Nathan Baker

[Somniloquism]

I think he may have been rushed back. Must admit alarm bells were ringing by the Ipswich goal on Saturday. Either he misread it or Chopra outmuscled him, can't remeber but poor defending.

I do think in general he has looked more convincing this season than Clark who with every game is just looking more and more a lightweight liability in the centre.

The thing with the 5 though was that one of the other two could probably fix any mistake made by the other defender. Now we have gone back to four, any mistake is normally punished again and they are a lot more obvious when made.

[neo_Villan]

Shocking from Baker for their second goal though. When the initial clearence is made, the ball is nearest to him but he just jogs to it allowing their player who is sprinting to get it ahead of him and put in the cross that leads to the goal.

[saunders_heroes]

Baker isn't good enough for our first team and never has been. A lower league player at best. I've lost count of the times he's fucked up yet I read on here that he's supposedly quite good. Christ I must have been watching a different Villa to most others on here this season.
Too many kids in our team. It was a recipe for disaster right from the off.

[saunders_heroes]

We've been constantly spoon fed lies over the last few years that our youth team were akin to what Man Utd produced 20 or so years ago with the likes of Giggs, Beckham, Neville etc. I never fell for this bullshit. Lerner did though, hook line and sinker. He sold our best players and replaced them partly with the youth team. An absolute fuckin disaster. I wonder who it was who at the club that brainwashed Lerner into thinking we had the Ajax youth team set up? Someone must be responsible for this?

[neo_Villan]

Baker isn't good enough for our first team and never has been. A lower league player at best. I've lost count of the times he's fucked up yet I read on here that he's supposedly quite good. Christ I must have been watching a different Villa to most others on here this season.
Too many kids in our team. It was a recipe for disaster right from the off.

I still rate Baker. More than the likes of Clark anyhow. He needs to play alongside experience though and if we don't sign a new CB, then I would say a Vlaar/Baker combo is probably our strongest pairing.

[Nev]

Shocking from Baker for their second goal though. When the initial clearence is made, the ball is nearest to him but he just jogs to it allowing their player who is sprinting to get it ahead of him and put in the cross that leads to the goal.

And that is it in a nutshell. That moment was the nadir for me. For a player to think that an effort like that is acceptable is beyond the pale.

[Duncan Shaw]

Shocking from Baker for their second goal though. When the initial clearence is made, the ball is nearest to him but he just jogs to it allowing their player who is sprinting to get it ahead of him and put in the cross that leads to the goal.

And that is it in a nutshell. That moment was the nadir for me. For a player to think that an effort like that is acceptable is beyond the pale.

I fully agree, I was screaming at him to get out to the ball.  Mind you it was the same with Gabby for the first goal, he just watched the Bradford player knock it back in form the edge of the area without trying to chase it out.  They defend awfully as a team.

[PaulWinch again]

Baker is ok and he may get better, he's not good enough to start week in week out in the Premier League.

[mr woo]

Baker is ok and he may get better, he's not good enough to start week in week out in the Premier League.

Spot on. In Lamberts defence, you could say the injuries to Vlaar and Dunne have left him with little choice. Unless those two are close to a return we desperately need a couple of old heads back there. Even loans along the lines of Arsenal taking Sol Campbell a couple of years back would be ok.

[Lambert and Payne]

Had a shocker last night but had a good season IMO, people seem quick to jump on his back

[Concrete John]

Had a shocker last night but had a good season IMO, people seem quick to jump on his back

This.

He's been better than Clark this season, IMO.

[Jarpie]

Baker looks more promising than Clark but needs to play alongside of Vlaar.

[neo_Villan]

Shocking from Baker for their second goal though. When the initial clearence is made, the ball is nearest to him but he just jogs to it allowing their player who is sprinting to get it ahead of him and put in the cross that leads to the goal.

And that is it in a nutshell. That moment was the nadir for me. For a player to think that an effort like that is acceptable is beyond the pale.

And he is an academy player! You would expect at least the academy lads to play for the shirt. When that is not even happening then we may as well just fly a white flag from atop VP.

[barrysleftfoot]

  Can't believe Baker is getting stick.Bennett and Clark were absolute garbage last night.Watch the 2nd goal again, Clark lets the man run in front of him, and leaves him to someone else.Their CF could have had 3/4 goals last night, a 4th division striker, Clark was that bad.

 And the watch when Wells went through.I don't like to knock young players, but Clark, i just don't see it, no pace, no awareness, no acceleration,not strong enough.I think despite a poor game last night, Bennett has enough strengths to be a good FB, and Baker alongside a good solid defender, the same, but Clark....don't see it, not over convinced by Lowton either.

[Nev]

I'm not actually knocking Baker. It's the managers job to outline the application and effort he expects from the players, Baker should not be in a position to be so casual, he should be fearful of a bollocking at the very least for that sort of thing. The problem runs throughout the team I agree and that stems from the management. The Baker incident stuck out more for me.