Do we like Baines in Mid Field?

[agboehm]

Pretty anonymous for most of the game. If we can get a productive left midfielder in front of him, he's the best left back in the league, if not, he's just above average. Unfortunately, Kev plays a bit too far up the field and drifts from left to center to right a bit much (both things we need him to do as one of our only real attacking threats) to form a sustainable partnership with Baines and it doesn't look like Pienaar will ever be back to his old self,so I wouldn't be upset to give it another go in the right circumstances.

 

[matty1878]

Left back please. Were he performs better for us. Albeit not of late but what player has

 

[BoysInBlue]

Better than McGeady.

 

[Frodsham Blue]

I thought he did very well , moreso as it was his first game in midfield.

When did we sign Moreso?

 

[Dithering Dougie]

One of our best players on reputation, but his form is terrible of late. He's been below par for months, ultra negative in the attacking sense and liable to a few errors defensively now. Pushing him further forward for me seems like a desperate attempt by Martinez, there is no way on earth Leighton Baines is a left midfielder. I completely agree, I don't want to see it again. If they were to play together him and Garbutt, I'd like to see it reversed and see what happens...

Neither are suitable in the advanced role, they both require space to move into at full tilt. It's like trying to get square pegs into round holes and will never work. We need Pienaar or Osman fit as soon as possible and then you'll see the best of Baines again at leftback. Until then we're stuck with him at what feels like 3/4 of his ability and moving either of them about the pitch really isn't the answer as they both thrive from the same service.

It's time for Martinez to earn his pay and find a winning formula again with the good players he has at his disposal, but Baines in midfield was always a hipster move that wouldn't come off and it looks like desperation kicked in.

 

[II McColl II]

Could see him easily doing a job on the left wing, he may not be as effective due to the FB knowing he would be a more prominent threat but hes shown before that he can beat a defender in a 1 on 1 situation and hes the best crosser of the ball we have in our team, would also transition with ease between him and garbutt if one is caught out of position.

Would also give us a massive boost in terms of balancing the side every other player that has gone near the left has failed massively only decent player that side imo is Pienaar and i dont think he is up to it anymore.

 

[blue61]

No, thought he was largely ineffective for long periods of the game. Don't get me wrong, there was no shortage of willingness on his behalf, but he just didn't offer anything different to what we've already got and in my opinion he never looked comfortable there. Like I say, that's just my opinion.

Spot on this, he was the hardest working player, but is far more effective from left back when we play the right shape.

 

[TheFinnFan]

In the long run this might be genius stuff. Well done by Martinez experimenting, surely Baines digs it too...makes him more versatile footyballer

 

[raib]

We need to give it a try, then we can see what Garbutt does at left back (if RM can pull this off, it will give us some good options).

If Garbutt does well at left back, then we can rotate between baines and garbutt when we have 2 games to play in a week.

Want to see more of Garbutts corners and see if we can socre goals from them.

 

[toffee matt]

Would rather he plays at left back.

Theirs no point having your best left back on the field but deciding to play him in a position he's never played.

 

[toffee matt]

Garbutt has shown nothing to suggest he should be starting ahead of Baines

 

[BoysInBlue]

Garbutt has shown nothing to suggest he should be starting ahead of Baines

His crossing ability, especially from corners, is far better than Baines.

 

[marty mcfly]

It was a cracking ball, agreed, but it was played late in the second half when he'd gone back to largely playing full back.

I never realized Garbutt was substituted.

 

[maccavennie]

Thought he was just meh, but I tell you what, he shown up the rest of the midfielders on how to make a defence splitting pass because it was an absolute beauty. Lukaku is still probably crying from it as he never gets given a ball like that. If he done 5 of them a game he can be as anonymous as he wants. Still better at lb though he's been piss poor and Garbutt deserved the nod at lb I thought against Newcastle.

 

[marty mcfly]

I thought he did well when playing further back. He seemed to run around a bit like a headless chicken further forward.

We do have cover in that position but he has a better eye for a pass than McCarthy and Besic and better mobility than Barry.

I'm still not sure about the overall benifit to the team. I would like to see Besic and McCarthy play together before coming to any opinion but Baines can definitely do a job there.