Nathan Baker Sold | Page 2 | Vital Football

Nathan Baker Sold

I really like Baker - full blooded, puts in 100% every time and not afraid to get a kick in the head for the club.

However, I can't understand people claiming he'd improve or develop any further - he's 26 not 20, he should be coming into the peak of his powers now and, to be honest, this is his level, a good Championship defender.

I obviously wanted to see garbage like Elphick and Richards gone first but somebody has to want those players for that to happen. A reported £4m for your 4th choice centre-back isn't bad (and on that point, once he realised that, at the age of 26, he was back to 4th choice again he may have been looking to move).

I am sorry to see him go though, will welcome him back with generous applause and wish him all the best in his career.
 
Like the many comments reflect, I'm divided on this one. Sale can't be compared with the Cahill sale because he's five years older than Cahill was... BUT I always liked the lad as a 110% type. At 26 he should be in his prime and he obviously wants to be playing every week. That's not going to happen this season. I'm guessing He probably wanted the move because he didn't want to be on the bench 90% of the time.
And let's look at it from the clubs perspective: How many offers have they had for any of our centre backs? If I were looking to buy from Villa I'd pick Baker over Richards or Elphick all day long...
Positives: Gives 100%, works hard, good in the air.
Negatives: injury prone, liable for goal-costing mistakes, poor distribution.
He'll come back to Villa Park and be welcomed as a Villa Man. Let's just hope he doesn't score one of his rare goals against us!
 
As people have said on here, seems a very decent and honest bloke. Perhaps he wanted to move, perhaps £4m was too much to refuse, perhaps a combination of the two.

In any case, if I was him I'd want to be playing, no point waiting around for another season to see what happens. Good luck to him and at the end of the day, SB is getting a war chest together to hopefully find the missing ingredient.

BTW, don't get the dislike for Elphick, he was out for a full season with a serious knee injury and it may be that he will rediscover his best form. He has not disrespected the club or been a waster like certain other members of the team who some people instantly forgive or are willing to another chance (Flabby). If we got £4m for Baker, perhaps we can get good money for Elphick as well and I would wish him success where-ever he moves (maybe not the sty).
 
Can see the logic as said - a 4th choice bench warmer, we can't shift older deadwood that ideally we would rather move on cos nobody wants them and we need to generate money from sales to improve the squad. I hope Bruce uses the money wisely to reinvest in better and doesn't blow it on some 30 something hasbeen on a one year deal. The mooted £4m should buy a top Championship defender - even a mid table Premier League one in his mid to late 20s - someone who can come in, do a good job and will be around for a few seasons. With the £6m from Veretout, that's £10m - we can look at 2 good quality signings.
 
Don't agree with this transfer at all. Baker is perfectly fine at this level, whilst I don't think he is the greatest footballer and I'd have my doubts over him if we got back into the premier league, but in the championship he's a decent defender and I'd much rather have him in the team or squad than Elphick or Richards, or even Samba who as far as I'm concerned is an unknown quantity based on the past 5 years of his career.

My only hope is that Baker didn't want to stay, especially if he felt he could get more game time at Bristol City which is why we let him leave, if it's a case that Bruce wanted to get rid of him I'm losing faith in Bruce already
 
Never rated and dont think he'll go on to much. If you want expansive football you won't get it with him in the side too slow, awkward and weak on the ball.

I will say he is a decent old fashioned defender, knows the club and would have still done a job where needed this year so I am 50/50 in terms of the sale.
 
Well, I find it somewhat surprising.
There are certainly quite a few other players I'd prefer not to see in claret and blue next season.
 
Some of you lot are mental. It's time to move on.

Baker hasn't gone to the prem, he's gone to Bristol City! If a club of that stature are the only one chasing his signature that's as good as any indicator his quality.

We've watched him throughout his youth be as committed as anyone and I will always applaud him for that. However, he has had SO many mistakes and injuries that it's time to move on.

Yes our old players are here for a season or two at best, if we get promoted we would of sold Baker as was. So lets sell him now, balance the books and bring in better talent.

For watching him grow up from a teenager into an adult it's sour because we feel connected. But as a business, it's time to move on.

The back 4 who play the most this season will NOT be the same back 4 next year. Baker wouldn't of been starting next season and he's 4th in line at the moment. If he's worth 6 million. That's another creative player if needed.

Keep it going Bruce.
 
Another one of the better academy starlets cast off . What a joke you think we'd have learned after albrighton, bannan , Johnson, Robinson etc.

Thoroughly pissed off he's been sold and sold to a rival
 
Baker is a better defender than Agbonlahor is a striker ... he has always tried, pieman most certainly has not. Bruce has his favourites for some reason. At least somebody came in for Baker.
 
A perfect decent back up centre half, but never good enough as a week in, week out starter. Looked half decent at points last season, but always looked like he had a mistake or a sending off in him. If we've got 4m for him then it's a no-brainer. It's time for players like Toner, Bedeau and Suliman to make the step up anyway.
 
Maybe he wanted first team football. Maybe he was seen as sellable as opposed to Elphick and Richards on their money (and the fact suitors aren't forming an orderly queue)

We are strong in this position (well old and experienced) and the Dr wants the squad trimmed

 
Very very surprised at this.
But
It is Nathan Baker we have sold not Paul McGrath. And if it's 4 million then that is great business. 4 year contract is fair play to him aswell.

Let's be honest if all goes to... ahem...plan is Baker a premier league standard. In my humble, no. Therefore would we need to replace him if we go up?
Yes.
Similar to Clark for me. I bet he will struggle for Toon this year despite a good championship season.

To be clear, thought he did ok last year. No nonsense row Z defender. But head in hands defender as he tried to curl a long pass down the inside left channel only for it to go into the Trinity.

Surprised but not crying. Samba, Terry, Chester, Jedinak will do for me. Whether he stayed or went we would need to look at him for next season in the...ahem... prem any way.
 
The issue is , in the no-nonsense 2 agricultural games a week world of the championship, Terry and Samba won't have the legs to play all the games. baker had forged a decent partnership with Chester and it's very short sighted of Bruce to sell him.
 
If you threw a brick at him he would head it back. .

Decent player who gave his all but ultimately not good enough for where we want to be.
 
Strange decision, I'm guessing Baker didn't want to be 4th choice CB after playing most of last season . There are a few I'd sooner get rid of but nobody wants them .
Shame as at 26? he'll just hit his peak , That said football is all about the now and currently Terry Samba and Jedinak are all better than Nathan at CB .
Good Luck Nathan Baker proper professional
 
Bottom line: last season he was a significant part of one of the meanest defences in the Championship. Odd mistakes, but overall it was the pluses which counted. He didn't need replacing.

I can accept Terry due to his huge record and experience - a good signing. Might even accept Samba as someone who may give us something different, but that's not yet proven. But Baker is the only player other than Chester who can play week in week out. Seeing Jedi as a stand-in CB is exactly no more than that.
 
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