Bristol City boss Steve Cotterill explains new role for Sam Baldock. please log in to view this image Bristol City captain Sam Baldock has scored three goals in four games playing wide on the right. Steve Cotterill reckons Sam Baldock’s natural athleticism has helped him cope with a change of role in Bristol City’s relegation-battling team. Considered an out-and-out striker, Baldock always played down the middle for previous clubs MK Dons and West Ham United. But Robins boss Cotterill recently decided to deploy him in an unfamiliar position wide on the right of a front three. A selfless runner, both with and without the ball, City’s captain has adapted superbly-well, scoring three goals in four games since making the switch. “He’s done well, because he can run,” said Cotterill, who is expected to retain the side that beat Gillingham 2-1 when the Robins take their survival fight to Shrewsbury Town this weekend. “You have to be able to run in this game and that is what Sam does. A lot of the time, wing-backs, full-backs and wingers in the modern game, will reckon on running 12 or 13 kilometres per game and Sam is capable of that.” Since being moved out wide, Baldock has scored goals against Leyton Orient, Tranmere Rovers and Gillingham to help City claim seven points from their last four games and exit the relegation zone. Baldock now has 18 goals in all competitions this season and tally of 16 in League One has been bettered only by Tranmere’s Ryan Lowe. Cotterill added: “I looked up at the clock during the Gillingham game and, although it only said nine minutes, Sam Baldock had had more chances in that wide right position than when he came inside. “When you play down the middle, it is hard to find any space in there. I know it is natural for him, but he has probably scored more goals for me playing wide right or ide left than he has playing centre forward. “The best way to keep a striker happy is for him to keep scoring. And the best way for him to keep the manager happy is to keep playing wide and to keep scoring.” Read more: http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Bristo...tory-20764391-detail/story.html#ixzz2v6Cyjql9
If we go down, Baldock will be the first person out of Ashton Gate. To be near the top scorers in the league at a relegation threatened team is quite remarkable, and although I don't particularly rate him that highly he's done well to prove me wrong that he wasn't suitable at this level. In League 1, we won't get a lot for any players that do decide to leave, so it's very important that he stays. Ultimately, Sam hasn't really done a lot wrong if you look at the number of goals he's scored, but if moving him to the wings will help introduce other players to their preferred roles I say go for it.
Funnily enough a lot of people love stating the fact that since SC has come in JET has lost the plot But no one was mentioned since Sc has come in he's turned Baldock into a goal machine??
Wasn't he still in the top scorers for the league when SOD was manager? I think Baldock has always scored goals for us, but it's just that when your midfield is ****, and your defense leaks like a colander it doesn't really mean much.
Without looking at the stats and facts, pretty sure he's scored in every game since SC has been here?? Bar a few games
Cotterill says the bleeding obvious and makes out he's a genius. So Baldock's playing wide right. FFS - If it was such a Cotterill masterplan, why did the genius wait till Wagstaff got injured. Not surprised some on here believe the idiot's latest B/S, as do I'm sure, the tw*ts who employed him.
To be fair when Wagstaff got injured he had a number of options (and having re-read the article I don't see him saying he's a genius?) - personally I don't particularly like our shape when Sammy plays out there, but then one of the great things about football is that there are many opinions
Whether we stay up or not, Baldock will leave us in the Summer I'm afraid. Why on earth would he want to stay...........?
The football was nearly there just as SOD got the chop,personally liked his football over cotterills. I thought it starting to come together then bang he was sacked or they parted company.
SOD played Baldock down the middle with JET behind. this clearly only worked for JET. We hardly ever won, Cotts plays Sammy out wide and we are winning and he is scoring for fun. Long may it continue
Sam Baldock has scored 10 goals in 18 games under Cotterill. From those 18 games, he failed to score in 9 of them. Sheffield United A, Oldham A, Carlisle H , Coventry H , Brentford A, Watford (A CUP), Bradford A, Watford (H CUP) and Rotherham H. Since the arrival of Cotterill, Baldock's longest run without a goal was 4 games. Which was between January 28th - February 11th. Baldock currently has 3 goals in 4 games. Stats and facts.
Things would have improved under SOD. It took the Barcelona team the best part of a decade to learn how to play well together, and in teams with strong academies that play good football like Crewe most of these players also play together for a number of years. We brought in a number of new players, and drastically tried to change how we play. While I'm not convinced that we'd be able to play such a possession-based game in League 1 I really believe that with another year SOD would have had the team playing good football. It would have been in League 2, but it would have been good. Sam Baldock will stay if the money is there for him. He'll probably earn more here than he would at any other League 1 team, and I doubt any Championship teams will come knocking in the summer. However, I reckon Lansdown will cut the budget even further, until the club can sustain itself in the lower leagues.
'We hardly ever won, Cotts plays Sammy out wide' for the inept Wagstaffe 'and we are winning and he is scoring for fun' Spot on Shiny.
