Max Bird

[Curtains]

7 minutes ago, jimtastic56 said:

Max better get used to close attention, Oxford stuck their No 11 on him and he nullified Bird for the most part. Max could watch tapes of Mason Mount playing for Rams - He was on the move for 90 minutes.

Just the first game mate .

He will be fine. 

[Premier ram]

Max Bird is class , he will learn from Saturday

[Scott129]

I still thought he was good on Saturday, even if he was man-marked from start to finish ?‍♂️

[sage]

20 hours ago, jimtastic56 said:

Max better get used to close attention, Oxford stuck their No 11 on him and he nullified Bird for the most part. Max could watch tapes of Mason Mount playing for Rams - He was on the move for 90 minutes.

They play different positions. If he is the only DCM, he can't go wandering off everywhere. 

[Ambitious]

Karl Robinson is a shrewd manager. Bird is the ball playing midfielder and if you leave him to his own devices then he will cause problems. 

Thorne got the same treatment too in his time here, when he was at the height of his ability. 

Agree about the challenge. Referee was far too lenient, but we also let fly into a few challenges. Given the size of the squad we could do without.   

[brady1993]

Oxford did somewhat cleverly shift to man mark and make sure they cut down the passing lanes into him. 

To be honest I'm not sure it was so much Bird didn't get a half yard enough on his marker and more that players around him didn't have the confidence to give him the ball. There were a fair few times I noticed where players just didn't back themselves to execute the pass into Bird when it was on but there wasn't huge room for error.

The thing is Bird of all the people in the squad you can pass to him under pressure and be confident we retain it. And that's perhaps what we need to get better at as a team because it isn't always going to be easy passes into wide open space. I suspect that will improve as the season goes. 

The other thing is, when it's happening the two more advanced midfielders need to recognise this more and show for the ball more than they did on Saturday. 

[jimtastic56]

1 hour ago, sage said:

They play different positions. If he is the only DCM, he can't go wandering off everywhere. 

Agree. But he can’t be like a traffic cone either. Has to lose his man and make himself available. Only has to move 3 yards.

[brady1993]

9 minutes ago, jimtastic56 said:

Agree. But he can’t be like a traffic cone either. Has to lose his man and make himself available. Only has to move 3 yards.

Thing is he was doing that pretty much throughout. Just players around him in the build up need to back themselves a bit more to pass to players under a little pressure.

[JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta]

The benefit of opposition teams putting dedicated players on Bird is that it potentially opens up space for other midfielders. We just have to play it smart and cut out the hospital passes, of which there were multiple on Saturday. A few times the pass was underhit then an Oxford players eyes would light up and go flying in to a challenge.

[DavesaRam]

There has been plenty of mentions of “that tackle”, but actually he got clogged three times, needing lengthy treatment for two of those, and was clearly limping after the match.

Get used to it, Max, there will be lots more like that. Take it as a compliment - you are better than all the thugs put together!

[Donegal Ram]

4 hours ago, JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta said:

The benefit of opposition teams putting dedicated players on Bird is that it potentially opens up space for other midfielders. We just have to play it smart and cut out the hospital passes, of which there were multiple on Saturday. A few times the pass was underhit then an Oxford players eyes would light up and go flying in to a challenge.

It should be a benefit but, bird does not show often enough for the ball to drag the players out of position, Therefore leaving no space in midfield for our centre backs to pass through, hence the reason why they gave the ball away at times when they had to play like Beckenbauer. 

[RamuelLJackson]

5 hours ago, JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta said:

A few times the pass was underhit then an Oxford players eyes would light up and go flying in to a challenge.

[RoyMac5]

 

[VulcanRam]

Been better the last few games, arguably hitting his best form of the season so far.

[Bald Eagle's Barmy Army]

Would love to see him score a couple in those games. I think a goal or two would do him the world of good.

[Magicman]

He needs to play higher up the field at times and has a great left foot to hit them but never seemed confident enough. 

[jimtastic56]

On 12/12/2022 at 14:01, Bald Eagle's Barmy Army said:

Would love to see him score a couple in those games. I think a goal or two would do him the world of good.

True. Because 2 goals in 121 games is simply appalling for any outfield player. Perhaps he could look at a few videos of how George Thorne used to do it from DM.

[jono]

On 12/12/2022 at 14:10, Magicman said:

He needs to play higher up the field at times and has a great left foot to hit them but never seemed confident enough. 

I think because Rooney was coaching him as a string pulling DM he had a bit of a label put on him; but like you I think he is way more dangerous / effective higher up

[Reggie Greenwood]

41 minutes ago, jimtastic56 said:

True. Because 2 goals in 121 games is simply appalling for any outfield player. Perhaps he could look at a few videos of how George Thorne used to do it from DM.

Loved George but 4 goals in 70 league and cup games was hardly prolific as well. 

[Ghost of Clough]

1 hour ago, jimtastic56 said:

True. Because 2 goals in 121 games is simply appalling for any outfield player. Perhaps he could look at a few videos of how George Thorne used to do it from DM.

How many of those games were before he turned 20?

Thorne for example, joined us as a 21 year old, in a very good attacking side, and got 5 goals and 6 assists in 73 games. 

Bird was at a similar age only at the start of the 21/22 season. I'm sure you know the circumstances around that season were as far away as possible from where we were in the 2013-16 period. Yet, Bird has still registered 3 goals and 6 assists in the 71 games since the start of last season.