Baldock: Happy or unhappy??

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Mowgli37

Enigmatic Asthmatic
Jan 13, 2013
6,371
Sheffield
Am I the only one to think he's played pretty well in that role? Great cross for Calde on Saturday.
 




BensGrandad

New member
Jul 13, 2003
72,015
Haywards Heath
I dont think it is as plain as happy or not more a case of glad to be in the starting XI but would prefer a central role and bewildered as to why we paid so much money for him based on his previous record and then not play him there. Most of us feel the same.
 


brightonrock

Dodgy Hamstrings
Jan 1, 2008
2,482
We will have to agree to disagree, the only thing Ballsack is good for is building a L1 ready squad. Players like him are two a penny. Sadly he cost £2m. £2m might I add for that GOLDEN chance he had when Beram put him thru.

And people want him in the middle when he actually found himself in the middle and fluffed it. No excuses. Sorry.

Fvcking hell, you're a ray of sunshine aren't you. We win a game and people like you STILL can't resist putting the boot in, it's like misery porn.

You want to point to a miss and say he's crap on that evidence? Well see the arsenal finish for an example of his instinctive finishing through the middle. Didn't even look up to see where the goal was, or the keeper, he just knew to dink it first time. He's not going to score every chance, nobody does, not even Messi. Perhaps give him more than 5 minutes through the middle before you start writing him off as a waste of money.

On a separate note, calling him Ballsack is pretty childish. It's not even slightly funny if you think that's what you're achieving. "No excuses. Sorry."
 




Dec 29, 2011
8,037
Its up to Baldock to carve out a name for himself during his time here. He's getting enough starts, he's just not really imposing himself on the games. That's down to him. One word summing up would be 'lightweight'.
He's starting out of position though. He scored a great goal against a good arsenal defence when he was playing central. Play him in his natural role and we won't be struggling to score
 




The Wizard

Well-known member
Jul 2, 2009
18,383
Fvcking hell, you're a ray of sunshine aren't you. We win a game and people like you STILL can't resist putting the boot in, it's like misery porn.

You want to point to a miss and say he's crap on that evidence? Well see the arsenal finish for an example of his instinctive finishing through the middle. Didn't even look up to see where the goal was, or the keeper, he just knew to dink it first time. He's not going to score every chance, nobody does, not even Messi. Perhaps give him more than 5 minutes through the middle before you start writing him off as a waste of money.

On a separate note, calling him Ballsack is pretty childish. It's not even slightly funny if you think that's what you're achieving. "No excuses. Sorry."

Spot on. What an idiot that guy comes across.
 


Mowgli37

Enigmatic Asthmatic
Jan 13, 2013
6,371
Sheffield
Fvcking hell, you're a ray of sunshine aren't you. We win a game and people like you STILL can't resist putting the boot in, it's like misery porn.

You want to point to a miss and say he's crap on that evidence? Well see the arsenal finish for an example of his instinctive finishing through the middle. Didn't even look up to see where the goal was, or the keeper, he just knew to dink it first time. He's not going to score every chance, nobody does, not even Messi. Perhaps give him more than 5 minutes through the middle before you start writing him off as a waste of money.

On a separate note, calling him Ballsack is pretty childish. It's not even slightly funny if you think that's what you're achieving. "No excuses. Sorry."

And to be pedantic he cost £1.5 million, not £2 million.
 






Bold Seagull

strong and stable with me, or...
Mar 18, 2010
29,910
Hove
Not shown enough for me that I'd risk starting him as our centre forward. Right now I'd feel more comfortable with Best and COG ahead of him. I'd toss a coin for the whether I'm give him the nod ahead of CMS if it came to that.

He's lightweight, his decision making is actually slow (despite him being quick), he takes an extra touch when he needs to get it away quick, and as on Saturday when he's got time to take an extra touch, he rushes his shot and ends up finding the back of the stand. I'm finding his movement frustrating, he works as hard as anyone, but he seems to be inside when we need width, out wide when we need someone attacking the box.

Maybe it will all click for him. I wasn't that impressed with him Saturday, perhaps people are saying he had a good game simply because he wasn't poor?

He needs to take a look at Kayal. Now there is a player always wanting the ball, always taking up good positions, and someone who is making decisions instantly mostly with attacking intent. Very excited by Kayal, hope he can have a positive impact on the likes of Baldock.
 


Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
61,852
Location Location
Our "strikers" this season:

Baldock - 3 goals
CMS - 3 goals
COG - 2 goals

Embarrassing. And this is from players who have ALL scored regularly at their former clubs before arriving here. You can question their ability, or in what league they scored their goals, but there also comes a point when you have to ask whether we are deploying them properly, or enabling them to play to their strengths. Its all well and good saying Baldock should adapt, or that he played well on Saturday and put some decent crosses in - which he did. But he was brought here supposedly as a goalscorer. So he should be playing off someone, down the middle. Is it any surprise all our strikers have such ABYSMAL stats when they're brought in and asked to play a totally different role to what they have built their careers on ?

The most important part of a managers job is getting the best out of what he has available to him, getting the most out of his players. When it comes to strikers, aside from with Ulloa, I don't think we've seen anyone in the Amex era achieve that.
 


stss30

Registered User
Apr 24, 2008
9,545
I've been a big critic of Burke and think most of our signings this season are/have been tripe but I think (based on what I've seen) Baldock is leaps and bounds better than CMS. He's intelligent, a hard worker, and has a decent first touch. His finishing has been hit and miss but I do wonder how I'd rate him if he played up front as he'd get many more chances... His ball in for Calde's first on Friday was quality, wing play that has been very rare for us this season.
 




Uncle C

Well-known member
Jul 6, 2004
11,690
Bishops Stortford
I think he is just a bit embarrassed at his lack of goals and this is his way of apologising to fans.
 




Meade's Ball

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
13,628
Hither (sometimes Thither)
Judging him on Saturday's showing he can certainly whip a baĺl in. If we find him the space to do that, or inject in him more of the will and dare to find it himself, then he'll be a real asset. Mix that up with cutting inside without the ball and breaking through, as we saw him do in occasion, then he can get back into the habit of slotting a few beauties home as he wishes.
 




Uncle C

Well-known member
Jul 6, 2004
11,690
Bishops Stortford
Our "strikers" this season:

Baldock - 3 goals
CMS - 3 goals
COG - 2 goals

Embarrassing. And this is from players who have ALL scored regularly at their former clubs before arriving here. You can question their ability, or in what league they scored their goals, but there also comes a point when you have to ask whether we are deploying them properly, or enabling them to play to their strengths. Its all well and good saying Baldock should adapt, or that he played well on Saturday and put some decent crosses in - which he did. But he was brought here supposedly as a goalscorer. So he should be playing off someone, down the middle. Is it any surprise all our strikers have such ABYSMAL stats when they're brought in and asked to play a totally different role to what they have built their careers on ?

The most important part of a managers job is getting the best out of what he has available to him, getting the most out of his players. When it comes to strikers, aside from with Ulloa, I don't think we've seen anyone in the Amex era achieve that.

I always find it ironic that if a team is losing in the last 10 minutes then managers revert to 2 up front to get a goal - if its that good at getting goals lets have it from the start.

Some managers start with 2 up front - have you ever heard of them switching to 1 up front to get a goal in the dying moments?
 


thisistips

New member
Oct 17, 2010
607
Away away away
L
Fvcking hell, you're a ray of sunshine aren't you. We win a game and people like you STILL can't resist putting the boot in, it's like misery porn.

You want to point to a miss and say he's crap on that evidence? Well see the arsenal finish for an example of his instinctive finishing through the middle. Didn't even look up to see where the goal was, or the keeper, he just knew to dink it first time. He's not going to score every chance, nobody does, not even Messi. Perhaps give him more than 5 minutes through the middle before you start writing him off as a waste of money.

On a separate note, calling him Ballsack is pretty childish. It's not even slightly funny if you think that's what you're achieving. "No excuses. Sorry."

Misery porn; great phrase. Misery porn is the new bed wetting.
 


brightonmark1234

Well-known member
Feb 9, 2010
8,351
Worthing
But he cant hold the ball up, much like CMS, with 1 up front we need someone who can do that. Hence Best or COG get the nod.

Baldock like CMS cannot play as a lone front man
yeh but leon best hasnt been holding the ball up for us since he been starting in recent games
 


Pavilionaire

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
30,741
It's difficult because while I hear what Baldock is saying about being played out of position he's been presented with a good number of gilt-edged, one-on-one chances that he's missed spectacularly.

What I find irksome is that we'd already paid big money for CMS and found that he didn't work in a lone striker role or, for that matter, with Ashley Barnes. Yet the club made 6 bids so were determined to buy Baldock who, fundamentally, comes from the same mould as CMS, i.e. short, bustling, operates at his best when with a strike partner.

It was SO obvious that we should have got a decent replacement for Ulloa. It would have made more sense to try and get Murray and Chris Wood, rather than O'Grady and Baldock.

For me the jury is still out on Baldock. With loans ending and players out of contract we'll have to bring in 11-13 players this summer just to replace what we've got. I don't see much point in getting rid of Baldock and making that 12-14 players. I do like the guy's work rate, and if he left us I think he'd score goals for his next club, but all the while Teixeira is here I can't see Baldock playing up top by himself or with a strike partner.
 




perseus

Broad Blue & White stripe
Jul 5, 2003
23,459
Sūþseaxna
I bet he is glad I am not the Manager. I would play as reserve right back and send him for extra training sessions to learn how to shoot, whilst secretly sounding out if we could dobbie him out on a permanent transfer to Palace.

I hope he proves me wrong.

I thought he played quite well in his role until he it came down to shooting.
 
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Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,888
West west west Sussex
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the fact he, and the rest of the squad, should be feckin unhappy.

They've pissed around the relegation places all season.
Failed to win all season without get hammered (excluding first half v Derby).
Defended like strangers.
Attacked like sloths.

Win as a team, lose as a team.
Start putting more into the game and everyone will be happy.

The only player who is happy this season is the one who's contributed nothing, except walking to the bank laughing.
 


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