Baldock

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Camden Blade

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Furious George should keep his starting spot with Bogle on the bench. Baldock has earned it. I think that's what CW will do. Bogle will be a great long term addition. A bigger squad was needed. I think the Prem will be tougher this year.
 

Furious George should keep his starting spot with Bogle on the bench. Baldock has earned it. I think that's what CW will do. Bogle will be a great long term addition. A bigger squad was needed. I think the Prem will be tougher this year.
My opinion: been our best player all season.
 
Two years is plenty Baldock has done well in his time here but he isn’t a world beater

At his age, and in the form he’s been in for 18-24 months, he wouldn’t sign a two year deal, he’d get longer elsewhere. And from the clubs perspective, a three year contract means that an asset has been protected and that value has been retained
 
At his age, and in the form he’s been in for 18-24 months, he wouldn’t sign a two year deal, he’d get longer elsewhere. And from the clubs perspective, a three year contract means that an asset has been protected and that value has been retained
They've done it to reward him, he's had a pay rise and new terms, I for one am happy that we can actually retain our better players given our current situation.
 
Would you prefer them on shorter contracts and potentially leaving for nothing?
Since Aaron Ramsay it’s been a general principle that you never let a player get to a point where they’ve got a year left on their contract. In fact, for many clubs, it already was, Ramsay’s situation just emphasised why they did it.
 

If he had an end product he would be absolutely amazing.

Basham for me has been our best / most consistent performer (again). Closely followed by Egan.

I honestly can never understand how our fans can overrate Egan as much as they do. His errors & lack of pace has led to so many of our goals conceded in 2020. He's been OK & I love the lads characted, but JOC (as he did with others in our squad) made him look a much better player than he is.

Would agree on Basham. Next best would have to be McGoldrick, then perhaps Baldock based on effort & defensive showings (though I have long suggested he's a big part of our problems going forwards).
 
I honestly can never understand how our fans can overrate Egan as much as they do. His errors & lack of pace has led to so many of our goals conceded in 2020. He's been OK & I love the lads characted, but JOC (as he did with others in our squad) made him look a much better player than he is.

Would agree on Basham. Next best would have to be McGoldrick, then perhaps Baldock based on effort & defensive showings (though I have long suggested he's a big part of our problems going forwards).
It’s more the whole back 4 we’re awesome, in fact one of the best in the premiership, but they all can’t have the same assets or attributes, one might be faster than the Other or read the game better, the point is together they were fantastic you take one away and that back four is weaker , it’s just bad luck we lost JOC .
 
It’s more the whole back 4 we’re awesome, in fact one of the best in the premiership, but they all can’t have the same assets or attributes, one might be faster than the Other or read the game better, the point is together they were fantastic you take one away and that back four is weaker , it’s just bad luck we lost JOC .

Bash & JOC were indispensable. The others play more orthodox roles.
 
Apologies to those who don’t like posting
articles, but this appeared on the Athletic and is a reasonably interesting read, albeit stating what we already know, i.e. Baldock is one of the 2 or 3 players who can be satisfied with their form.


Baldock is Wder’s only wingback replicating his levels from 19-20

Chris Wilder has spent most of the season waiting for his Sheffield United players to step up.

“The criticism of the players I have this season is that not enough have done that,” he says. “You can imagine the number of times I am looking and thinking, ‘What is the best team I can put out?’

“I’d love to be in that position where someone says, ‘That’s me. I am sticking my hand up and playing at a level that is good enough that the manager won’t consider changing the side’.

“There hasn’t been enough of that. The players know that.”

Despite each passing week seemingly bringing a new unwanted record — after losing 1-0 at Burnley, United now join Southport (1970-71), Barrow (also 1970-71) and Newport County (1975-76) as the worst starters to a season in the top four tiers of English football — few of his players have managed to heed the 53-year-old’s call to place an iron grip on their place in the side.

Chris Basham is one. The long-serving defender already looks a strong contender to be the club’s player of the year for a second consecutive season. Sander Berge also had his moments before being ruled out for three months with injury, while David McGoldrick’s four goals mean he has already doubled his tally from last season. McGoldrick was also United’s best player last night at Turf Moor.

George Baldock is the other to impress in a struggling team, a point Wilder readily accepts. “I do think at times this season George has stuck his hand up and been one of those players who has produced fairly consistently,” he says. “That is at a time when there has been disruption in the back five.

“From my point of view, that is what I want. Someone to grab the shirt.”

Baldock recently accepted a new contract to keep him at Bramall Lane until 2024. It was the second new deal he’s signed inside 16 months, having agreed to a three-year one just before United returned to the Premier League. The new terms were testament to the quiet and unfussy way Baldock has gone about his job in a season when United have struggled desperately for results.

Amid the detritus of another disappointing one-goal defeat, their 11th already this season, the 27-year-old played well against Burnley. He was solid in defence, whether up against substitute Josh Benson after Charlie Taylor’s early injury or later when Robbie Brady was prowling the flank.

Going forward, Baldock took up some excellent positions. There was one lung-busting early run that saw him on the end of a raking pass from John Egan. The ball was then rolled back to Basham, whose cross was cut out — thanks, in part, to neither Rhian Brewster nor Lys Mousset being willing to gamble with a front post run.

Later in the first half, a lovely exchange of passes with McGoldrick on the edge of the area allowed Baldock to scamper clear but again a lack of options in the middle meant it was a case of hit and hope with the cross.

In a second half United dominated territorially without really looking like opening up their hosts, Baldock chanced his arm with a 20-yard shot that was deflected behind for a corner. More importantly, he kept making run after run in the hope a team-mate could pick him out. A couple even saw Baldock pop up in the left-hand channel, a reminder of the days when there was an unpredictability to United’s play that always kept the opposition guessing.

It was typical of a player whose efforts this season stand up well compared to when things were going well for his team last time.

According to Opta, his success rate in tackles stands at 79.2 per cent compared to 69.4 per cent in 2019-20, and he has executed as many blocks already (three) in 16 outings as he managed in 38 starts then.

Going forward, Baldock has attempted 336 passes in the opposition half at an average of 21 per 90 minutes (compared to 771 at 20.3 last season). Of those, 248 have been successful at an average of 15.5 per game (compared to 571 at 15.0 per 90 in 2019-20). The wing-back is also creating more this season, providing 11 chances at 0.69 per 90 minutes this campaign, as opposed to 0.61 (23 in 38 games).

Baldock better than ever
2019-20
2020-21
Passes in opp half20.3021.00
Chances created0.610.69
Blocks0.070.19
Tackle success 69.40%79.20%
*all stats in Premier League per 90 minutes

Considering how poor United’s results have been this season compared to last, to match his level of performance when things were going well is to Baldock’s immense credit. Underlining that point is how several of those same data indicators have fallen markedly on the opposite flank, where United have laboured as an attacking unit in the absence of the injured Jack O’Connell.

Enda Stevens, for instance, performed well against Burnley in the wing-back role before being shifted to centre-back in the second half. But, overall, his season has been disappointing. Where last season he created 32 chances in open play at an average of 0.84 per 90, he has created just four this season at 0.31 per 90.

The Republic of Ireland international’s number of crosses in open play that have been successful and unsuccessful — 20 (at an average of 0.53) and 103 (2.71) respectively last season compared to one (average 0.07) and 23 (1.77) — are also down markedly. So, too, is Stevens’ tackling success rate at just 48.48 per cent this campaign compared to 56.79 in 2019-20.

Max Lowe, who has started six games at left wing-back, has fared little better in the league, with the summer signing from Derby yet to complete a successful cross in open play after 17 attempts. Lowe’s passes into the opposition half stand at 82 (9.11 per game), with 63 of those (seven per game) successful. His tackle success rate stands at just 42.86 per cent.

The only other player to have started at left wing-back is Ben Osborn, who performed admirably away to Liverpool, completing 28 of 39 attempted passes in the home side’s half and having a shot blocked. Defensively, though, Osborn’s 66.67 tackle success rate at Anfield trails Baldock’s by some distance.

These figures underline just how well Baldock, the only outfield player to feature in all 1,440 minutes for United this season after also not missing a second last time around, has managed to perform in a campaign when the team has struggled so badly.

Together with Basham’s own impressive form, it also explains why the right flank has been the one area where United have managed to function with any sort of consistency and is a small crumb of comfort amid this most dismal of seasons.
 
He isn’t the best right/wing back we have ever had.

But this kid just gets what it is to be a blade. One of few players I genuinely think seems to give a fuck at minute and the situation we find ourselves in. Watching him on the pitch and interviews shows that.
 
Baldock and McGoldrick seem to be our only two players who are have the intrinsic drive to give 100%, regardless of external factors. His aggressive nature means he always plays with intensity, he's exactly the same as he was last season. The same can't be said for anyone else.
I love his spirit and attitude. If Ampadu and Berge want to become the players that they're tipped to be, they need to take a leaf out of Baldock's book.
 
He isn’t the best right/wing back we have ever had.

But this kid just gets what it is to be a blade. One of few players I genuinely think seems to give a fuck at minute and the situation we find ourselves in. Watching him on the pitch and interviews shows that.

When Ampadu nearly put Che Adams through with a 50p head 'clearance', Baldock swept up his mess and shot Ampadu a "what the f**k am playing alongside" glare.
 
One thing I will say about this lad, his work ethic and drive to be as good as he can be is second to none. Don't know if he's been for a jolly but he's currently at some fitness camp thingy putting work in to be well prepared for next season. Top marks.
 
One thing I will say about this lad, his work ethic and drive to be as good as he can be is second to none. Don't know if he's been for a jolly but he's currently at some fitness camp thingy putting work in to be well prepared for next season. Top marks.
He's a top pro and a very good player at this level. He's been our outball for much of the season. Never stops.
 

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