Nathan Baker

[mr woo]

Got to agree with you over Clark. Giovanni Trappatoni can spot a footballer I'm sure, and there must be a reason Sean St Ledger is keeping Clark out of the worst Ireland side in the last 20 years.

[Seb_AVFC]

Clark and Baker are good squad players. No way they should start every game at the back tho, but they're ok as back up. And there lies the problem.

[ozzjim]

  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.

Lowton is a good player no doubt.

Clark is a liability without a strong leader alongside him. Ditto Baker. Together it is shocking. They were better in a 3 in fairness.

[dcdavecollett]

The problem with Clark and Baker is that they are both inexperienced and both are left-footed, which unbalances the defence. Vlaar's return would solve a lot of problems, as both men play better with him in charge.

The issue for me, is to wonder how Lambert could go into the season with only one recognised right-sided centre-back, and that player having a history of injury problems.

It just doesn't make sense.

[OCD]

Lambert's relatively new to management himself (something like 5 years overall and only his second season in the Premier League). I imagine he regrets not adding a bit more experience to the squad last summer but that's hindsight. He had Vlaar, Baker, Clark and the original prognosis for Dunne was that he would be back in training in September. So with Herd as an option too he probably thought he would be ok with no idea that Dunne's problem would be such an issue or that Vlaar would be out for so long. Even then we were doing alright with the young players at the back before the Chelsea game. We were under a lot of pressure at Anfield and dealt with it so I'm not sure anyone would have thought we would collapse so spectacularly.

[onje_villa]

Lambert interview on BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20985247

[SoccerHQ]

So injury prone.

Obviously wholehearted and committed so he's going to get knocks but he must have gone off concussed three or four times in his short villa career and there have been other ailments aswell.

We need two new centre halfs this summer, a) because our defenders aren't very good and b) Vlaar and Baker are made of glass.

[dave.woodhall]

So injury prone.

Obviously wholehearted and committed so he's going to get knocks but he must have gone off concussed three or four times in his short villa career and there have been other ailments aswell.

We need two new centre halfs this summer, a) because our defenders aren't very good and b) Vlaar and Baker are made of glass.

You can't blame him for getting injured yesterday.  A lot of players wouldn't have got up from that clash.

[SoccerHQ]

I know but he must have gone off injured 6-7 times already in his villa career.

You need your centre halfs to be durable and central defence is the last place where you should have an injury crisis.

[VillaAlways]

Signed a 3 year deal

@AVFCOfficial: Nathan Baker has signed a new three-year deal with Villa. http://t.co/MMFMokQu2v #AVFC

[eastie]

Signed a 3 year deal

@AVFCOfficial: Nathan Baker has signed a new three-year deal with Villa. http://t.co/MMFMokQu2v #AVFC

Excellent news.

[neo_Villan]

Good news. Baker has the raw attributes to become a decent player at the very least.

[Tuscans]

Happy about it as he could be a really good player for us...but, I don't want him playing every game for us next season, don't feel he's quite there yet.

Would still like to think we're on the look out for another Mellberg, Laursen....God!

[Toronto Villa]

very good news. He's learning his trade, he'd made mistakes but he's always committed to the cause. He needs some better players around him to help bring him through which I would hope the club will invest in thsi summer. One down, a few to go...

[silhillvilla]

Happy with this as I believe Baker will get better and better.