Baxter happy with response to his style

Baxter has been in pre-season with Chiefs for a month working on preparing his team for the new season while also implanting his philosophy.

"It would be a miracle if I said we are at 100 percent as that is not where we are. I think of what we have seen from the team we have about 25 percent of work left. It would be very strange to be at 100 percent," says Baxter, who is however pleased with how they are playing in certain areas.

"Certain areas, the way we play I am very pleased but we still have work to do. We will get better as we go along and hopefully we can pick up some good results at the beginning (of the season) that it will give us more confidence and desire to want to keep doing the job the right way. The Derby will be an important to test some of the things we have been working on," he says.

Baxter has taken over a team that had a disastrous run last season coupled with internal personality clashes in the camp which eventually led to the premature sacking of Vladimir Vermezovic.

"I don't like talking about colleagues and you will have to ask other people around if there is a big difference between me and the former coach. I try to do the job my way and I try to treat the players with respect and I try to help the individual players and I try to help the unit of the team and club as a whole. That is the way I have always worked. I think if you treat people with respect and you try to explain to them why we are doing things then I think you get a better response," says Baxter.

The Englishman heads into his first Derby tomorrow well aware of what kind of game it is despite this particular match being influenced by fans.

"We will approach the game knowing too well that this is for the supporters and an interesting format. It is a passionate affair because there is never a friendly game between Chiefs and Pirates. We just have to get on with it and try and win this game. Our main objective is to entertain the fans and hopeful get a result.

"When I was still the national coach I used to enjoy watching the Derby games. People back home would ask me about it because I have been in Derby games in Europe and Asia. However, I always tell them that nothing that I have seen there compares to the Soweto Derby.

“So as a coach it will be an honour and a pleasure to take part in it. If you see a Derby in Stockholm where there is 35 000 people, it is a much more intense attitude of the supporters but here it is like a massive party," says Baxter.