Nathan Baker - Sold

[Ad@m]

Baker had a bloody good game today. I'd rather have him than Clark.

Crikey!  I'll have some of whatever you're drinking!

[andyh]

Baker had a bloody good game today. I'd rather have him than Clark.

Crikey!  I'll have some of whatever you're drinking!

I thought he was was much stronger than the player he was marking, so came out on top which meant it looked like he had a decent game.
His distribution is still shocking though.

Does his sending off carry over to next season or is it a clean slate?

[Gareth]

For me Baker is always either 8/10 or 5/10...needs to be 7 or 8 out of 10 every week.  Today would be a generous 5/10, shockingly slow reactions led to him losing that ball for the penalty & red card

[AV82EC]

Baker had a bloody good game today. I'd rather have him than Clark.

Crikey!  I'll have some of whatever you're drinking!

No he didn't. Meaningless hoofs forward in the first half which gave away possession at least half a dozen times, dragged out if position quite a few times before getting sent off (harshly admittedly). He may be a full blooded type of player and gets his shorts dirty (invariably because he's trying to get back into position) but he patently isn't good enough and he's the least commanding centre half of a commanding centre half type I've seen. For all his aerial dominance he's got a head like a 50p and he doesn't score enough from set pieces. Other than that, yeah brilliant.

[SoccerHQ]

Baker had a bloody good game today. I'd rather have him than Clark.

Crikey!  I'll have some of whatever you're drinking!

I thought he was was much stronger than the player he was marking, so came out on top which meant it looked like he had a decent game.
His distribution is still shocking though.

Does his sending off carry over to next season or is it a clean slate?

Misses first game of next season.

I thought the red card was harsh. Bacuna did exactly the same v Reading and didn't even get booked. I thought they changed it so the penalty was enough.

[PeterWithesShin]

I assume we'll appeal it and I reckon we have a decent chance of it being rescinded. He was awful in the lead up to the pen though. However, overall he's had a decent season and is one of the reasons we have the 5th best defence in the division.

[Dave]

He's been our second best defender this season.

And the referee should check his copy of the updated rules regarding the denial of a goalscoring opportunity.

[tomd2103]

He's at his level which is mid table Championship.  We need better if we are to improve next season. 

[TheTimVilla]

He got a standing ovation when he went off, so I think quite a few must agree with me that he's had a good season. In terms of distribution, Shaun Teale was shocking but he still did ok! Also, his positioning was pretty good yesterday.

I reserve my ire for the likes of Amavi and Bacuna.

[ROBBO]

His hoofs forward were in the main caused by the ball being constantly passed back to him from midfield and leaving him little option, he is a give all average player but he shouldn't be criticised because the midfield and forwards are not doing their job.

[PaulTheVillan]

Baker is decent for where we are, if we want to improve then he needs replacing.

[mr underhill]

as many others have said his heart is in the right place but every time he passes the ball forwards, we loose possession. You know the rest.

[Gareth]

One thing I really don't get is the ovation for a player when he gets sent off & if I had been Brucie I would have been on the pitch dragging Baker off the pitch when he was milking the applause....a red card = letting your team down, particularly when it was so pathetically self induced with such a sloppy piece of defending.

2 or 3 times I saw Bruce going mad with Bakers distribution, a couple of hoofs forward and one back pass had him waving his arms about.

Think this summer may be the time to upgrade him, having two centre halves who are very, very poor with the ball at their feet isn't ideal.

[Brend'Watkins]

One thing I really don't get is the ovation for a player when he gets sent off & if I had been Brucie I would have been on the pitch dragging Baker off the pitch when he was milking the applause....a red card = letting your team down, particularly when it was so pathetically self induced with such a sloppy piece of defending.

2 or 3 times I saw Bruce going mad with Bakers distribution, a couple of hoofs forward and one back pass had him waving his arms about.

Think this summer may be the time to upgrade him, having two centre halves who are very, very poor with the ball at their feet isn't ideal.

So why does he persist? He should be under clear instruction not to hoof the ball but to give it to Lansbury so he can do it.  Lansbury should be the outlet every time It's why we got him isn't it?

[Gareth]

It is but in order for that to happen it requires a midfielder, be it Lansbury to come deep, find space that allows a simple ball, same way as Bannan does for Sheff Wed.  Part of our problem is the only one who does that consistently is Jedinak and his distribution is only marginally better than Baker / Chester??