Quite a while ago I posted that I was content with this year's squad. Sinc ethen we have had the new signings and I'm more than content. I've also commented on our 'pensioner' status and applaude Jol's move towards youth. I stress towards. Last Saturday against Villa our average staring age was 31.5, the oldest by some distand across the prem clubs that played. (ManU were at the other spectrum - 24.5). I'll take Jol on trust though and agree that he has to 'blood' youngsters gradually. All around that has nontheless been the vexed question of RB. We need a new one, we haven't yet got a new one. For 3 games we had Hughes and on Thursday, Kelly. So what is happening to Chris Baird? Chris by trade is a midfielder but for the past 3 years (including the Euro start this season) he has adequately covered at RB when called on. He's unlikely now to challenge for the middle places so where does that leave him? Can't be age (vis a vis Hughes or Kelly) nor I will argue, ability. Yet he is being cold shouldered on the sub bench and sometimes not even that. Why? Pantsil and (very regretttably) Gera were marginalised in this way, albeit under M Hughes. I do hope this is not the fate of Chris Baird. PS His contract runs until summer 2013 - same as the new one Duff has just signed.
It certainly does have the same air as was around Gera and Pantsil last season. The manager just doesn't appear to rate him, so much so that he'd rather play someone out of position. I can't offer any reasonable speculation other than the above. It would be a shame if Bairdinho were to be marginalised, if only for sentimental reasons. We can only trust Mr Jol and hope he really does know best. On a side note, I thought Kelly was younger than 27 - I think I've been caught out like that before.
I hope that Baird will still play a role. Maybe only sentimental (as Bidley suggests), but he has been an ultimate utility player over the past couple of seasons.
I've seen an interview where Baird says that his best position is centre back. That's where he mostly played for Southampton before coming to us, and Saints fans I know were more sorry to lose him than they were to lose Gareth Bale (who moved to Spurs in the same transfer window as Baird joined us). As far as I know, he hadn't played midfield before Roy tried him there. Baird was one of our best players for much of last season, and after a poor start under Sanchez proved himself a dependable member of the squad, and yet... We're all agreed we need a new right back. Baird is excellent cover at centre back or centre midfield, but those are two positions where we are very strong. At right back he's one of several players who aren't quite good enough, and who are prone to getting found out against the very best opposition. Maybe Jol has it in mind to play Baird today, and therefore didn't select him on Thursday. Maybe he just preferred Kelly - who by all accounts played well. I would be sorry to see Baird leave, but I also think we need someone better than him to be playing regularly. I don't think Kelly or Hughes are the answer at right back, but I don't think Baird is either. I also think right back is the only one of the many positions he plays where I can see him getting close to the starting eleven at the moment. That all adds up to Baird having a marginal role for us this season. It's a shame for Bairdinho, who has served us really well and will, I'm sure, continue to do so when called upon, but Jol - and the rest of us - need to think about what's best for the team, not what's best for our old favourites. Personally, I think there's a degree of bias in some of the assessments of Senderos vs Hughes. Aaron Hughes has been great, and therefore we resent someone taking his place in the team. From my perspective, there's not a lot to choose between Senderos and Hughes defensively, but Senderos is much more comfortable with his distribution, as well as being experienced but also several years younger. I can see why Senderos might get the nod this season.
One of the reasons I admire Baird is that whenever he's been sidelined in the past, there have never been reports of him getting unsettled and wanting to leave. He just seems to keep working and when he's called upon does whatever job is asked of him with the same commitment as if he'd been playing week in week out. I seem to remember he figured very little during the first season and a half under Roy. He then became a regular in Roy's final season before finding himself on the sidelines again under Mark Hughes. Again, he didn't make a fuss and was a key player in our revival of fortunes during the second half of last year. I suspect he'll do the same under Jol, and is bound to be called upon at some point as the fixtures mount up and the squad needs rotating.
Worryingly, there seem to be rumours this morning of Bairdinho going to West Brom. Hopefully that's just the same lazy journalists who think Jol is going sign every spurs player sitting on the bench thinking that because Baird hasn't played a couple of games he must be off to join Roy. As others have said, I do trust Jol and it has to be said that his defensive selections so far have worked out well (albeit against weaker oppo except AV) but to lose a player as versatile as Baird in a season which might (hopefully!) have 60 games doesn't make any sense.
Would be sad to see Baird going. Think he still has a role with us especially if we are to have a long season. Ray knows Baird's value and I'm sure he will try to convice MJ.
Agreed - despite my comments about Baird's shortcomings, I would be very sorry to see him leave the club. He still has a role to play this season, albeit not as one of the first choice eleven (if we sign the long-awaited new right back).
El Capitano's Baird dissertation is full of truth. Still, he should stay as we need to boost our squad and utility players like him will be the ones we lean on.
Equally true Bidley. Our 1st team sqad at the back numbers 7 (I'm adding Briggs - he's not officially listed being under 21 - and dropping Halliche - since Jol has officially said he's on his way out). Baird is one of the 7. To cope with a long season, injuries etc. etc. we'll need all of them AND the new RB. Simon Davies can shuffle in in an emergency, but it would have to be. I'm assuming Jol played Hughes at RB for two reasons - 1. to give Senderos a run out 2. to experiment during games with Riise going forward and the 3 CB's going across to cover Don't think the second has worked. And in prem games we'll need a recognised RB. I takes the points that Chris has done what's best for the club in the past, but worry that he won't always if he sees lesser players getting in ahead of him. He is the Northern Ireland captain, and while I doubt that's in jeopardy, he does have his pride.
I wasn't aware he was NI captain either. All I know is that for me he is still the best right back option we have until a new one comes in and so it is a shame to see him marginalised in a similar way to gera and pantsill.
I thought Aaron Hughes was NI captain but that Baird filled in occasionally and, in particular, was chosen to be captain fairly recently when it was his 50th (or other significant number) cap. Anyway, I think we all agree that we need to hold on to him and hopefully Jol agrees.
Good utility player however if not to be played he should leave. I thought he made murmours in the papers he was not happy on the bench or in his case not getting in the squad. Jol recently spoke positively about him on the FFC website. Could well be a frustrating season for him.
The Times today had a story about "Full Back" Chris Baird being associated with West Brom and Wolves.
