Aden Baldwin Arrives

Too inexperienced for me.

Part of our problem last season, and possibly the season before, was that we had too many players in their first year of EFL football. Baldwin and Kelly probably nudge 100 EFL games together. Johnson isn't a right centre back. An experienced front line would run rings around them and pull them apart.

 

Yes I’d love to see the Crewe LWB , I think he’s pretty damn good . Re Stubbs, he’s only here because of a trigger, I’m sure he would have been released Jordan?

 

He wasn’t. He was put on the released list after failing to agree a new deal. Both himself and other sources said that anyway.

 

I said the same after the the Byrne signing. Anything even remotely resembling criticism is hit with the standard "wait until you've seen him play" response and yet anything even slightly positive is lapped up and pushed so hard that it's incredible we aren't promoted by September.

It's pretty tedious to be fair.

 

Maybe, we don’t know. I’m not a stats person as you know , I go on observation . The jury will remain out until we see how things evolve after Austria.

 

I like the Crawley lad Tsaroulla at LWB, who is also out of contract but i cant see past him signing their new deal, unless a big offer comes in.

Yes I'd have thought Stubbs would have been released. I think after the Notts game, it felt like GA had made his mind up on Stubbs. He had a few more starts but I think we were short on numbers by that point?

 

Is this us done now for centre backs? We now have Baldwin, Byrne, Kelly and Stubbs with Johnson able to cover RCB and Richards able to cover LCB?

Personally I’d like to see one more CB come in, someone like O’Hora who is being released by MK Dons, far more experienced in the football league and younger than Baldwin.

 

I think we are set until/unless Stubbs goes, then we might look for an experienced head. We may well look to bring in an U21 loan CB again to challenge. With us bringing in Byrne and Baldwin, I don't imagine CB will be the next signing through the door with other priorities ahead.

 

To be fair Dave the opposite applies .

Looking at Maguires ( Crawley) stats , absolute wilderness football for 95% of his career and released by Chesterfield already .

Best defender on the field by a country mile in the two legs v MkD and the final V Crewe , yet he would be written off on here in seconds as having mostly NL loans .

Same with Crawleys centre forward Orsi, written off by Grimsby of all sides and he was the best forward on display in the same three games. It weird but two examples in the same side that were picked up with poor football experience .

This record would have gone down on here like a lead balloon , we both know it.


2013–2015 Cockfosters 20 (0)
2018 East Thurrock United 8 (2)
2018–2019 Hungerford Town 31 (9)
2019–2020 Hampton & Richmond Borough 32 (12)
2020–2021 Maidenhead United 39 (19)
2021–2022 Harrogate Town 10 (1)
2022 → Boreham Wood (loan) 24 (2)
2022–2023 Grimsby Town 24 (2)
2023– Crawley Town 45 (19)

It’s a strange old scene

 

That may be true of course , however see my reply to Dave re “ football stats/ experience” of two Crawley players I thought were very very good.

 

I certainly haven’t stated Platt is a L1 defender, but for me he was very solid for this level. I haven’t seen Baldwin play and can only go on what others are saying. The proof of the pudding will become apparent throughout the 2024/25 season. We can only wait and see.

 

Welcome Mr Baldwin , although you are not Dave good luck to you.
As others have said, judgement when i have seen you play.
On a side note was he the only defender in Notts county's defence or part of a defensive unit.

 

Ah fair enough!

I like the sound of his passing, if he can get the ball to Sarcevic reliably, or instigate attacks, that will be useful.

 

Saw quite a bit of Orsi on ifollow and he looked the real deal. Although there has been plenty of one season wonders around, we've bought enough of them in the past

 

Left back is the only position we need, everywhere else needs somebody to leave first bar maybe another CH. We'll probably get some loans in later on in the window but 8 more signings like you put on another thread would jus be bizzare, lets not repeat last summer thanks

 

A few positive comments from the Notts County forum-

"Really enjoyed watching him play and wish him well. I think Bradford will benefit from taking him."

"Wish him well, though. Fun player to watch and outstanding in the NL, but we needed to improve on him."

"For me he was our best defender and yes there were mistakes but that’s going to happen with the amount of times he was on the ball"

"I expect he will be a great signing for Bradford!"

"I posted at the end of the season that Baldwin was asked to do far too much in that middle centre back role." "Definitely think there’s a good defender in there."

So yes he has made errors, but it seems we might have signed ourselves a good player if asked to simplify his game.

 

Spot on a competitor for Cook if Oliver leaves and a left wing back and we have a good Squad. Possibly a defensive midfielder

 

The fact is they have probably brought in Platt because Baldwin refused a contract extension. He sounds error prone but he has qualities we need pace and distribution. Chrichlow had errors in him but he did ok

 

There is a signing interview on the Notts County official website in which Matty Platt says;-" I'm also really excited to return to a style of play which has previously brought me success during my time at Barrow under Ian Evatt.
We won the National League in a possession-based system which required me and my fellow defenders to play out from the back, so that's definitely another big draw for me to come here......."

 

He was poor playing that way under Hughes