Sam Baldock is the key

[B.W.]

Can't believe so many of you don't see what a class act SB is? Pacey, positionally astute and up until the injury was playing so well.

I put it down to a combination of bad memory and too much White Lightning for some of those on this board.

TNBA

TTF

I'll add 'does not score enough goals' to your list of Sam's attributes. Nothing to do with memory loss, is it?

 

[B.W.]

Nothing to do with his poor first touch and inability to finish then..... [emoji6]

That wasn't the point being made tho', was it?

 

[B.W.]

I'm not playing to the crowd though, just asking if Baldock has no worth to us, what or who is your solution...quite simple really

Can I answer that one? Buy a striker that does everything Sam does, but who also, and this is key, scores goals.

 

[B.W.]

He may well have had a bit of a point then, but my post was referring to the thing CMS said a couple of days back about the outgoing Luton manager. Still being played out of position. still few goals...

Apologies...

 

[B.W.]

It's strange how different people see football isn't it. I'd argue that Hemed earlier in the season got a lot of his goals because of the room that was created for him by Baldock, who in actual fact, was making him look much better than he is. He's being found out without Baldock.

I'd also argue that with a better partner who holds the ball more effectively than Hemed does, who wins the ball regularly in the air and brings the midfield into play, Baldock would look even more effective.

Given a choice of who I'd be buying a strike partner for out of the strikers we own (not including Wilson), I'd be buying a better quality of striker to support Baldock (if indeed Zamora isn't able to play more regularly). Not that either of us is more right than the other.

Since he got injured, we've got 10 points in 8 games. Before his injury we had 34 points in 16 games... An interesting stat that, albeit one that doesn't tell the whole story by any stretch of the imagination.

I think other injuries have had a far greater impact on your stat, plus the quality of the opposition played...

 

[perseus]

PS: I do not hold that we should have a big target man we can lump the ball forward to when we cannot think of anything better to do. This football is to direct for my taste and I like a forward that causes probems by running into spaces and losing his marker and even going to the near post.

Hemed and Baldock seem both to fit this bill in style if not ability. Our approach play was very good against Hull but we could not put he ball in the net until Baldock miscued and Hemed netted.

Not forgetting that Baldock played deeper when creating the goal for Kayal at Huddersfield. Baldock had the pace to allude the Bristol City defence but that was League 1 standard. But he could not allude the PNE defence.10% extra acceleration and a dead eye for goal and Baldock could hack it. He hasn't showed the skills to make up for his lack of pace and height to me. Baldock is better than an average forward at challenging when he has lost the ball. On the wing he rivals Murphy in his effectiveness.

Anyrate it looks like we have got Baldock until 2018. Just like CMS, I really hopes he scores a hatrick and someone buys him.

 

[BBassic]

Baldock reminds me of CMS in a lot of ways. He runs a lot. He attracts the ire of the fans. The big difference? He can score.

 

[Hampster Gull]

He is not the answer bit is a piece of the jigsaw

 

[Seagull58]

Simple question: who's this mythical player all our rubbish lummox forwards are (and have been for the past two seasons) holding the ball up FOR?

And that is the question! One of our strikers must be able to score a hatful (20+) of goals, or both our strikers must e able to score 3/4 of a hatful (15+).
It's no good having a striker who holds the ball up and a striker who runs about stretching the defence. We need at least 1 striker to put the ball in the net regularly.

 

[B.W.]

It really does not trump everything else. I would much rather have a striker who gets 5-10 goals a season with the rest of the team scoring for fun than a 30 goal a season man and a handful from elsewhere.

So you think Sam has brought a huge number of assists? Show me the stat!

 

[Seagull58]

PS: I do not hold that we should have a big target man we can lump the ball forward to when we cannot think of anything better to do. This football is to direct for my taste and I like a forward that causes probems by running into spaces and losing his marker and even going to the near post.

Hemed and Baldock seem both to fit this bill in style if not ability. Our approach play was very good against Hull but we could not put he ball in the net until Baldock miscued and Hemed netted.

Not forgetting that Baldock played deeper when creating the goal for Kayal at Huddersfield. Baldock had the pace to allude the Bristol City defence but that was League 1 standard. But he could not allude the PNE defence.10% extra acceleration and a dead eye for goal and Baldock could hack it. He hasn't showed the skills to make up for his lack of pace and height to me. Baldock is better than an average forward at challenging when he has lost the ball. On the wing he rivals Murphy in his effectiveness.

Anyrate it looks like we have got Baldock until 2018. Just like CMS, I really hopes he scores a hatrick and someone buys him.

Elude

 

[B.W.]

And that is the question! One of our strikers must be able to score a hatful (20+) of goals, or both our strikers must e able to score 3/4 of a hatful (15+).
It's no good having a striker who holds the ball up and a striker who runs about stretching the defence. We need at least 1 striker to put the ball in the net regularly.

Brilliant. And we don't have one. Which means we MUST invest. Sam B is NOT the answer.

 

[big nuts]

I like Baldock. Lovely touch and great movement. His scoring record isn't great for us but I do feel we are a more potent attacking outfit with him playing.

 

[DJ NOBO]

The problem with sam is that he cant kick the ball very hard. Thats why nearly all of his shots are saved. It sounds simple but its true

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

It really does not trump everything else. I would much rather have a striker who gets 5-10 goals a season with the rest of the team scoring for fun than a 30 goal a season man and a handful from elsewhere.

Disagree completely. Ward, Zamora for example. Every successful team needs a 20+ goal striker.

Aguero, Henry, Drogba........ The list is endless.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

That wasn't the point being made tho', was it?

Then I missed the point, because it seemed like CMS was talking about being played out of position by managers, when the bigger problem is his apparent limited ability.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Brilliant. And we don't have one. Which means we MUST invest. Sam B is NOT the answer.

That we agree on.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Pointless if that 20 are the only goals you get. Give a team that scores 80 odd and no 20+man over a team with one and no other goals.

Don't think that had happened too many times!!

Of course others will contribute, but as has been proven time and time again, you need someone who is going to pick up the lions share.

Having 6-7 players score 12 goals is very rare.

 

[1066familyman]

You don't go to many games do you?

This seems a pretty common retort to anyone who doesn't rate Baldock. Curious response as surely football is all about opinions? Even those with far more knowledge of the game than any of us on here have differences of opinions on players.

 

[Megazone]

The problem with sam is that he cant kick the ball very hard. Thats why nearly all of his shots are saved. It sounds simple but its true

Seems to score a few screamers in this video.