Baird: A Step In The Right Direction

Chris Baird believes that Derby County are moving in the right direction as they fought back to earn a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage against Fulham on Saturday.

The Rams struggled in the first half and went behind thanks to Oliver Norwood’s long-range free-kick, but Matej Vydra popped up to score his seventh league goal of the season early in the second half and level the scores.

Baird highlighted the ‘unpredictable’ nature of the Sky Bet Championship and he thinks that the point was a forward step after the defeat to Reading prior to the international break.

He told RamsTV: “The games are unpredictable, it’s always tough in the Championship but we’ll go into the QPR game full of confidence because we’re pushing in the right direction.

“It was a fair result in the end, they didn’t have too many chances, they had all of the possession but it was all in front of us and we defended when we had to defend.

“When we scored, we had a 15-minute period where we could’ve got another one, it wasn’t to be but I think that all in all, a draw was a fair result.

“It was a great reaction from Tom in the first place to win the ball back, then he went on a mazy run and scooped the ball through and Vyds does what he does, when he gets a chance, he finishes.”

The game was Baird’s first appearance for the Rams since the draw against Birmingham City in September, and the defender says that he’ll always be ready and available to perform for Gary Rowett when needed.

He said: “If I’m called upon, I’ll do my job and if not, I’ll always be ready.

“There are other players that come off the bench and make an impact as well, it’s not just about whether you start or not, it’s about the squad.”