What happened with baker... (1 Viewer)

I think the style of AB took the flair and creativity out a few players. Give him a bit more time and I think Thorny and H will get him back to his best again.

I think it was a confidence thing. At Stockport I think he was just told to do what he does and then he came here and showed that. He was beating players, putting it through the legs and generally leaving them standing there.

When AB took over, he wasn't given that free reign but I think with Thorn and him getting some confidence he will be back up there.

Think he lost all his confidence under AB and that will take time to get back. I dont think AB's over reaction when the lad got sent off helped, blaming him for the whole defeat in public was a bit OTT he was only on pitch 10 mins in the final third of the match - those things are best kept in the dressing room - and i think thats when the wheels started to come off the Baker trolley. Plus often it takes a regular run in the team to get that quality and confidence back and he hasnt really had that. He has ability (look at that half volley he scored last season) but needs belief hopefully AT will sort it out because we need all players this coming season

The one positive I took from his performance on Saturday was his movement off the ball. He was always finding space in the channels and was always offering an option - something we missed after he was substituted. On the ball was another matter entirely, though. He looked well short of fitness (apparently he's carrying a slight achilles injury, and that was said to have flared up against Norwich, so perhaps that's all there is to it) and he looked exasperated for much of the game, probably at his own dismal performance. Boothroyd is the only manager we've had in my lifetime that I've disagreed with from start to finish, and with every decision he took along the way. His man-management was just laughable. He knocked it out of Baker, misused Gunnarsson out of position on many an occasion (amongst the reasons his agent said he felt he wanted to move on, besides the bigger pay packet), scapegoated Westwood for not wanting to sign a new contract when it was the board's poor handling of the situation that had made it difficult for him to stay, and only ever seemed to speak positively of King, who was generally said to be very unpopular in the dressing room and something of a bullyboy. Worst of all, he consistently used Nathan Cameron despite his inevitable massive error or lapse in concentration every week that resulted in us conceding without fail! Still, Baker does have bags of natural ability, and he can still prove to be a useful player for us this season. Given a clean bill of health and a good run in the side, he can come to be offer us something that nobody else in the side can.

Never had a final product

I remember seeing him under Coleman and loving him, then Hoofroyd and ating him again. His last few league games under Thorn he looked greatly improved I thought and, as said already, a run in the team should hopefully bring his confidence back!

pusbccfc said:

Whn Carl Baker first came to cov did anyone remember he wasnt a bad player, he skipped past players for fun, he never scored i dont think but still he did well.

Then boothroyd came along and since then he has been awful!
Weather he will return this season the same sort of player he was a few years back in the 2009/10 season.
But signs dont look good as so far in pre season he has been poor, i cant see why thorn puts him left mid, hes a winger/attacking mid!
I hope he starts to improve, cause he wasnt a bad little player back a few years ago.

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In a word - confidence. He'd just arrived from League 1 as a big fish in a small pond, since then he's been in and out of the side. I think he's well suited to playing behind the strikers but then McSheff has made that position his own - good backup/squad player to have though.

he played really well vs reading last game of the season,i think he will shine this year

He still is a decent player. Just tactics and mangers coming and going. He needs to settle. He'll have a good season

we don't pay him enough dough

He lost his confidence while coleman was still there that flair only lasted a handful of games, was a shame i hadn't seen anyone like that in a cov shirt for a while.