Baird Is Undroppable

[Derby blood]

This is a close call, I think Baird suits us more, due to experience, and reading of the game, as Christee gets older he will learn more about positioning and reading of the game, this comes with experience, also Baird covers the centre backs better, wins more balls in the air, and gets the best out of Tom, I think the clean sheets with Baird in the side proves all these points, we are lucky to have such good right backs at this level. And if we keep winning, and keeping clean sheets Baird will keep his place in the side, reminds me a bit of Edworthy, although Baird is a lot better in the air.

[Ellafella]

10 hours ago, Todd Is God said:

Better defender than Cyrus - key to our defensive improvement since he actually stops crosses coming in. This is a big thing in a full back. More important than jinking runs and iffy crosses. He's starting to look like a version of Denis Irwin.

Quite right Sir.

first and foremost a full-back is a defender. Whilst Cyrus adds excitement all too often his crosses come to nought. The Baird though is solid...and it's no coincidence that Ince works better  because he is free to lurk forward  knowing the Baird has his rear covered. 

[IlsonDerby]

9 hours ago, Ninos said:

Ideally but at this level - the championship - Christie is about the best you could hope for and Baird about the best backup. A Hector Bellerin we definitely won't attract.

I think our strong interest in the attacking fullback fella at hearts confirms that the club is thinking the same sort of thing though 

I would say that actually Bairds passing and crossing has put Christie's to shame. That's not me bashing Cyrus cos I rate him but Baird has been spectacular and unfair to knock his attacking intent. 

Lets be honest Christie would have never played that ball to Ince for our second goal v the dogs. 

[eddie]

10 hours ago, Ninos said:

Decent? suspect ? That's not bashing ? He's far better than decent and suspect. And he's a damn solid defender too. Contrast that with an equally good but slower defender who basically doesn't have the attacking tools to maraud forward. You sound like you want us to be a Burnley rather than a Liverpool.

 

It's a natural reaction against the imbeciles who required a scapegoat for any poor team performance.

[DRBee]

1 hour ago, eddie said:

It's a natural reaction against the imbeciles who required a scapegoat for any poor team performance.

OK you've learnt a new word and want to use it, but in a thread where people are discussing different views on a player why does this have to be seen as scapegoating or those making the comments be imbeciles?

Baird has shown a better positional sense as a defender in the recent games and he is more aware of other players for passing to than Christie is often is. Christie is inconsistent. When he's good we would all want him in the team, but we've all seen the many times when he hangs on to the ball too long , oblivious to others he could have passed to ; and the times when he seems to lose concentration and forget about his defensive responsibilities.

[Ninos]

1 hour ago, eddie said:

It's a natural reaction against the imbeciles who required a scapegoat for any poor team performance.

Right, but what makes it boggling is that we haven't even had a poor team performance, especially from the defence. I think criticism of the defensive unit must be muted - they are simply that good, all of them. 

[Ramarena]

Legend

[Ninos]

3 minutes ago, DRBee said:

OK you've learnt a new word and want to use it, but in a thread where people are discussing different views on a player why does this have to be seen as scapegoating or those making the comments be imbeciles?

Baird has shown a better positional sense as a defender in the recent games and he is more aware of other players for passing to than Christie is often is. Christie is inconsistent. When he's good we would all want him in the team, but we've all seen the many times when he hangs on to the ball too long , oblivious to others he could have passed to ; and the times when he seems to lose concentration and forget about his defensive responsibilities.

Most premier league right backs such as Bellerin Clyne Walker and Zabaleta are more mature versions of Christie but make the same mistakes as Christie. What about them?  Oblivious to their defensive duties too are they? Christie surprise surprise is a very strong attacking defender. Don't pick at him just because he's injured and not playing.

[eddie]

7 minutes ago, Ninos said:

Right, but what makes it boggling is that we haven't even had a poor team performance, especially from the defence. I think criticism of the defensive unit must be muted - they are simply that good, all of them. 

Completely and utterly agree with this.

[FindernRam]

The Baird/Ince link up is more comfortable than Christie /Ince  so is my choice. If Ince is out for any reason I would put Christie in at RB for the forward flair.

He does need to up his game on crossing though!

[IlsonDerby]

15 minutes ago, Ninos said:

Most premier league right backs such as Bellerin Clyne Walker and Zabaleta are more mature versions of Christie but make the same mistakes as Christie. What about them?  Oblivious to their defensive duties too are they? Christie surprise surprise is a very strong attacking defender. Don't pick at him just because he's injured and not playing.

I'd say the best right back of the last few years in the premier league was zabaleta, not so much now but a few seasons back he was a a beast and he was defence first attack second. 

Also I don't think anybody is picking on Christie? It's okay to think Baird is more solid but less exciting?

11 minutes ago, eddie said:

Completely and utterly agree with this.

The thread is titled Baird is undroppable not Cyrus is crap. I haven't seen much in the way of scapegoating or bashing just people arguing the pros and cons of two players in the same position. Is that such a bad thing? 

 

I don't think it's any coincidence that all 4 of our full backs that have featured this season have looked brilliant since McClaren started utilising Powells experience to work with them. They all looked shaky under Pearson now they all look brilliant. 

[richinspain]

As many have stated both players bring different, but important, factors to the team. Obviously the ideal player would be a combination of the two, but without spending big we won't be getting that, plus at this moment we'd probably have to convince someone to drop down a level. I'm hoping two things will happen. That Baird can keep up his excellent form (his career to date would suggest that he shouldn't drop below a 6 or even 7).

 The other is that Christie is watching closely what it is that makes Baird so impressive. That he is learning the theory of what makes a good defensive full back who can also be an attacking threat on occasions. If he can add this to his physical attributes then he will be a very very good full back. Watch and learn. Use the time out to study and think how he can adjust his game to step up a level. I'm not saying he's a poor full back, far from it, but he can become something even better.

[eddie]

34 minutes ago, DRBee said:

OK you've learnt a new word and want to use it, but in a thread where people are discussing different views on a player why does this have to be seen as scapegoating or those making the comments be imbeciles?

Baird has shown a better positional sense as a defender in the recent games and he is more aware of other players for passing to than Christie is often is. Christie is inconsistent. When he's good we would all want him in the team, but we've all seen the many times when he hangs on to the ball too long , oblivious to others he could have passed to ; and the times when he seems to lose concentration and forget about his defensive responsibilities.

It isn't.

It's pointing out that two months ago, the prat element of our fanbase (aka the imbeciles) were all in favour of shipping out Pearce, Johnson, Butterfield and Baird as dead wood, surplus to requirements, a waste of space and among the worst signings in Derby's history.

 

[BarrowRam]

Good to see bird playing well. Never thought he was going to play as well as he has.

[Kernow]

12 hours ago, brady1993 said:

However there has been times in games recently we have missed Christie's ability to carry the ball and be an attacking threat out-wide. It's usually been when the opposition has managed to shut us down going through the middle that we've needed what Christie gives to help unlock the opposition.

On the contrary, it is very unlikely we would have got to witness that wonderful Ince goal vs Forest if Christie was playing ahead of Baird. Look at the space Baird finds himself in. If that was Christie, you just know he would start bombing it down the wing, go inside, go outside, go inside, go inside, cut back, pass to Ince and so on... Christie is dangerous going forward, but in instances like that, we were fortunate that Baird cannot go bombing on down the wing with the ball at his feet and instead chose to play the most perfect of passes you'll ever see.

[Sexydadbod]

1 hour ago, eddie said:

It isn't.

It's pointing out that two months ago, the prat element of our fanbase (aka the imbeciles) were all in favour of shipping out Pearce, Johnson, Butterfield and Baird as dead wood, surplus to requirements, a waste of space and among the worst signings in Derby's history.

 

You seem to have an unhealthy obsession with some parts of the Derby fan base, don't let it get to you. Maybe you have a guilty conscience and it's a bluff. Maybe you're the one who boos the players every game!!!   But in all seriousness it's easy to say in hindsight  now them players are playing well. I don't think anyone was calling those players you listed crap, just merely that they didn't fit the style which at the time was correct. It shows how hard the players have worked in training in order to fit into the team's style of play.

[Sexydadbod]

Baird's the northern Irish Lahm

[brady1993]

13 hours ago, Ninos said:

Ideally but at this level - the championship - Christie is about the best you could hope for and Baird about the best backup. A Hector Bellerin we definitely won't attract.

I think our strong interest in the attacking fullback fella at hearts confirms that the club is thinking the same sort of thing though 

I disagree I think we can do better at this level, (although we won't find a fullback with Christie's dribbling ability) and I think it's why (as you correctly point out) we are strongly interested in the full back from Hearts.

[brady1993]

13 hours ago, Todd Is God said:

Maybe.  Nothing wrong with Burnley. Or clean sheets - which we get with Baird in the team but rarely get with Cyrus  - who tends to get out of position on occasions and doesn't always bust a gut to stop a cross coming in. How many goals have we conceded since Cyrus got injured?

This is just flat false. And to answer your question we have conceded 2 goals in 5.5 games compared to conceding 2 goals in the 6.5 games post-pearson whilst Christie was playing.

[brady1993]

1 hour ago, Kernow said:

On the contrary, it is very unlikely we would have got to witness that wonderful Ince goal vs Forest if Christie was playing ahead of Baird. Look at the space Baird finds himself in. If that was Christie, you just know he would start bombing it down the wing, go inside, go outside, go inside, go inside, cut back, pass to Ince and so on... Christie is dangerous going forward, but in instances like that, we were fortunate that Baird cannot go bombing on down the wing with the ball at his feet and instead chose to play the most perfect of passes you'll ever see.

You definitely have a point with that and you're right we wouldn't have scored that goal at Forest with Christie playing. However I don't think it necessarily contradicts my point. The game that really springs to mind is Norwich at home, where we were struggling to go through the middle of them and needed to try utilise the wings more but we didn't have that outlet out on the wide right. I do think this is a minor issue right now though and there is a good chance (as you point out) that overall Baird's distribution makes up for it.