Baxter on Saturday

[Sheff de party]

He might be a troublemaker, have an attitude problem, be fat, be lazy or any of the other things people say about him, but he was the only player that consistently showed some talent on Saturday. Flashes from Che and it was no surprise they combined for the goal.

Baxter covered plenty of ground, got it down to play and with his first touch just created extra space every time. He gave the ball away once and that was possibly a foul.

Whatever people say about Jose, I always prefer it when he's on the team sheet.

 

[jt64]

Amazing what happens when you play players in a position and formation that suits their abilities

 

[alcoblade]

Amazing what happens when you play players in a position and formation that suits their abilities

And if you play them enough times, they will eventually do enough right to forget the other fat lazy performances, or the atrocious off field behaviour that destroys team moral.

He's a diamond, our Jose.

 

[wizadry]

People always complain about is defensive qualities which I have to question why when you can have defenders and midfielders doing that side of the game.

Baxter is our most influential playmaker and has to play until we get better in, that's where we're at for me.

His pass was inch perfect and so was the run. If that was a Premier league goal scored by Vardy or Aguero and assisted by Mahrez or Silva the media would be creaming all over it, it was a delightful goal by us.

Baxter did a lot of running Saturday and I'd love to see the ground covered by him as against our other Midfielders, I reckon it will be on the high side of the scale. He also stuck the boot in a couple of times too, he must've been on a high.

 

[Gavlar]

Defending Jose requires Baxter the wall stubbornness.................

 

[alcoblade]

People always complain about is defensive qualities which I have to question why when you can have defenders and midfielders doing that side of the game.

Baxter is our most influential playmaker and has to play until we get better in, that's where we're at for me.

His pass was inch perfect and so was the run. If that was a Premier league goal scored by Vardy or Aguero and assisted by Mahrez or Silva the media would be creaming all over it, it was a delightful goal by us.

Baxter did a lot of running Saturday and I'd love to see the ground covered by him as against our other Midfielders, I reckon it will be on the high side of the scale. He also stuck the boot in a couple of times too, he must've been on a high.

He tried a number of those lofty type flick ons. There was one occasion he was shaping his body up to it, and was brushed off a ball he should have won.

He was okay on Saturday, but there's been plenty of occasions that he's been a passenger, in the correct position or not.

You can play him for me because he can't really displace anything of worth. But he's one of the first players I'd ship out of the club.

A nasty twat with a bad attitude to boot.

UTB

 

[Worksop II]

You can play him for me because he can't really displace anything of worth

 

[Woodwardfan]

The lad' s a No.10 and could play there at a higher level.

 

[wizadry]

He tried a number of those lofty type flick ons. There was one occasion he was shaping his body up to it, and was brushed off a ball he should have won.

He was okay on Saturday, but there's been plenty of occasions that he's been a passenger, in the correct position or not.

You can play him for me because he can't really displace anything of worth. But he's one of the first players I'd ship out of the club.

A nasty twat with a bad attitude to boot.

UTB

As I said we don't have any better so he has to play until that gets resolved. I thought him, Che and Reedy linked up pretty well at times and for this reason I don't want to see Basham back in just yet.

 

[eric_oulthwaite]

Apart from the drugs and lack of fitness what as he done wrong?!

 

[alcoblade]

As I said we don't have any better so he has to play until that gets resolved. I thought him, Che and Reedy linked up pretty well at times and for this reason I don't want to see Basham back in just yet.

For me it all depends. Our midfield is prone to get overrun, and lightweights like Coutts and Baxter exacerbate that. Basham is one of the only players we have who can possibly cope in a two. And there's been plenty of occasions where the masses have been demanding a partner for Sharp.

UTB

 

[alcoblade]

Apart from the drugs and lack of fitness what as he done wrong?!

Ask the Accrington players.

UTB

 

[alcoblade]

The lad' s a No.10 and could play there at a higher level.

They've been queueing up for him, I see.

UTB

 

[Lane Ender]

As I said we don't have any better so he has to play until that gets resolved. I thought him, Che and Reedy linked up pretty well at times and for this reason I don't want to see Basham back in just yet.

That turn by Che when Reedy rolled him in was sublime

 

[Bladesman]

I don't doubt there is a quality player in Baxter. It's just his mental state that's the problem. Hence the poor fitness, inconsistent form and off the field issues.

I think the 10 role suits him best though but is still someone we should look to move on. As I don't think he will ever be consistent enough to play higher than League 1.

 

[mosbolad]

Apart from the drugs and lack of fitness what as he done wrong?!

Really?.......Oh dear.........

 

[wizadry]

For me it all depends. Our midfield is prone to get overrun, and lightweights like Coutts and Baxter exacerbate that. Basham is one of the only players we have who can possibly cope in a two. And there's been plenty of occasions where the masses have been demanding a partner for Sharp.

UTB

I know it was only one game but we didn't get overrun on Saturday, albeit against poor opposition. I liked Basham and wanted him in Midfield from the start but I came to the conclusion sometime ago that we have better options there and might as well use him as cover or CB.

The players we have only suit a 3 in the middle, them 3 should be from Baxter, Reed, Coutts, Hammond and Cuvelier if he gets fit (very funny I know ). All this is of course until we sort our whole team out, unfortunately though some players mentioned will probably still be here next year. Sorry to say that Alco but I think we all know it's going to be literally impossible to get rid of everybody.

 

[alcoblade]

Sorry to say that Alco but I think we all know it's going to be literally impossible to get rid of everybody.

Can't we just dream?

UTB

 

[wizadry]

Can't we just dream?

UTB

You should know already that our dreams turn to nightmares, I see no different here

 

[A_Blade1889]

I would play Baxter - mainly due to lack of alternatives.

Long
Brayford, Edgar, Collins, mcev
Hammond
JCR, Baxter , coutts, Adams
Sharp

With Hammond under strict instruction to not go forward.

4-4-2 doesn't suit the players we have

 

[wizadry]

That turn by Che when Reedy rolled him in was sublime

Give these players a couple more games together and I can see them flourishing pretty pronto. Games and victories breeds confidence.

 

[Lane Ender]

Give these players a couple more games together and I can see them flourishing pretty pronto. Games and victories breeds confidence.

Agreed

 

[Deadbat]

Surprised we still debate likes of Collins, Baxter, McEveley, Flynn...

All of them have some attributes and I have defended Baxter a lot saying he is one of few who tried things and can score you a goal/make a goal. He is also a lazy bastard who thinks he is better than he is He has let the club down off the field more than once. He should be trying his guts out for SUFC. He knows at the end of the season he will in all likelihood be playing lower down than us and in front of small crowds unless he has a stunning end to the season to get another 1 year deal at best.

For me the players above have had long enough and then some. Its not just about ability; it is attitude and the losing culture that has engulfed the club for too long. We should not even be considering keeping any of the out of contract players (Long might get a 1 year at a push - as back up). This is the chance to clean house and dump about 14/15 of the losers. We have to take it. All this gubbins about we wont have enough players and we cant change too much is exactly that gubbins. We dont need 14/15 to replace them; we maybe need 7 or 8 (good uns) that are hungry, young and want to move up the leagues and would love to play at a stadium like Bramall Lane. The ones now look like they cannot wait to get off the pitch mostly.

 

[Captain]

The lad' s a No.10 and could play there at a higher level.

The only higher level Baxter could play at is Scottish league 1 or whatever it's called, you know the one where Nicky Law plays and Jason Holt.
With Baxter playing as our creative playmaker you can rest assured he won't create much.Donny were crap, now if he can do it against Bury that's a different matter, how many did Cov put past em was it 6?

 

[JohnDenver]

Surprised we still debate likes of Collins, Baxter, McEveley, Flynn...

All of them have some attributes and I have defended Baxter a lot saying he is one of few who tried things and can score you a goal/make a goal. He is also a lazy bastard who thinks he is better than he is He has let the club down off the field more than once. He should be trying his guts out for SUFC. He knows at the end of the season he will in all likelihood be playing lower down than us and in front of small crowds unless he has a stunning end to the season to get another 1 year deal at best.

For me the players above have had long enough and then some. Its not just about ability; it is attitude and the losing culture that has engulfed the club for too long. We should not even be considering keeping any of the out of contract players (Long might get a 1 year at a push - as back up). This is the chance to clean house and dump about 14/15 of the losers. We have to take it. All this gubbins about we wont have enough players and we cant change too much is exactly that gubbins. We dont need 14/15 to replace them; we maybe need 7 or 8 (good uns) that are hungry, young and want to move up the leagues and would love to play at a stadium like Bramall Lane. The ones now look like they cannot wait to get off the pitch mostly.

Quite. But I don't think giving Long a contract is even a debate. He's not set the world on fire, but he's probably our player of the season - maturing and improving whereas most of our players are visibly regressing or at best treading water. If we're interested in using players who are on an upward curve, start with him. Even if he's second choice or loaned-out next season, that's fine. Just so long as there's improvement.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

fat lazy performances, or the atrocious off field behaviour that destroys team moral.

Last season this might have been true. This season I don't think it is at all. The stuff about morale is just made up isn't it? How do we know what morale is? And if it is so low - which I think is incredibly unlikely - then there could be all sorts of causes. Why single out Baxter?

He turns up at the u21s and u18s games. Does the charity work. Then occasionally goes nuts.

It's just his mental state that's the problem. Hence the poor fitness, inconsistent form and off the field issues.

He's not unfit, he's unathletic. He's getting as much as he can out of what he was given. He makes long recovery runs, occasionally presses the keeper, but he just can't cover the ground like a natural athlete. It's not lack of application.

He is also a lazy bastard

No he isn't. This is just a lazy assessment.

He should be trying his guts out for SUFC.

When I see him he is.

 

[Slug]

I reckon Baxter will be playing in the Championship next season.....with Burton

 

[JohnDenver]

He's not unfit, he's unathletic.

 

[Liaminho9]

Probably the only playing in our team capable of playing a truly defence splitting pass. He has genuine creativity, something lacking in our team in recent weeks.

 

[Deadbat]

Last season this might have been true. This season I don't think it is at all. The stuff about morale is just made up isn't it? How do we know what morale is? And if it is so low - which I think is incredibly unlikely - then there could be all sorts of causes. Why single out Baxter?

He turns up at the u21s and u18s games. Does the charity work. Then occasionally goes nuts.



He's not unfit, he's unathletic. He's getting as much as he can out of what he was given. He makes long recovery runs, occasionally presses the keeper, but he just can't cover the ground like a natural athlete. It's not lack of application.



No he isn't. This is just a lazy assessment.



When I see him he is.

It is not a lazy assessment. I have watched him for 3 seasons. I also have defended him a lot on here. Does not change the fact for all his talent he can go missing and has as many poor games as good games. When he makes passes like Saturday or at Bradford he is a major asset but sadly these are few and far between. He has been better than many at times this season but not even been a cwrtain starter and I would not say he is any better now than when we signed him 3 years ago. He had had 3 managers and still not found a position and this is down to fact he has clear weaknesses. If he was that good and his talents that clear he would play and have a set position.

He is not a natural athlete. Granted. Then he needs to get fitter to compensate for that. He seemed to have done that at the start of the season but the pounds seemed to have gone back on?

I have seen many games when he idles around and players chase away from him. Ditto for Coutts. If he was out of contract would be saying same for him.

I have seen some games where he really puts a shift in. Seen many where he appears to go through the motions.

There is a reason why we are 20 points off Burton Albion and automatic promotion. Its carrying average joes (Joses!) like him, Collins, McEveley, Coutts, Flynn etc. These have all bee regulars in the side/squad for the last 2-3 seasons.

I watch other team midfields who are constantly fitter, quicker and sharper. Its a shame as talent wise Coutts and Baxter are better than most of the players for technical ability.

As I say we need to move these 'losers' if we dont we can carry on watching mid table to lower playoffs for another 2-3 seasons.. I for one expect better than that and welcome injection of passion, pace and hunger we may get from newcomers.