markavfc40 Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 11 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said: I worry about a Jedinak-Terry-Samba back three - it's a one shot deal, if we don't go up, we'd need to replace all three. That is exactly what the club is doing. We are going all in on getting promotion this season. Baker is good enough to be a starting defender for a mid to upper table Championship club and is very good back up for any Championship club. He wouldn't be starting week in week out for a club wanting to finish top 2 and he isn't good enough for the top flight. I love the guys attitude by the way and if his ability was as good as his attitude and heart he would be playing for a top Prem club and England. It isn't though. I'd have been happy to keep him but Terry has replaced him as a first choice and Samba as arguably knocked him down to being our 4th best centre back. That won't be enough for a player who is now 26 and in his peak years. It may seem very short sighted of the club to let a guy go who could do a job in this division for the next 5 or 6 years. The club don't plan on being down here for more than the next 9 months though. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post HanoiVillan Posted July 28, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2017 It probably seems ridiculous - it probably is ridiculous - for a 31 year old man to have a 'favourite player', but in as much as it is possible to like any footballer in this day and age, I liked Baker a lot. Of course I accept that it's not entirely rational. Still, he had the heart of a lion and is a Villa man through and through, and if we'd had a dozen more putting in the effort he showed we wouldn't be in the mess we're in. I think I relate to him so much because he was brought into the team too soon, when we had a crap squad and were struggling in the PL and he really wasn't ready, and he didn't shirk even after a number of howlers. It's associating with the underdog. I wish him the very best, and I shall give him a round of applause any time he comes back to VP. I think this is a very good deal for Bristol City to be honest. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supervillan78 Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 Strange decision this, I can only assume we're after another CB? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 an absolute shocking decision. he is not on a major wage and we all know Terry wont play 46 games this season. shame on management for sanctioning this we are 2 injuries away from Richards or Hutton at centre half 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 4 hours ago, VillaChris said: He wasn't that solid in the premier league, plenty of own goals, sliced clearences and lunges in the penalty area at that level (although he'd have probably done better than the hapless Richards-Lescott combination). It's a shame he's leaving with Terry coming in, think he could've advised Baker a fair bit on not always having to dive in for challenges. in fairness that was all playing with Clark when both were kids. last season under Lambert he looked solid with Vlaar and Senderos and had brilliant performance vs an on fire Harry Kane at White Hart Lane 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junxs Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 9 hours ago, Nigel said: Terry was available, I'm sure if the midfield or forward versions of terry became available we would be after them too. Its not as if it's a case of terry rather than someone else! When you have your hands tied by FFP it seems pointless to spend the vast majority of your budget on someone you don't really need, who plays in a position that was your strongest the previous year. It is very much a case of Terry rather than someone else, not only have we lost Baker but could have used those funds towards a proper creative player that we so desperately lack. We only conceded 48 goals, The top 2 Conceded 40 each. Other than those 2, Sheffield Weds conceded 45 and Leeds 47. We had the 5th best defence in the league last season. Despite having a goalkeeper who couldn't save anything. On the flip side, only the bottom 2 clubs and Birmingham (by 2) scored less than us. That gives us a rank of 21st best scorers... out of 24. I'm not suggesting for one minute minute that Baker is a better defender than Terry.. i'm just saying its blatantly obvious where our problems were, and it wasn't at centre back. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poitier Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 Sorry to see Baker go, think he could go on to be a very good CB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chappy Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 4 hours ago, HanoiVillan said: It probably seems ridiculous - it probably is ridiculous - for a 31 year old man to have a 'favourite player', but in as much as it is possible to like any footballer in this day and age, I liked Baker a lot. Of course I accept that it's not entirely rational. Still, he had the heart of a lion and is a Villa man through and through, and if we'd had a dozen more putting in the effort he showed we wouldn't be in the mess we're in. I think I relate to him so much because he was brought into the team too soon, when we had a crap squad and were struggling in the PL and he really wasn't ready, and he didn't shirk even after a number of howlers. It's associating with the underdog. I wish him the very best, and I shall give him a round of applause any time he comes back to VP. I think this is a very good deal for Bristol City to be honest. This a hundred times. Always gave it everything. Great beard. Great song. Had him down as a future captain, sad to see him go. Good luck Nathan. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villan_007 Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 Heart of a lion. But an absolute injury prone carthorse. Stunned at the reactions. Great bit of business. Keep trimming the squad of the simply not good enough types. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 Apparently suspended for the first game, so his first game of the season is against the Blose. I hope he givers them hell, for old time's sake. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted July 29, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted July 29, 2017 9 hours ago, Junxs said: When you have your hands tied by FFP it seems pointless to spend the vast majority of your budget on someone you don't really need, who plays in a position that was your strongest the previous year. It is very much a case of Terry rather than someone else, not only have we lost Baker but could have used those funds towards a proper creative player that we so desperately lack. We only conceded 48 goals, The top 2 Conceded 40 each. Other than those 2, Sheffield Weds conceded 45 and Leeds 47. We had the 5th best defence in the league last season. Despite having a goalkeeper who couldn't save anything. On the flip side, only the bottom 2 clubs and Birmingham (by 2) scored less than us. That gives us a rank of 21st best scorers... out of 24. I'm not suggesting for one minute minute that Baker is a better defender than Terry.. i'm just saying its blatantly obvious where our problems were, and it wasn't at centre back. Problem solving doesn't alwAys work obviously as like that. Not scoring goals ....whack another striker on, that rarely works. We had massive problems last year in creating chances and ball retention. Maybe this was more to with the fact of how we were set up defensively than anything else. Baker was as guilty as anyone last year of giving the ball away, maybe this was a bigger problem than we thought? If Bruce knows anything it's how to build a defence, but a defence is more than a blocking device to stop goals, it's the foundation of the team. Maybe Bruce thought the problem that needed addressing started here...time will tell. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Pangloss Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 He was OK last season and I'd much rather keep him around than someone like Elphick. However, if Samba is going to be third choice, then selling your fourth choice centre half for £4m at this level is good business. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 I'd rather see Richards go first but £4m for a player who might be 4th choice in a championship side is good business. If we are to get promoted then it has been proven he is nowhere near good enough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One For The Road Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 (edited) Poor decision to sell Baker. Probably left with little choice after spunking loads of cash on the likes of Tshibola and McCormack but then how much are we paying Samba every week? Have we learned nothing from the disasters of the last few years? We just seem to be continually paying massive wages to aging journeyman like Samba, Lescott, Richards and McCcormack whilst offloading decent, if not spectacular academy graduates like Clark and Baker. Edited July 29, 2017 by One For The Road Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Factory Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 A bit sad to see him go. I dont think he is a Premier League player but at this level he would be good value for Bristol. I guess we need the money but does seem somewhat short termist bringing in 2 over 30 defenders and letting Baker go. Is Elphick to stay now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted July 30, 2017 Share Posted July 30, 2017 short term is definitely what Bruce has done here. A realistic chance Terry and Samba wont get 46 games between them this season and centre half wasnt a position we needed a overhaul in. ] Is also a chance both could retire next season which brings us back to square one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted July 30, 2017 Moderator Share Posted July 30, 2017 2 hours ago, Zatman said: short term is definitely what Bruce has done here. A realistic chance Terry and Samba wont get 46 games between them this season and centre half wasnt a position we needed a overhaul in. ] Is also a chance both could retire next season which brings us back to square one He is an average Championship CB with a bad track record of concussions, I think we a well shot of him. You are right about Terry and Samba they may well retire but we've a better chance of promotion with them than Baker in the side. If promoted we would have had to replace Baker anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted July 30, 2017 Share Posted July 30, 2017 Bruce said sale was because he was not going to be playing every week and slso hinted was to balace the books. Tge most worrying thing fir me was he said we also have jedinak and RICHARDS if he is ever not injured! No mention of elphick so he must be off shortly . If you are going to gamble our promotion with that hopeless oaf Richards god help us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Factory Posted July 30, 2017 Share Posted July 30, 2017 I think it will be good move for him. He will have a decent career at this level. At the end of the day Clark and Baker have made this club £9 million in transfer fees which alone justifies the academy. What the club then does with the money is another matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted July 30, 2017 Share Posted July 30, 2017 7 minutes ago, The Fun Factory said: I think it will be good move for him. He will have a decent career at this level. At the end of the day Clark and Baker have made this club £9 million in transfer fees which alone justifies the academy. What the club then does with the money is another matter. which has probably went on Micah Richards wages Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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