker and Clark at times in the last couple of years. Luna in the first 5 months this season. They had some horrible runs of form but we couldn't take them out the side.

Lambo seems to have got cover in most positions now, and injuries are beginning to clear. The ability to rotate when needs be is absolutely key. Imagine if Lambert didn't have Bacuna, or didn't fancy him as a fullback? Lowton probably would have played every game this season and given his form when he's appeared this season, we might have suffered for it. Likewise Bacuna had a poor run in December time at RB. Lowton came back in briefly. Bacuna needed that spell out of the backline and out of the firing line to be fair to him. He's come back brilliantly since the turn of the year.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

It's worth remembering that Baker is only 22 which is bloody young to get thrown into a struggling side. Playing alongside Vlaar, who just seems to improve with every game must help and the way we worked the offside trap on Saturday was faultless.

Baker was a very calm, commanding central defender for the Youth/Reserves, he just needs time and experience to bring his qualities to the first team. Saturday was a great example of the player he can be.

[Chris Smith]

i was hoping that this type of thread would be resisted, on Saturday he's now bound to score an own goal, get sent off and then injure himself walking down the tunnel.

Like Albrighton he's looked better recently but that form needs to be shown over months, not just weeks, before he I am fully convinced.

[eastie]

i was hoping that this type of thread would be resisted, on Saturday he's now bound to score an own goal, get sent off and then injure himself walking down the tunnel.

Like Albrighton he's looked better recently but that form needs to be shown over months, not just weeks, before he I am fully convinced.

I bet he doesn't make a single mistake on Saturday  
( we play on Sunday )

[Rudy Can't Fail]

You never rated England international, Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup winner, multi-millionaire, Gary Cahill either, did you Chris?

**winky thing**

[Chris Smith]

You never rated England international, Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup winner, multi-millionaire, Gary Cahill either, did you Chris?

**winky thing**

I did but we had better ahead of him at the time and he was ambitious and didn't want to wait. In hindsight, fair play to him he took the long way round but he's now playing in a team that managed to limit us to just the one goal at the weekend.