Baxter

[pommpey]

We need him, he is the one with the quality, and vision out of all we have in midfield. The rotund scouser owes us though, big style.

I agree. He came here with a good reputation, and okay - maybe we play a different game to Oldham, but his brief ... the area from the centre circle 'D' to the opposition penalty area 'D' should be pretty well understood. That is his hunting ground where he maintains pressure on the opposition, refuses to let them break out from central an basically threads passes to the crossing zone or inside to the attacker(s). Maybe it leaves our midfiel exposed to adopt a 4-3-1-2 but possibly that is what Baxter needs. As long as Doyle drops sufficiently to protect the back four in the Nicky Butt role, it may work and exploit Baxter's true ability as that centrally placed attacking midfielder playmaker and goalscorer. He is certainly not a frontman.

pommpey

 

[sitwell]

if Louis Reed was 2 years older, Baxter probably wouldn't get a game.

How long do we wait for Baxter to galvanise Blades support?

He is an inconsistent talent where virtually no one on here can agree what his best position is - that in itself leads to the team being inconsistent.
As for being fat - he is not, as for being unfit, he is not.

For anyone who has played any kind of physical sport at a decent level you need various attributes and my opinion of Baxter is that he has a strange running style, that looks very laboured, and lacks stamina to last 90 minutes in the way "football" generally is played these days. Everton probably sussed this out, and even though he has the talent to play above this league, other attributes stop him from being better. His talent is undeniable, but is that enough?

With Baxter we see the reasons he is at this level - inconsistent - brilliant one day, poor the next and it must be a managers nightmare.

What will happen? Inconsistent players will NOT last with NC.

Nothing personal with any player who pulls on a R&W shirt - you could play 11 girls for all I care - just want to see consistent players who do their job - sadly we haven't seen enough consistency from Baxter or a number of others.

UTB

I question this brilliance ,for every good pass he makes 3 or 4 go astray ,the stats prove he doesn't do assists ,for every tackle he lets about half a dozen go. People question Doyle and Bashams passing but just watch the game closely and compare, it doesn't have to be a 30 yard wonder ball to be a good pass.
For me he is a council John Mathews and that is being kind.

 

[Esablade]

With Baxter we see the reasons he is at this level - inconsistent - brilliant one day, poor the next and it must be a managers nightmare.

I like Baxter, but I suspect, like many Blades, I see what I want/hope to see a lot of time, because he's got good technique and makes space...however, like you say, he is very inconsistent..even the most ardent supporter can see that?

It will be interesting to see how he responds and whether he's straight back in the first eleven.

 

[MBoreman]

Everton probably sussed this out

UTB[/QUOTE]

He turned down an offer to get first team football, they wanted him to stay.

 

[SwissBlade]

Everton probably sussed this out

UTB

He turned down an offer to get first team football, they wanted him to stay.[/QUOTE]
Yeah exactly. He did exactly what greg dyke is trying to do with premiership u21's

 

[Cyprus Blade]

Assist stats show "Whispering" Bob has 6 assists to Baxters 3

I agree but the table of assists highlights something else - how much we play down the wings and create relatively little through the centre. It also begs a question of how many assists Whispering Bob (a player I like very much) might have got had he not been playing behind Murphy who ties up the defence for him. Other than Reed and Baxter where are the other midfielders in the assists table ? Look at the goals scored and its the same picture - except Reed hasn't scored.

Ultimately, whether its Baxter or someone else, we need someone in the middle to CREATE centrally. If Murphy gets crocked we are in trouble and stuck with hoofball I fear ( which may or may not work). Midfield as a whole needs to contribute more in offense in general rather than getting myopic about its role exclusively in defensive terms (especially when we are at home and the other side park the bus). Okay, Doyle and Scougall might have got a goal each (to Baxter's 8) but I for one get fed up with seeing the negativity of their passing and the opportunities spurned in front of goal by them. Same goes for our performance at set pieces. Both are costing us.

Peterborough tonight - fingers crossed we beat them. I'm hoping Reed starts tonight. He and Basham are both overdue a goal so have had a flutter on it - kiss of death, sorry Louis and Bash UTB

 

[Guesty]

Incidentally, looking on the club website Baxter is 1 cm taller than Kennedy and 8 lb lighter than him - that must make Kennedy totally obese then, surely?

Muscle weighs more than fat.

 

[Woodwardfan]

It's always best to play to players' strengths and to recruit players who fit with your system and complement each others strengths and compensate for their weaknesses. Baxter tracking back and putting in big tackles is a bit daft; if that type of player is needed in that role then play a different player. If there's no place for a gifted and creative player within the system then perhaps Baxter should be moved on.

I believe we need him desperately, or somebody like him perhaps. Baxter upsets too many regular fans, all of whom can't be wrong, can they?, surely. Reed will develop but interestingly has not provided many assists or goals, if any.

On the subject of players complementing each other, we only have one player above 6 foot according to Clough yesterday. Not good enough by the scouts or the manager really.

BTW. Ryce had a relatively good record of goals and assists.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

I'm sure most of us thought that his ban would be define this squad as a squad that either needs him, or doesn't. Who can make a case for him?

I do think he was missed Saturday for Done's runs and nobody was able to play him in like Baxter could have.

I'm undecided, possibly in denial and hoping he settles it with a moment of magic and 110% effort and dedication.

Easy one, if Baxter is fit, Baxter plays. Most talented player at the club and the only one with the vision to unlock doors. His sending off proved one thing, Clough doesn't want him wasting his talents chasing back with defensive duties, put him in the hole behind Done or McNulty and make sure the workers in midfield just give him the ball, he'll do the rest.

Just read Boycott's new book where he does a chapter about his mate Brian Clough. Boycott asked him why he had bought a particular winger, who Boycs thought was a bit timid. Clough's answer was he's not in the team to do the tackling, I'll make sure someone else does that, he's in to provide the crosses. Boycs went off in the winter to play cricket, when he got back the player in question had just won player of the season for Forest.

 

[sitwell]

Easy one, if Baxter is fit, Baxter plays. Most talented player at the club and the only one with the vision to unlock doors. His sending off proved one thing, Clough doesn't want him wasting his talents chasing back with defensive duties, put him in the hole behind Done or McNulty and make sure the workers in midfield just give him the ball, he'll do the rest.

Just read Boycott's new book where he does a chapter about his mate Brian Clough. Boycott asked him why he had bought a particular winger, who Boycs thought was a bit timid. Clough's answer was he's not in the team to do the tackling, I'll make sure someone else does that, he's in to provide the crosses. Boycs went off in the winter to play cricket, when he got back the player in question had just won player of the season for Forest.

These open doors he unlocks ,are they for real or are they what you hope he can do ,if so where are they ?. You say put him in the hole ,is that at the expense of the rest of the team ? he simply doesn't 'do the rest' . How long do we wait for him to do his so called magic and in the meantime do we just carry him so he doesn't have to tackle or chase back ? You show me a player in the modern game who doesn't work his bollocks off and I'll show you a player playing below us.

 

[Cyprus Blade]

Muscle weighs more than fat.

Wow - in that case Wallace must be really well muscled.

 

[Woodwardfan]

Midfield players statistics from Club website

Murphy P.44 /G10 / Assists 9
Baxter 38/ 8/ 3
Davies 16/ 4/ 3
Flynn 33/ 3/ 2
Adams 8/ 2/ 0
Doyle 42/ 1/ 2
Scougall 29/ 1/ 0
J Wallace 13/ 0 / 0
Basham 37/ 0 / 1
Coutts 8/ 0 / 1
Reed 27/ 0/ 3
K Wallace 5/ 0/ 0
Freeman 6/ 0/ 0
Cuvelier 5/ 0/ 1
Holt 4/ 0/ 0 ( I thought there was an assist, if not a goal at Bristol)

Ryce has been removed. From memory he had 4 goals and 4 assists or thereabouts.

 

[FrankfurtBlades]

Perfectly weighted into the stride of the striker who scored from the pass. Assist stats show "Whispering" Bob has 6 assists to Baxters 3

View attachment 10864

I'm not saying it wasn't good, or that Baxter has contributed more, But I have seen better passes than that from young Reed.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

On what basis ?

Better GPG ratio than any other player.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

Fulwood Blade if reed were two years older he'd probably still be a different player to Baxter. There's definitely a place for both in the squad

If Reed was 2 years older , would we have sold him. All depends on us being in the Championship. Getting promoted this season is important in more ways than one.

UTB

 

[JasonEllis]

Wow - in that case Wallace must be really well muscled.

No, that's his glass knees

 

[true99blade]

I haven't read everything on here so this may have been already mentioned. Using 'assists' as evidence that Baxter isn't a good player or whatever is almost total, total bollocks. Baxter has been involved in so many goals this season and is definitely one of our best TEAM players. Acquiring an assist could also mean that you've scuffed a shot which directly falls to a team mate through sheer luck. Or something else completely ridiculous. Let's just say if we hadn't had Baxter for the season we wouldn't have scored a large chunk of the goals we've scored through other players. Baxter is our 3rd top scorer as well, so yeah makes sense to get rid ey? Jose is a terrific team player who attempts quite a lot in terms of attacking which like most players (if they actually tried) don't always come off. With Baxter in the side I reckon we would have had a much higher possibility of winning on Saturday. Get off the lad's back for crying out loud! Would people honestly say that Stefan Scougall for example has contributed to anywhere near as much as him? (He is another attacking midfielder after all?)

 

[true99blade]

View attachment 10864

Hey look! Craig Alcock has had 3 assists! Let's start him! Obviously better than fat, lazy Baxter. I don't see Brayford on there, let's not play him either, he's fat and lazy too!...

 

[Dnblade]

Assists don't always give players who were involved in the move credit though..Freeman has been involved with some of the recent goals,but hasn't got an assist...Jose was instrumental in Mcnulty's goal v QPR for instance...drove forward played it into Sparky,who layed it off to Jose..who feeds Reed..who feeds a great ball into Sparky...Reed get's all the credit and the assist...but Jose did the spade work.
For me,he's the player who we play through...he's always looking to play forward..looking what's on.Some people say he slows the game down,but he not for me as he often speeds the game up with a one touch pass and takes opposition players out of the game.It doesn't always come off,and his mobility isn't the best,but his ability is in no doubt for me.

 

[Darthblade]

Baxter will always be Marmite won't he. He has no pace and can disappear for too long in a game but he does have technical nous but ... and it is a big but ... if you are comparing like-for-like, Michael Brown was aggressive, saw space and ran into it with or without the ball and could definitely score goals from any position. I can't really recall a game Browny had where he wasn't heavily involved or at least a 7/10. Can you say that for Baxter? Aside from the occasional flashes of brilliance, he is indulged and even people in my office who recall him from former clubs say he is a lazy (but gifted) individual 'who can turn it on'. In the current climate, we can't afford players who show this when it suits them, or we will be in this division forever.

I have no doubt about his abilities - I have seen him on telly and at the occasionally rare live game put some superb football in but this needs to happen more often. And he wasn't missed at Crawley. I feel he would have been wandering around midfield again wondering what to do. What was needed was for Clough to drop Doyle and Basham into central and push Coutts on (or bring Reed on in his place or for Flynn) to plug the gap. No one seemed to be looking at the runs Done was starting (save for McNulty who knocked the ball on for him for the penalty)

pommpey

Fulwood Blade if reed were two years older he'd probably still be a different player to Baxter. There's definitely a place for both in the squad

I don't think there is in this agricultural division. Only one from Baxter / Reed / Scougal / Doyle imho.
UTB & FTP

 

[submarine]

Midfield players statistics from Club website

Murphy P.44 /G10 / Assists 9
Baxter 38/ 8/ 3
Davies 16/ 4/ 3
Flynn 33/ 3/ 2
Adams 8/ 2/ 0
Doyle 42/ 1/ 2
Scougall 29/ 1/ 0
J Wallace 13/ 0 / 0
Basham 37/ 0 / 1
Coutts 8/ 0 / 1
Reed 27/ 0/ 3
K Wallace 5/ 0/ 0
Freeman 6/ 0/ 0
Cuvelier 5/ 0/ 1
Holt 4/ 0/ 0 ( I thought there was an assist, if not a goal at Bristol)

Ryce has been removed. From memory he had 4 goals and 4 assists or thereabouts.

Davies - 16/4/3 I

Midfield players statistics from Club website

Murphy P.44 /G10 / Assists 9
Baxter 38/ 8/ 3
Davies 16/ 4/ 3
Flynn 33/ 3/ 2
Adams 8/ 2/ 0
Doyle 42/ 1/ 2
Scougall 29/ 1/ 0
J Wallace 13/ 0 / 0
Basham 37/ 0 / 1
Coutts 8/ 0 / 1
Reed 27/ 0/ 3
K Wallace 5/ 0/ 0
Freeman 6/ 0/ 0
Cuvelier 5/ 0/ 1
Holt 4/ 0/ 0 ( I thought there was an assist, if not a goal at Bristol)

Ryce has been removed. From memory he had 4 goals and 4 assists or thereabouts.

Midfield players statistics from Club website

Murphy P.44 /G10 / Assists 9
Baxter 38/ 8/ 3
Davies 16/ 4/ 3
Flynn 33/ 3/ 2
Adams 8/ 2/ 0
Doyle 42/ 1/ 2
Scougall 29/ 1/ 0
J Wallace 13/ 0 / 0
Basham 37/ 0 / 1
Coutts 8/ 0 / 1
Reed 27/ 0/ 3
K Wallace 5/ 0/ 0
Freeman 6/ 0/ 0
Cuvelier 5/ 0/ 1
Holt 4/ 0/ 0 ( I thought there was an assist, if not a goal at Bristol)

Ryce has been removed. From memory he had 4 goals and 4 assists or thereabouts.

 

[Woodwardfan]

These Baxter knockers should crawl back under their prejudices and be sentenced to watch United for the past three games on Bladesplayer, time and again.

We are in League 1 FGS. OK Baxter is only so good and he is not a Premier League player yet BUT he has ability and can play. He is only just 22 years old. At half pace he is plenty good enough as first/second /third choice on the team sheet - which he is.

League 1 FGS. OK he doesn't run a marathon every game but this is League 1 FFS!

 

[Woodwardfan]

I haven't read everything on here so this may have been already mentioned. Using 'assists' as evidence that Baxter isn't a good player or whatever is almost total, total bollocks. Baxter has been involved in so many goals this season and is definitely one of our best TEAM players. Acquiring an assist could also mean that you've scuffed a shot which directly falls to a team mate through sheer luck. Or something else completely ridiculous. Let's just say if we hadn't had Baxter for the season we wouldn't have scored a large chunk of the goals we've scored through other players. Baxter is our 3rd top scorer as well, so yeah makes sense to get rid ey? Jose is a terrific team player who attempts quite a lot in terms of attacking which like most players (if they actually tried) don't always come off. With Baxter in the side I reckon we would have had a much higher possibility of winning on Saturday. Get off the lad's back for crying out loud! Would people honestly say that Stefan Scougall for example has contributed to anywhere near as much as him? (He is another attacking midfielder after all?)

Agree mostly. I actually used the goals and assists table to show just how little the other players contribute apart from Murphy and Baxter.

You are right that some assists can be fortuitious, but isn't it incredible that some players can play so many games and not even fluke an assist? Look at Scougall's figures, it beggars belief he can be on the pitch so long in such a key position and not even fluke an assist. Where does he get to in our attacks? Clearly it's something he has to work at.

The favoured Basham/ Doyle/ Coutts combination in midfield is very unproductive according to the stats. The highly rated James Wallace registered zero on both counts in 13 appearances too.

I return to my pet theme - we simply do not get enough players in the opposition box. Attacking in twos and threes against 8 or 9 defenders doesn't help score enough good goals or indeed fortuitious ones. When we scuff shots or manage a knock down there's nobody there but defenders! We shouldn't rely on our sole striker scoring an heroic goal in isolation against all the odds like he did on Tuesday night.

 

[super_pig]

Just read Boycott's new book where he does a chapter about his mate Brian Clough. Boycott asked him why he had bought a particular winger, who Boycs thought was a bit timid. Clough's answer was he's not in the team to do the tackling, I'll make sure someone else does that, he's in to provide the crosses. Boycs went off in the winter to play cricket, when he got back the player in question had just won player of the season for Forest.

please forward to one Kevin Blackwell re: David Cotterill.. thanks

 

[bornablade]

We want to see partnerships developing all over the pitch. In 2011/12 we had Harry and Collins combining well. We had Lowton and Williamson with Ched being the main beneficiary. (Quinny deserved a better left full back)

JAM has had opportunities to develop a partnership with Brayford and it's not worked out. Not sure what the best central pairing is with Mceverley / Basham / Kennedy. Murphy and Harris although not disappointing individually haven't created a potent partnership

Which brings me to Baxter and Done. Baxter is gifted and I hope that the unselfish energy of Done will give him the outlet that he deserves. Since Done's arrival they haven't had many minutes together on the pitch but I hope from Saturday this can be rectified and we see Baxter showing his true potential

 

[Woodwardfan]

Agree mostly. I actually used the goals and assists table to show just how little the other players contribute apart from Murphy and Baxter.

You are right that some assists can be fortuitious, but isn't it incredible that some players can play so many games and not even fluke an assist? Look at Scougall's figures, it beggars belief he can be on the pitch so long in such a key position and not even fluke an assist. Where does he get to in our attacks? Clearly it's something he has to work at.

The favoured Basham/ Doyle/ Coutts combination in midfield is very unproductive according to the stats. The highly rated James Wallace registered zero on both counts in 13 appearances too.

I return to my pet theme - we simply do not get enough players in the opposition box. Attacking in twos and threes against 8 or 9 defenders doesn't help score enough good goals or indeed fortuitious ones. When we scuff shots or manage a knock down there's nobody there but defenders! We shouldn't rely on our sole striker scoring an heroic goal in isolation against all the odds like he did on Tuesday night.

What do you know, Campbell-Ryce provided the assist for County's winner on Tuesday!! Measured, chipped cross to the far post. Simple.

 

[Mendi]

Can you see him leaving the club?

 

[Cool Clint]

With Coutts out Baxter should be straight back in the side. Wishful thinking . He was only sick.