Former Derby County striker Malcolm Christie has now praised winger Joe Ward for his performance in the 3-0 victory over Port Vale at the weekend.
Derby got back to winning ways in League One with a fine display against strugglers Port Vale.
Following back-to-back defeats against Barnsley and Charlton Athletic, Paul Warne’s side could ill-afford to lose further ground in the promotion race and he pulled off a tactical masterclass.
His switch to a three-at-the-back system to accommodate Louie Sibley and Joe Ward as wing-backs worked a treat.
Derby were afforded acres of space on the flanks and that is how each of their goals were scored.
Ward assisted Sibley on two occasions while Ebou Adams’ sumptuous cross for Dwight Gayle saw him bag his first goal for the club.
The man who was signed from Peterborough United in the summer, Ward, has endured a difficult time at Pride Park through injuries and failing to find his feet, but on Saturday he showed glimpses of his best form.
Malcolm Christie hails Joe Ward as ‘exceptional’ in Port Vale win
Former Derby County striker Malcolm Christie – who made over a century of appearances for the club – gave his thoughts on the win over Port Vale.
He picked out several players for praise but was most impressed with the performance of Ward.
Speaking on the BBC Radio Derby ‘Rams Daily’ podcast, Christie said: “The performance of Joe Ward was exceptional, was outstanding. We challenged before the game could Joe Ward and Louie Sibley be high on the pitch and they certainly were high, it was a 3-4-1-2 really, they were almost playing as wingers at times.
“And that’s the way that we have to play if we’re going to play that formation it doesn’t need to be in the form of negative. It has to be 3 at the back with the positivity of the two wingbacks getting and it worked. They combined excellently for the last goal.”
Warne unlocked the best version of Ward against Port Vale
On several occasions this season, Warne tried to use Ward as a right-back and it didn’t work.
The 28-year-old was often criticised for his calamitous defensive displays, however, he is best used further forward.
In the 3-4-3 system deployed by Warne, the former Peterborough man is given license to get forward and cause damage in the final third.
Not only does this give the Rams a weapon of mass destruction in the opponent’s half, but it limits the work he has to do defensively with the wide centre-back offering protection.
With Ward and Sibley used as wing-backs, Derby were able to play some free-flowing football and that has rarely been the case this season.
The only issue Warne has with using this formation is where the likes of Craig Forsyth and Ryan Nyambe fit into it once they return.
They’ve been excellent as full-backs but it’s impossible to drop the duo that were influential in Saturday’s win, potentially giving the manager a headache moving forward.