Good to see Baldock back

[Saturn]

He doesn't score a great deal of goals but the number of chances he creates for other players is undeniable. Having just watched the highlights on the Sky website:

-He created a great chance for Stephens from 15 yards with just the keeper the beat (after running with the ball from just inside their half)
-Wilson’s goal by committing the defending away and laying on the pass (after running with the ball from just inside their half)
-He then puts Murphy through with a well weighted pass, leaving him 1 on 1 with the GK from a position which Murphy has scored most of his goals from the season

That could (should?) have been 3 goals. The video I watched also showed him missing a chance of his own (cut back pass from wide right, stretching with his left foot, which appeared to just miss the top corner). Now I can’t say how representative the Sky highlights video was of the game last night but one would assume that they would show the best chances both teams had. Isn't it telling that he created most of them?

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

As regards last night, he was much better than that. You're also missing out his other assists (for Stephens and Murphy), the movement to get the space for that poor finish, and the fact that his work rate and pressing were better than the rest of the team -- I don't think I'm exaggerating to say that he dispossessed them about five times in the first half, all of which were in their half of the pitch.
As regards Baldock in general this season, he's a strange one. The stats are pretty conclusive: (I think) when he's started, we've now won 13, drawn 7, lost 0. As regards watching him, he's relatively frustrating, his finishing has been poor (as again when given an opportunity last night), he often fluffs good opportunities, but his work rate is unquestionable, he's pretty rapid and can do those high intensity sprints as with Knockaert (there were plenty of those from both last night), and his movement is simply excellent, probably his greatest strength as it disrupts our opponents' defensive organisation, and opens up spaces/opportunities for others, while at other times, also giving us a great opportunity to get the ball swiftly up the pitch/into the corners/behind the defence.

As I said, I've supported him on this thread and others, and I think he brings a lot to the team - many of these qualities that you mention, I've explained when defending him before. Like I said, he was a 7/10 last night, he defended well, he set up the goal (and you're right, he did set up other chances), but he wasn't decisive in the moments he personally could've been. He facilitated our victory, rather than leading us to victory in the way Wilson did, and that is quite an important distinction. It doesn't mean he played badly (he didn't, as I've said, and many others have said), but MOTM he was not.

Yes he did do well for the goal, but the really difficult part was the finish, which came from Wilson. He also did play the final pass for the Stephens chance (who really should've scored) and Murphy (who was played into a very tight angle and would've done incredibly well to score). But he missed a glorious chance at 1-0 or 0-0 (I don't remember if I'm honest) when set up by Knockaert, and he ground countless opportunities to a halt where the ball was played into feet and he should've done better and had more conviction - for example, the chance in the first half where he tried to come into the box and the ball ended up falling into the path of Knockaert for his chance up the North end. From memory, he also lost the ball quite regularly, so whilst he won it back a fair few times, he also was the cause of us losing it a lot...

Funnily enough, based on the stats last night, Stephens was actually MOTM and I've heard a lot of people say he was rubbish - https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/9...gland-Championship-2015-2016-Brighton-Reading.

Oh, and he only won the ball back 4 times in total

Still, as I said, I think he played well, just that he shouldn't have been near the MOTM (for me personally). A 7/10 game is still a very good game.