Jose Baxter

[coaxingstar71]

I'm quite new on here, but I've come to realise that no one player divides opinion like Jose.

Personally, I like him, I think he's one of our best players. He's probably the most creative player we have and from what I've seen, we play much better with him rather than without him. Ok, he's not got pace but I think he's got good feet and good vision and has scored a few albeit mostly penalties. I admit he's not the best tackler in the world and when he does tackle, it's normally disastrous like we saw v Coventry.

I think he's suffered this season as Clough chops and changes, so he's not had a regular midfield partner. He seemed to start playing wide yesterday and I think he should be in the middle behind the striker. Unfortunately we have too many players in this position such as Scougall and Holt but not a good enough combative midfielder, Doyle is probably the best we've got in that position and I think that speaks volumes. I'm not sure what Coutts is - I've tried to give him a chance but to me he's a nothing player, he doesn't create, he's not an especially good passer or tackler and he hasn't scored so I don't know what he adds to the team. Maybe he's one of those 'players player' and I just don't see it.

 

[true99blade]

13 goals (joint top scorer) ... More assists than the vast majority of our squad.
If this warrants labels of being "fat", " overweight", "liability" then what does that say about our entire team? I don't think Baxter's done amazing, nor has he played terribly. Do people not understand that he can't be responsible for everything in midfield? The way Clough's chopped and changed the team every other week isn't going to help either. I think we all know what José is capable of, but this season he's not had his best. Isn't he still only 23?

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

I'm quite new on here, but I've come to realise that no one player divides opinion like Jose.

Personally, I like him, I think he's one of our best players. He's probably the most creative player we have and from what I've seen, we play much better with him rather than without him. Ok, he's not got pace but I think he's got good feet and good vision and has scored a few albeit mostly penalties. I admit he's not the best tackler in the world and when he does tackle, it's normally disastrous like we saw v Coventry.

I think he's suffered this season as Clough chops and changes, so he's not had a regular midfield partner. He seemed to start playing wide yesterday and I think he should be in the middle behind the striker. Unfortunately we have too many players in this position such as Scougall and Holt but not a good enough combative midfielder, Doyle is probably the best we've got in that position and I think that speaks volumes. I'm not sure what Coutts is - I've tried to give him a chance but to me he's a nothing player, he doesn't create, he's not an especially good passer or tackler and he hasn't scored so I don't know what he adds to the team. Maybe he's one of those 'players player' and I just don't see it.

Can hit excellent long passes, takes great penalties, and scored a top.quality goal at Walsall - we were right behind it as it bent into the.corner at the last minute.

Occasionally misplaces really simple passes, and is not, er, a natural athlete. I don't think he's necessarily unfit, just painfully slow.

If.you.focus on the good, you'll see.a.good player, if you focus on the poor, you'll see a.poor player.

Confirmation bias.

We're a Division 3 team and maybe he's our Division 3 Gazza.

 

[TarquinDelouche]

He'll be one of the Blades legends when we've learned what to do with him.

 

[sheffielder]

I look forward to Sitwell's two-penneth on this subject

 

[Fulwood Blade]

I look forward to Sitwell's two-penneth on this subject

indeed but sitwell is not the only detractor. Baxter is an enigma and to be fair to him he has been forced to play in different positions due to Cloughs chopping and changing.

At this level, the general consensus is that you need big strong players - Baxter is not one and neither are others we have.

Chesterfields midfield yesterday ran ours stupid by simple pass and move - thought Ryan in the middle was exceptional, but they weren't big, but they were very active and busy all the time. Our "footballers" in the middle don't do that, so I would have strength (ie: Preston) to simply get out of his division, so for me and Baxter, it's a no. In the play offs for me - Coutts/Basham and Doyle as centre 3 (possibly Holt for Doyle) - stop the opposition playing through us.

Nice footballer though - wrong team, wrong division.

UTB

 

[sheffielder]

indeed but sitwell is not the only detractor. Baxter is an enigma and to be fair to him he has been forced to play in different positions due to Cloughs chopping and changing.

At this level, the general consensus is that you need big strong players - Baxter is not one and neither are others we have.

Chesterfields midfield yesterday ran ours stupid by simple pass and move - thought Ryan in the middle was exceptional, but they weren't big, but they were very active and busy all the time. Our "footballers" in the middle don't do that, so I would have strength (ie: Preston) to simply get out of his division, so for me and Baxter, it's a no. In the play offs for me - Coutts/Basham and Doyle as centre 3 - stop the opposition playing through us.

Nice footballer though - wrong team, wrong division.

UTB

I agree with you and Sitwell (to a degree). It just shows how badly our midfield is unbalanced. Baxter, Coutts and Doyle really don't offer us what we need. We so badly needed Wallace to be fit, and hopefully next year he will make the difference.

Doyle was ok when he had Scougall and Coady as his legs.
Baxter is ok when he has runners and he can get his head up.
Not figured out when Coutts is ok, however his best games came when he had runners in midfield at BC and Barnsley.

I have said all season, when Clough works out the right balance in midfield, we should be ok. He hasn't which is a worry. The best game Scougall had this season was when he played with Wallace and Doyle away at Crewe. It's well known I don't like Doyle, however we are ok when he has runners. On Thursday I would go with Doyle/Coutts, Basham and Scougall.

 

[Trigger Blade]

Occasionally misplaces really simple passes, and is not, er, a natural athlete. I don't think he's necessarily unfit, just painfully slow.

I think he's a mixture of brilliance and infuriating.

My favourite moment yesterday was when he'd tracked back almost to our area. Brayford picked up the ball and went on a surging run. Jose took the decision to "cover" for The Beard, which we took to mean that he was knackered, needed a breather and realised he had zero chance of joining the attack before it petered out

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

indeed but sitwell is not the only detractor. Baxter is an enigma and to be fair to him he has been forced to play in different positions due to Cloughs chopping and changing.

At this level, the general consensus is that you need big strong players - Baxter is not one and neither are others we have.

Chesterfields midfield yesterday ran ours stupid by simple pass and move - thought Ryan in the middle was exceptional, but they weren't big, but they were very active and busy all the time. Our "footballers" in the middle don't do that, so I would have strength (ie: Preston) to simply get out of his division, so for me and Baxter, it's a no. In the play offs for me - Coutts/Basham and Doyle as centre 3 (possibly Holt for Doyle) - stop the opposition playing through us.

Nice footballer though - wrong team, wrong division.

UTB

Baxter although very talented is a nice to have player , and is certainly not helped by continual differing line ups.

Problem is , we IMO waste is talent , and always will . He may well be a casualty next season and be moved on .

A good buy for someone who can nurture his full and true potential .

A sub for me in the play offs , or we could lose control of midfield.

UTB

 

[Worksop II]

I think he's a mixture of brilliance and infuriating.

At his best he is a tidy player, so often bottles out of the decisive ball

He cant run the Team, he has his hands full sorting himself out, never mind Orchestrating

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Baxter although very talented is a nice to have player , and is certainly not helped by continual differing line ups.

Problem is , we IMO waste is talent , and always will . He may well be a casualty next season and be moved on .

A good buy for someone who can nurture his full and true potential .

A sub for me in the play offs , or we could lose control of midfield.

UTB

yep, sub for me.
Whilst he "may" produce some brilliance to win it, it is more likely he will be overrun in midfield. Chesterfields midfield was a perfect example of how all our midfield were just passed around or passed through by their players playing between our lines.
For me, well done to chessie and Paul Cook - he has assembled a decent team, although I took great pleasure in reminding one or two of the "three on the special" in years gone by.

UTB

 

[alcoblade]

Can hit excellent long passes, takes great penalties, and scored a top.quality goal at Walsall - we were right behind it as it bent into the.corner at the last minute.

Occasionally misplaces really simple passes, and is not, er, a natural athlete. I don't think he's necessarily unfit, just painfully slow.

If.you.focus on the good, you'll see.a.good player, if you focus on the poor, you'll see a.poor player.

Confirmation bias.

We're a Division 3 team and maybe he's our Division 3 Gazza.

Spot on. However, whilst ever we accept these standards, we will remain a division 3 team.

He's probably one of our best midfielders, but that's depressing.

UTB

 

[alcoblade]

yep, sub for me.
Whilst he "may" produce some brilliance to win it, it is more likely he will be overrun in midfield. Chesterfields midfield was a perfect example of how all our midfield were just passed around or passed through by their players playing between our lines.
For me, well done to chessie and Paul Cook - he has assembled a decent team, although I took great pleasure in reminding one or two of the "three on the special" in years gone by.

UTB

If we don't go up then we should go for Paul Cook. I'd give Clough until Christmas, but would move sooner for him.

I think hes ready for off.

UTB

 

[Fulwood Blade]

If we don't go up then we should go for Paul Cook. I'd give Clough until Christmas, but would move sooner for him.

I think hes ready for off.

UTB

I can see your reasoning behind Paul Cook - impressed with the way he has handled himself and chessie over the past few years. Losing Doyle should have meant chessie dropped away but fair dos to them.

Cook would be a gamble - look at Hill, good at R'dale, shit at the dingles then done ok at R'dale again.
Wilson did great at the dingles, shit at the pigs and every where else including Brizzle.

If Clough doesn't do it here, we are in big bobar.

If ever we need him to come through, it's now - our next 5 years could depend on it.

UTB

 

[grafikhaus]

He'll be one of the Blades legends when we've learned what to do with him.

Or maybe when the others have learned to anticipate what JB is all about. My old man always told me that Jimmy Hagan was thinking too far ahead for his team mates to realise what he was trying to do. I like Jose. He often tries the unorthodox which is the way to crack a defence. Maybe it's typical of us Blades to criticise a guy who is genuinely talented, and ignore the failings of others. Failings that were all too evident yesterday.

 

[alcoblade]

I can see your reasoning behind Paul Cook - impressed with the way he has handled himself and chessie over the past few years. Losing Doyle should have meant chessie dropped away but fair dos to them.

Cook would be a gamble - look at Hill, good at R'dale, shit at the dingles then done ok at R'dale again.
Wilson did great at the dingles, shit at the pigs and every where else including Brizzle.

If Clough doesn't do it here, we are in big bobar.

If ever we need him to come through, it's now - our next 5 years could depend on it.

UTB

At the risk of debating what should really wait for a few weeks, the problem is I can't identify a single sign that's going to flux the required change between this season and next.

Even in interviews Clough seems to talk about us being almost there. I just can't see it.

Of course, every manager is a gamble. But Cook has done it at 2 clubs over a few seasons. His CV is better than Cloughs, in a fraction of the time.

UTB

 

[sitwell]

I look forward to Sitwell's two-penneth on this subject

Ive said it so many times before. Over rated beyond belief ,offers very little in any department ,believes all the hype about himself and will go nowhere. Coutts is a much better player and will prove to be so in the long run. One of Uniteds most disappointing players of the past few years ,has let himself and Utd down as our creative player this season and has been a big part of why we regarded as negative with his sideways passes and slowing the pace of the game down. Takes a terrible corner ,average free kick and good penalty (except at Crewe) . Get rid 2/10.

happy with that ?

 

[Bladebri]

Baxter doesn't Sitwell with you does he.

 

[sheffielder]

Ive said it so many times before. Over rated beyond belief ,offers very little in any department ,believes all the hype about himself and will go nowhere. Coutts is a much better player and will prove to be so in the long run. One of Uniteds most disappointing players of the past few years ,has let himself and Utd down as our creative player this season and has been a big part of why we regarded as negative with his sideways passes and slowing the pace of the game down. Takes a terrible corner ,average free kick and good penalty (except at Crewe) . Get rid 2/10.

happy with that ?

If we can't find somewhere to make use of him, then I agree I personally think he would be better off upfront in a 442 because if you're going to try these passes and give it away anywhere then...

 

[Cyprus Blade]

,believes all the hype about himself

When did he tell you this ?

 

[sitwell]

Remember when we used to disagree about him before ? I do sense that you have also lost faith with him steadily over the season. I always support him when he plays although I think he will be a bit part player in the play offs as Clough realises he doesn't give enough. I cant understand some fans patience with him ,when he fails to show his ability and attitude on such a regular basis. And I have said since last season we have a major problem with him slowing our momentum down ,which has proved very costly to us ,both in points and entertainment. I don't go in for the slagging of players regularly ,Long ,Hill and Williams were the last but I think he has had long enough now to step up and he is regressing despite Clough giving him the shirt almost permanently.

 

[sitwell]

When did he tell you this ?

Body language tells you all you need to know. Hes virtually applauding himself as he goes to take corners ,he stands back to admire a pass instead of moving to keep a move going ,and his public berating of team mates is something I cant stand ,especially when he isn't doing the business himself. Collins also does this. I dare say others do but waving arms around to catch attention is a real bugbear for me. I have heard things away from the game but wont comment on these as as you cant always believe it.

 

[JasonEllis]

13 goals (joint top scorer) ... More assists than the vast majority of our squad.
If this warrants labels of being "fat", " overweight", "liability" then what does that say about our entire team? I don't think Baxter's done amazing, nor has he played terribly. Do people not understand that he can't be responsible for everything in midfield? The way Clough's chopped and changed the team every other week isn't going to help either. I think we all know what José is capable of, but this season he's not had his best. Isn't he still only 23?

To be fair, being overweight is what warrants the label of "fat".

 

[Deadly_D'Jaffo]

He'll be one of the Blades legends when we've learned what to do with him.

Put him on Paddy Kenny Cough Medicine

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Even in interviews Clough seems to talk about us being almost there. I just can't see it.

UTB

I reckon with 2 proper centre halves we would have seriously challenged 2nd place.
Look at yesterdays goal for chessie - once AGAIN a simple ball into the box - easy header for the equaliser.
It has been the same all season - simple balls into the box and no one offers any form of serious challenge - we don't even get close to attackers and do the ultimate professional footballing action which is to "lean" on your player - all I ask is that they compete for the ball - we seem just too nice at the back.

We are close, but why if Mccarthy was brought in to solve the problem in October was it not repeated in the JTW and if the proper players weren't available to buy then suitable loan players not brought in.

We now have a very expensive attacking full back playing centre half.

If we are to stand a chance in the PO, we have to have Brayford getting down the wing - I like Freeman in attacking formations, but he can't defend for toffee - example: completely skinned early doors in front of the kop. A lot of Chesterfields attacking options came down our right. Our lack of a decent right sided midfield player didn't help, but it was all too easy for them.

UTB

 

[Bladesway]

He'll be one of the Blades legends when we've learned what to do with him.

Most of us will be dead by then. Joking apart he is in League One because he isn't consistent enough. He has flashes of brilliance but has flaws as well. I like him but he needs a team built around him to maximise his potential. I don't think we will ever do that.

 

[alcoblade]

I reckon with 2 proper centre halves we would have seriously challenged 2nd place.
Look at yesterdays goal for chessie - once AGAIN a simple ball into the box - easy header for the equaliser.
It has been the same all season - simple balls into the box and no one offers any form of serious challenge - we don't even get close to attackers and do the ultimate professional footballing action which is to "lean" on your player - all I ask is that they compete for the ball - we seem just too nice at the back.

We are close, but why if Mccarthy was brought in to solve the problem in October was it not repeated in the JTW and if the proper players weren't available to buy then suitable loan players not brought in.

We now have a very expensive attacking full back playing centre half.

If we are to stand a chance in the PO, we have to have Brayford getting down the wing - I like Freeman in attacking formations, but he can't defend for toffee - example: completely skinned early doors in front of the kop. A lot of Chesterfields attacking options came down our right. Our lack of a decent right sided midfield player didn't help, but it was all too easy for them.

UTB

Agreed. The problem is how do we get The Beard to full back without the requirement for Bash at centre half?

I think our midfield is as poor as the defence. I think we need Basham in the middle of the park.

UTB

 

[alcoblade]

Most of us will be dead by then. Joking apart he is in League One because he isn't consistent enough. He has flashes of brilliance but has flaws as well. I like him but he needs a team built around him to maximise his potential. I don't think we will ever do that.

Yep. He'd be the first player I'd ship out in the summer. Not because he's the worst, but because I think others would take him, and we need to do better.

UTB

 

[Cyprus Blade]

I have heard things away from the game but wont comment on these as as you cant always believe it.

I have nothing against structured argument or reasoned opinion- just wondered how you found out Baxter believes the hype about him as you don't usually make claims without substantiation. I can't comment on Baxter's off the ball body language as I have been restricted to BladesPlayer since getting back to Cyprus sadly and will be watching on the TV for the playoffs worse luck.

As to his performances I think Baxter, along with a few other players, have had a poor/inconsistent season compared with last (Scougall is one that comes to mind) and have said so many times. Again I cannot comment on why - simply that it is my perception. Similarly I do wonder if a number of players play like they are on the way out, want away or they do not like the system they are being asked to play. My criticism of him this season is mainly to do with the waywardness of some simple passes, loss of concentration and possession at times and too many hollywood ball attempts. Having said that, Done apart, our movement up front has not been great. He never was a great tackler or defender.His lack of stamina is a continuing concern.

What I have consistently argued is that we do need a creative player in midfield and that Baxter was (and still is in my opinion), unfortunately, the best we have got at the moment. Coutts probably was a better player before his injury but I think he still has a long way to go to get back to that - certainly in vision and passing. The Barnsley game seems to have been a one-off from what I have seen. Shooting wise he couldn't hit a barn door. I hope he proves me wrong.

I find it disturbing how our midfield seems to have lost its way this season (Basham lost to the defence, Wallace seems crocked, Scougall, Baxter and Reed out of form, Holt scores but goes missing an awful lot and Doyle's legs have gone) and none of them seem to know who is doing what - I don't think its just a Baxter problem - we didn't fair any better without him. It would be easier if it was. A settled side would help the midfield and the defence IMHO, but not with some of the players we have got. I do think a lot stems from the Central Defence issues.

Play-off wise I reckon Fulwood Blade is right that we have to protect the feeble defence so Coutts and Doyle will probably start - probably with Basham as CH ? Its a three wheels on my wagon job so who knows? I'd be surprised if Baxter is more than an impact sub to be honest.

I remain hopeful, but, frankly,not over-optimistic

 

[Woodwardfan]

I am historically one of Baxter's biggest fans on here I think but the player we have been watching these past few months is a pale shadow of the one we saw play for us last season and Oldham before that.

I reckon the player is not enjoying his football. No he doesn't like tracking back but he has to do it. He doesnt like playing up front or wide left or right. He probably doesnt like playing deep central midfield.

My view is he wants to play No.10 and thinks he is wasted in any other position. The manager seems to like him but never ever plays him to his strengths and life is a bit of a toil for the lad.

Of course no player can pick and choose but managers can. Clough will play Holt in that area of the field on Thursday and played Scougall there in earlier season. Scougall did nothin but at least Holt gets the odd goal though he contributes very little else.

Baxter is a creator and a goalscorer. I reckon we should play the lad in his best position or move him on.

P.S. Afterthought. Creative players need other players to make runs and move into position for the ball. Our team has one up front marked by at least three players and the rest stand around like statues. Yesterday there was so little movement when we were in possession. It works against players like Baxter.