Nathan Baker - Sold

[aj2k77]

He can't be a starter next season if we have any ambition to get promoted.

[TheTimVilla]

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.

I gave him a standing ovation to thank him for a great season. He and Chester seem to have a great understanding. Like I said when I talked about Shaun Teale, it's not a deal breaker for me that his passing isn't 100%. He's there to stop the goals. I don't see Kodjia making sliding tackles; shall we upgrade him as well?

[Whiney MacWhineface]

He can't be a starter next season if we have any ambition to get promoted.

I think he's the least of our worries. If we had a forward thinking midfield strategy he could pass the ball short and concentrate on defending. The way we don't press forward as a team puts a lot of pressure on him and the rest of the defence.

Has to stay fit though.

[wittonwarrior]

Very average with tendency to give daft balls away. Got to be better out there

[cheltenhamlion]

I would appeal his ban. It was a terrible decision from the referee.

[garyshawsknee]

Was Clark desperate to leave last summer ?  Or did we see it as a good deal after signing Elphick ?

[Exeter 77]

Was Clark desperate to leave last summer ?  Or did we see it as a good deal after signing Elphick ?

There was a release clause in Clark's contract.

[paul_e]

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.

I gave him a standing ovation to thank him for a great season. He and Chester seem to have a great understanding. Like I said when I talked about Shaun Teale, it's not a deal breaker for me that his passing isn't 100%. He's there to stop the goals. I don't see Kodjia making sliding tackles; shall we upgrade him as well?

By getting turned far too easily and giving away a penalty in trying to get back?

Being able to pass the ball is a fundamental basic that everyone in the squad should be comfortable with (even keepers).  It's a core skill.  However even if we let that go he still makes too many mistakes and has to throw himself at the ball to recover.  He's at an age now where his experience should mean he can read the game and get into position but all too often he's caught out and has to rely on a lunge to save the day.  It's the same problem Hutton, Elphick and Richards all have.  That's why Hutton alongside Elphick has been such a car crash when it's been forced on us.

[Clampy]

I think he's had a decent season overall. We looked a lot more solid when he was in the side alongside Chester.

[paul_e]

I think he's had a decent season overall. We looked a lot more solid when he was in the side alongside Chester.

I agree, mainly because it put Chester in between Hutton and Baker and he used his experience to get them into better positions, didn't help Amavi though (who also has positional problems but is much younger).  Amavi looked good earlier in the season when Chester was playing left-sided centre back but the Hutton-Elphick combo on the right was frightening.

I don't think Baker is a terrible player, I just think he's limited and probably isn't good enough to be a 35-40 game regular for a team aiming for the top 2 in this league.

[LeeB]

I think he's had a decent season overall. We looked a lot more solid when he was in the side alongside Chester.

I agree, mainly because it put Chester in between Hutton and Baker and he used his experience to get them into better positions, didn't help Amavi though (who also has positional problems but is much younger).  Amavi looked good earlier in the season when Chester was playing left-sided centre back but the Hutton-Elphick combo on the right was frightening.

I don't think Baker is a terrible player, I just think he's limited and probably isn't good enough to be a 35-40 game regular for a team aiming for the top 2 in this league.

I don't agree with that, however I don't believe he's capable of staying injury free for 35-40 games and we should be looking for someone that is.

[Tony Erdington]

if we have ambition, then yes upgrade , but we need to dominate games and therefore surely Lansbury and Hourihan need to up their games no?

[MillerBall]

Baker is an honest and brave player but his distribution is truly appalling. We certainly need another centre half to bolster the squad. I see Baker as having an important role in the squad but  he really needs to address the number of unforced errors he makes.  Baker is not alone this season in terms of such errors brut  I an not convinced he has the concentration levels to do this. Would be great if he was part of a Villa promotion team since his commitment is certainly not in question.

[brontebilly]

He can't be a starter next season if we have any ambition to get promoted.

And he isn't fit enough to be a reliable third choice either with all his injuries. Brave lad but spends far too much time on the ground.

[RussellC]

Baker still flatters to deceive for me. He's very good in the air (as he should be for his height), but still very flat-footed and slow on the turn. He always looks vulnerable when a player runs at him with the ball, or looks to make a run behind him without it.

As others have said, he's comfortably good enough as a 3rd choice for where we are now, but I'd hope that we'd be looking for a better regular partner for Chester for next season. Somebody like Curtis Davies would be ideal in my opinion and, if Hull go down, may well be gettable.