Kieran Freeman

[SwitchBLADE Smiles]

STARTS for the Blades this afternoon. Bit late in the season to really make a difference I imagine, but great news getting him back involved.

UTB

 

[Bashar Al Asaba]

Delighted to have him back. If he'd been around more I think we'd be in a better position.

 

[Ainsley Harriott]

Delighted to have him back. If he'd been around more I think we'd be in a better position.

Baldock is better

 

[SwissBlade]

Great news, was hoping Lafferty would start too as i think Stevens needs a rest

Also expected JOC to be given a break, i guess next week will be a good chance to play some of the fringe players

 

[Bashar Al Asaba]

Baldock is better

Going forwards maybe, he can't defend for shit.

 

[FTPE]

If only one of the two were left footed.

 

[Iceybabey]

Got better as the half wore on.

 

[Darlington82]

Missed his directness this season. He looked rusty first 20 mins, but last 15 mins of the first half he was excellent. Oh baldock has been our best signing this season by far, but we have missed goals from midfield and Freeman's crosses are the best of any fullback we have. Not as strong defensively I guess.

 

[Superblades]

Wish he didn’t

 

[Bladesman]

 

[IdLiketoRogerMoore]

Baldock is better

Baldock epitomises where we're at currently.

Loads of energy, plenty of effort, fookin clueless in the final third, defensively prone to switching off especially when under pressure...

 

[Lane Ender]

Going forwards maybe, he can't defend for shit.

Neither can Boldock
Having said that loads of energy , makes himself available, just his final ball,
As good as Freeman defending

 

[JackSUFC]

Whilst I think Baldock has been one of our better players this season, Freeman would've probably chipped in with a few goals. Our wing-backs are so important to us in an attacking sense, but have only managed a goal each.

 

[LenTednTony]

Freeman for me over Baldock. He is good but lacks incisiveness in the final third. Freeman had this in the past and I hope he has it in the future!

 

[Dellas Cowboys]

Baldock is better

Different, not better.

 

[KoppedOff]

No faulting his work rate at all, but Baldock seems to lack a final product- he’s fluffed a LOT of chances to score this year. In fact, there have been games when he’s had more clear cut chances than the strikers. The plus point of that, is that he clearly does get into the right areas- he just lacks composure/quality when he’s there. He also lacks a cross and would rather pass on the responsibility to someone in a worse position than he is (he’s certainly not the only one who does that).

I like him, but we would have been better off with Freeman challenging him all year.

 

[boo radley]

Two superb crosses that our strike force could not take advantage of. Two shots well blocked which probably matches the total of Baldock s all season. An understanding of how to work with his fellow team mates and a desire to make a difference not just play the game. The biggest miss of the season. Yes unlikely to get the Eleven he got last but the assists and tie up of oposition players by constantly moving, not at 100mph then taking a breather is a lesson for all wing backs.
A real team player with a desire for other players to do well and the club.

 

[Berlin Blade]

It's not 'one or the other'. We need both. When he got injured it threw the balance of our squad out so much. RWB in our system is such a demanding position and we need to rotate both throughout a season to keep them both fresh and get the best out of them. They're both really good players and having both in the squad means we don't have to move Basham out of his position to play there, which, for all his efforts wasn't quite the same. Not many people point to this, but the injury to Freeman coincides with our decline this season. It's not the instant negative impact but more of a slow burner. Not having him in the squad made us a whole lot weaker.

It's so unhealthy that some of our fans see a post about Freeman and decide to use it as an excuse to slag off Baldock and make it a him vs him situation where people are taking sides in an argument that doesn't exist. They're both good players and probably quite good mates. We're allowed to have both and they both have their strengths and weaknesses. They're both good enough to play at this level, as proved this season.

 

[Living In a Fantasy World]

Much better with Freeman, Baldock is decent but we look more a threat going forward with Freeman.
Also Freeman is happy to shoot and had some lovely dink passes in and around the box.

 

[Champagneblade]

I think the input vs output is a good point on Baldock.

There is a difference between sees a lot of the ball and does a lot with the ball.

1 goal and 1 assist in about 37 matches isn't such a great return when you look at the stats in black and white.

He is a good ball carrier and this can be misleading when you look at pure assists, but even so, 1 is very low.

 

[Revolution]

On Saturday, just before half time, something happened that I hadn't seen in some months from a wing back. Freeman had the ball and accelerated suddenly into the area, taking a shot which was blocked.

I like Baldock, and he gets into some good positions and works hard, but you do not see that sort of acceleration from him.

 

[Ghostshark]

he'll get a telling off for that, he is supposed to go down the line, stop, turn back, pass then be offside..

or do I have our tactics wrong?

 

[Eric Cartman]

Baldock has took to this division like a duck to water. Freeman even prior to his injury has looked out of his depth at times.

I do agree we need more goals from our fullbacks however.

 

[LJBlade]

Baldock has took to this division like a duck to water. Freeman even prior to his injury has looked out of his depth at times.

I do agree we need more goals from our fullbacks however.

Freeman looked good before his injury. I'm not sure when he's looked out of his depth

 

[Eric Cartman]

Freeman looked good before his injury. I'm not sure when he's looked out of his depth

We must have a different interpretation of good then.

 

[LJBlade]

We must have a different interpretation of good then.

He certainly didn't look out of his depth

 

[Eric Cartman]

He certainly didn't look out of his depth

In your opinion that I take it?

 

[LJBlade]

In your opinion that I take it?

Obviously.

Wilder seemed to agree though as he was playing him just about every week.

 

[Eric Cartman]

Obviously.

Wilder seemed to agree though as he was playing him just about every week.

If not out of his depth he was struggling with the adjustment.
Probably because Baldock was injured most of pre season so wasn't fresh. What do you expect him to do, play Lundstram there?

 

[LJBlade]

If not out of his depth he was struggling with the adjustment.
Probably because Baldock was injured most of pre season so wasn't fresh. What do you expect him to do, play Lundstram there?

Again, i'm going to have to disagree. I saw no evidence that he was struggling to adjust