Wishlist Leighton Baines

[different level 1,056]

Do you think he is better than Ash? I really haven't watched enough Everton matches, but he receives a lot of praise especially for his attacking ability. Is he also that good defensively?

[Spike 12,049]

Baines is one of my favourite English players at the moment. He would make a good Three Lions skipper for a number of reasons:

1. He doesn't fuck up in his personal life.

2. He doesn't fuck up on the pitch.

3. He doesn't fuck up on the training ground or at his club.

4. He is consummate professional.

5. He might actually bring good p/r to England.

But saying that he probably wouldn't want to be the skipper of England.

[Stats 7,059]

Do you think he is better than Ash? I really haven't watched enough Everton matches, but he receives a lot of praise especially for his attacking ability. Is he also that good defensively?

Do you think he is better than Ash? I really haven't watched enough Everton matches, but he receives a lot of praise especially for his attacking ability. Is he also that good defensively?

IMO yes. People will always say Cole is best LB in the world due to his status but last 2 seasons and this season, Baines has outperformed most LB. He is stronger, faster, better technique, provides more off an attacking outlet and his defending is not bad either. Pardew summed it up after the Newcastle game, the gap between him and Cole is not far apart. From what I have seen Baines is better. Cole is still a brilliant LB but not the one he used to be where he would attack and defend brilliantly. He has made his share of mistakes this season and has looked fragile. Baines is a big reason why Everton are challenging for the top 4. Really underrated.

[Damo810 5]

I haven't read all of this topic, but here's my two cents on Baines.

Quite possibly the best Lb in the league, his link up play with Pienaar, his crosses and Fk are all top drawer. But, he's 28 and costs in the region of 20M. That for a Lb is an astonishing figure and for someone who in 3 years time will be worse off than our current choice, it doesn't make financial sense. He isn't a valuable investment long term, even short term that kind of money won't pay off.

Give Cole a one year rolling contract, gradually ease in Bertrand and/or PvA who is progressing nicely at Vitesse. Give both a chance without going out and spending 20M on Coentrao who hasn't been at his best at Madrid.

The current difference between Baines and Cole isn't huge, certainly not a 20M gap anyways. We should know by now theres better value fullbacks about, look at Azpilicueta for example.

[Svita 10 186]

Him or give big chance to Bertrand?

[DH1988 1,304]

Bertrand clearly not ready, Baines for £15m would be a steal and he's 28 so give him a 3 and a half year contract then when its up Bertrand is ready, maybe a year before.

[Henrique 9,133]

Lampard leaving, Terry will leave in 2014 summer, Cole is leaving as well, and I never see us linked with english players.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

Lampard leaving, Terry will leave in 2014 summer, Cole is leaving as well, and I never see us linked with english players.

Fortunely we WILL have to buy english players in order to fill the homegrown rules. Better those who come will be good/very good.

[Styles 9,790]

Baines is a very good player, I've heard him described as 'almost like a playmaker from left-back' and I'd agree. If he was a bit younger I'd be all for this transfer but he's 28. Pity for him he is around in the same time as Ashley Cole because his career would be very different otherwise.

[zolayes 14,489]

Im not sure Bertrand will ever be more than a second choice left back

[Magic Lamps 11,668]

Leighton Baines has succeeded Ashley Cole as the best leftt back in the world in 2012. His crossing is Beckham-esque, he's got the pace and technique of a class winger and is defensively as apt as anyone. Yeah 15m should be limit considering he is will be 29 at the end of this year. We must bring in experienced players, cos the board wants to get rid of the ones we already got. No idea whether Baines is a leader, Fullback seldom are.

The problem is, if we do not sell him he will go to ManU and we all know he will get even better there.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Personally I'd prefer to give Ashley Cole and extension and get Luke Shaw from Southampton. The kid is only 17 and has impressed every time I've seen him, plus he's English. Baines has had a great couple of seasons but we could probably tie up Cole and Shaw for the same amount of money we'd need to spend on Baines.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

You have to remember, Baines is very successful at Everton because of his link-up play with Pienaar on the same flank. Both of them will defend and attack, so they can alternate. If we were to sign Baines I think he'd be too exposed on the left, because it's not like Hazard or Mata will be doing the same kind of job Pienaar does. Food for thought.

[Styles 9,790]

You have to remember, Baines is very successful at Everton because of his link-up play with Pienaar on the same flank. Both of them will defend and attack, so they can alternate. If we were to sign Baines I think he'd be too exposed on the left, because it's not like Hazard or Mata will be doing the same kind of job Pienaar does. Food for thought.

But on the other hand he would offer us far more going forward than Ashley Cole does today. Baines' delivery from open play and set-pieces is arguably the best in the league. He effectively changes the way teams line-up against them by forcing them to overload their right side. We played Ramires there to counter his threat and he still ended up having a very good game.

Defensively Ashley is stronger. If Ashley had good power and accuracy with his crosses he'd be comfortably better but offensively his delivery in the final third is very poor.

If we were playing a poor team at home and we have 70% of the ball I'd prefer Baines to Ashley. If we're playing Barcelona at home and we need our defenders to defend I'd prefer Ashley.

[Stats 7,059]

Going to again state that I want Baines as our LB next season. Cole is not at it any more and next season onwards will only decline, lets face it. Against Southampton tonight, Cole was not shit but what did he offer going forward. A game like this, where your LB is considered by many as the best in his position in the world you would expect much more. If Baines was playing, you would of seen a much more deadlier attack who support the wide players. Cesar was decent going forward but we need a Baines type player to do the exact same thing on the other flank. This is why at points this season at home especially we have looked clueless in looking to score the goals when needed. We need help from the fullback/wingbacks and especially from Cole which he is not doing much any more. Every game I watch Baines I think what a quality player, who pretty much offers you everything you need and rarely slips up in defence.

[TacticalBlues 2,817]

Good player but what of Van Aanholt? Since Rutten took over he along with Kalas, but especially PVA, have been hugely impressive. PVA filled in Buttner (who Alex Ferguson signed for United) boots and has shown even more ability than he did.

[Shogun 721]

It honestly wouldn't be worth us selling him for less than £25m and it wouldn't be worth any other team buying him for more than £15m. He's a grounded home boy and pretty much the perfect footballing role model on and off the pitch.

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

It honestly wouldn't be worth us selling him for less than £25m and it wouldn't be worth any other team buying him for more than £15m. He's a grounded home boy and pretty much the perfect footballing role model on and off the pitch.

In a case like this (where a player is worth more to his club than he would be to anyone else) the only way the player moves is if he wants to go. It would be reasonable at his age to want a crack at winning the Premier League or the Champions League, but for some players, being in a good, comfortable situation is more to their liking. To each their own.