Chris Baird has got a reputation as Fulham’s Mr. Fix It. When Roy Hodgson needed a job doing in central midfield, he turned to the boy from Ballymena. Baird saw off Juventus, in the absence of Danny Murphy, without a problem. He’s been outstanding at right back over the last couple of seasons, despite his difficult start to his Fulham career in that position, and even popped up with a couple of outstanding strikes at Stoke last year from left back. He’s seldom played at centre back – his natural position – but when he has, like this season with Aaron Hughes injured, he has been superb.

Baird’s interview with Simon Peach of the Press Association – published this afternoon – is engaging and, as we’ve come to expect, modest.

Things are not going too badly at the moment. In the last couple of games at home, the results have been disappointing but performances have been excellent.

Sunderland at the weekend was not a bad result for us, but if you look at the opportunities we had to score, I think we should have taken one of them at least. But it is another clean sheet for us and there are positives in the game and we will take it into Arsenal

I have [played across the defence] and played as left-back on Saturday. I don’t mind where I play as long as I am in the team, playing well. That’s the most important thing for me, helping the team, and hopefully that will continue.

He doesn’t fancy being the man who has to quell Theo Walcott’s raw pace at the Emirates on Saturday night, though.

No, no, he is very quick. Theo was fantastic, even at such a young age [at Southampton].

Obviously he was thrown in the team but the more games he played, the more confident he got, scoring a few goals. His pace always caused defenders problems. I am glad he is doing well at Arsenal. He deserves it.

He has been fantastic for them this season so it is a hard game for us. We will go there with our confidence and see what happens.

Arsenal are on fire right now. They had a really poor start but they have turned it round massively. They have got Robin van Persie banging in the goals for them so we have to be on our game to stop him and Arsenal from getting their result.