Sam Baldock

[Icy Gull]

Disagree... Was never ever going to block it

The keeper kicked the ball then Baldock hit the keepers leg.... That is a foul by Baldock, I'd agree that a yellow was probably harsh and a 'homer' decision however if it was anywhere else on the pitch and a player passed the ball and then was tackled like that it would be a foul. My problem is why Baldock gave the ref a decision to make at only 1-0 down and we'd started to actually get a foothold in the game.

We'd only got the foothold because we were competing better and closing them down quicker, so Baldock was quite possibly just doing what he'd been told to do by CH

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Exactly, some people are letting their dislike of Baldock cloud their opinion on this. If it had been Murray or Hemed they'd have been applauding and be outraged at the decision to send him off. It was not a yellow card foul and the ref got it totally wrong but we don't like Baldock so it's his fault. Ridiculous.

May be some people are, but I'm not. If he hadn't been booked then fine, charge around, block clearances etc.... If you are on a yellow, then you simply have to reduce the risk, don't put the ref in that position.

See the other thread on the ref. Sure it wasn't a foul, but you have to be more intelligent in that situation. Just watching the Championship show literally now, they said 'You have to be clever' and you do. Baldock was not - brainless.

That does not mean I do not like him or anything else, however that is two successive games when he has been mediocre at best, the same goes for Murray, Skalak, Sidwell and Bong.

 

[Icy Gull]

May be some people are, but I'm not. If he hadn't been booked then fine, charge around, block clearances etc.... If you are on a yellow, then you simply have to reduce the risk, don't put the ref in that position.

See the other thread on the ref. Sure it wasn't a foul, but you have to be more intelligent in that situation. Just watching the Championship show literally now, they said 'You have to be clever' and you do. Baldock was not - brainless.

That does not mean I do not like him or anything else, however that is two successive games when he has been mediocre at best, the same goes for Murray, Skalak, Sidwell and Bong.

I actually thought Bong was playing well in the second half and more like his old self (bloody awful at the start though). Hopefully he is getting match fit and we'll see the old Bong soon.

Opinions opinions

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Holloway and Higginbottom on Sky, Hughton and now the Football League show pundits have all said it, not just spence.

Morning Thunder, Championship show also said you have to be more intelligent, which is the main issue for me.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

I actually thought Bong was playing well in the second half and more like his old self (bloody awful at the start though). Hopefully he is getting match fit and we'll see the old Bong soon.

Opinions opinions

Actually, re Bong, yes - 2nd half he was getting stronger. He was just shaky at the start.

 

[blockhseagull]

We'd only got the foothold because we were competing better and closing them down quicker, so Baldock was quite possibly just doing what he'd been told to do by CH

True and I'm not questioning Baldocks commitment or ability to follow instructions

However the truth is when you are on a yellow card away from home you need to be a little bit smart... Baldock wasn't.

We can spend the whole international break arguing about whether it was a foul or a yellow or whether the ref got it wrong. But the point is that Baldock ran into the keeper after he has cleared it and made no contact with the ball, just the player. At full speed without the replays the ref will think it's a foul. Baldock has then given the ref a decision to make.

It just wasn't very smart on Baldocks part

 

[LamieRobertson]

True and I'm not questioning Baldocks commitment or ability to follow instructions

However the truth is when you are on a yellow card away from home you need to be a little bit smart... Baldock wasn't.

We can spend the whole international break arguing about whether it was a foul or a yellow or whether the ref got it wrong. But the point is that Baldock ran into the keeper after he has cleared it and made no contact with the ball, just the player. At full speed without the replays the ref will think it's a foul. Baldock has then given the ref a decision to make.

It just wasn't very smart on Baldocks part

When you say run into the keeper that gives a false impression as he was at a right angle to him...the goalies leg clattered into Baldock....and I'm not sure taking advice from the C5 program as another poster said is that wise.
Still as has been said 2 weeks of arguing over this before the next game

 

[Murray 17]

Sometimes we get stuck with what we are used to. Imagine a similar scenario happening 20 years ago - "Jeff Minton is key to our team." At that time he was, but wouldn't get near it now.

For me, there are 2 things to consider in relation to Baldock.

1) If he was playing for another team, would you be thinking to yourself, 'I'd love him to be playing like that for us'?

2) If we sign another, shorter, faster player who has a better goals:game ratio, would you look back and think, 'I wish he would be dropped and Baldock selected'?

For me the answer to both is 'no'. If we did make it up this year, he'll be the first out the door IMO.

 

[Bognor Seagull]

Sometimes we get stuck with what we are used to. Imagine a similar scenario happening 20 years ago - "Jeff Minton is key to our team." At that time he was, but wouldn't get near it now.

For me, there are 2 things to consider in relation to Baldock.

1) If he was playing for another team, would you be thinking to yourself, 'I'd love him to be playing like that for us'?

2) If we sign another, shorter, faster player who has a better goals:game ratio, would you look back and think, 'I wish he would be dropped and Baldock selected'?

For me the answer to both is 'no'. If we did make it up this year, he'll be the first out the door IMO.

Have to agree. Baldock is not this weeks scapegoat for me, however, no team will ever be in the Top 2, or I very much doubt in the Top 6, in the Championship at the end of the season with him as a regular starter.

 

[Wilko]

I finally lost my patience with Baldock yesterday even before the sending off. I have defended him for a while but he really showed he offers nothing. He does not win headers, he cannot beat his man, he is petulant, he dives in, he cannot hold the ball up and most importantly he does not score. Whether the sending off was harsh or not, he was bloody stupid to go in like that on a yellow. The first booking also came about due to his inability to control the ball. CMS mk2 for me.

 

[Nixonator]

I said before, everyone is talking about his sending off when we should be talking about his performance before the sending off. It was very poor. I was shocked hemed didn't come on after the break.

 

[BensGrandad]

I said before, everyone is talking about his sending off when we should be talking about his performance before the sending off. It was very poor. I was shocked hemed didn't come on after the break.

I know it was late on but what did Hemed or indeed any oif the subs do. Didnt hear Hemed s name mentioned in the commentary on Sky or see him do anything of note.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I finally lost my patience with Baldock yesterday even before the sending off. I have defended him for a while but he really showed he offers nothing. He does not win headers, he cannot beat his man, he is petulant, he dives in, he cannot hold the ball up and most importantly he does not score. Whether the sending off was harsh or not, he was bloody stupid to go in like that on a yellow. The first booking also came about due to his inability to control the ball. CMS mk2 for me.

A striker who does not score...a good point well made.

 

[Stat Brother]

I said before, everyone is talking about his sending off when we should be talking about his performance before the sending off. It was very poor. I was shocked hemed didn't come on after the break.

Because Hemed and Murray are equally ineffectual when playing together.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I finally lost my patience with Baldock yesterday even before the sending off. I have defended him for a while but he really showed he offers nothing. He does not win headers, he cannot beat his man, he is petulant, he dives in, he cannot hold the ball up and most importantly he does not score. Whether the sending off was harsh or not, he was bloody stupid to go in like that on a yellow. The first booking also came about due to his inability to control the ball. CMS mk2 for me.

Don't worry about it. Just takes longer for the penny to drop for some people than for others. There were folks on here defending CMS and COG right up to the point that they were shipped out. The same will apply with Baldock.

 

[Nixonator]

Because Hemed and Murray are equally ineffectual when playing together.

I'm not sure what could have been more ineffectual than leaving Baldock on the pitch yesterday, other than replacing him with thin air.. which he later did himself anyway.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Don't worry about it. Just takes longer for the penny to drop for some people than for others. There were folks on here defending CMS and COG right up to the point that they were shipped out. The same will apply with Baldock.

And the love-in with that scruffy clown from Barnsley was an odd one.

 

[Bromley shrimp]

I finally lost my patience with Baldock yesterday even before the sending off. I have defended him for a while but he really showed he offers nothing. He does not win headers, he cannot beat his man, he is petulant, he dives in, he cannot hold the ball up and most importantly he does not score. Whether the sending off was harsh or not, he was bloody stupid to go in like that on a yellow. The first booking also came about due to his inability to control the ball. CMS mk2 for me.

I was saying before half time he needed to put himself about more, get involved as he was hardly mentioned in commentary. That is the irony of the sending off for me.

 

[chaileyjem]

However the truth is when you are on a yellow card away from home you need to be a little bit smart... Baldock wasn't.

Well he's smart enough to have never been sent off before. In his entire 10 year career.
Even his most severe critics (who seem to all be on here) would conclude that it was a harsh decision.

 

[clippedgull]

I know the rules are set out clearly but if the general consensus is that it was harsh booking it seems unfair that a club cannot appeal a second yellow in the same way that they can appeal a red card.