Christian, who - with Scottish team mate Don Hutchison - picked up a yellow card on Saturday, is worried that officials are being too intransigent.
Derby had five players booked in a game that, despite being hard fought, was far from vicious, and he says:
"I don't think it was niggly; it's upsetting for
the players when there are little odd challenges going in and
everything is getting a booking - it makes a mockery of it.
"It's difficult to know what to say about it; it is going
to get like basketball where you can't touch anybody or it is a
free kick.
"But what can you do - every tackle is a card, and the refs
are going to have to be careful and make sure they don't make a
shambles out of it."
Perhaps the big surprise was that there were no red cards, although Craig Burley could easily have got one for his late tackle on Rigobert Song on the stroke of half time after he had earlier been booked for fouling Joe Cole.
The referee chose, however, to take no action except blowing up early for the break.
Says Christian: "Conveniently the half time whistle went.
"That is the problem refs have got; if they are going to start booking people after five minutes it will become more and more difficult for teams to finish with eleven men.
"The ref had to make a decision there and the easy way out was to blow for half time.
"But I think you have to let a couple go and see how it goes; if boys are not trying to maim each other, but just put tackles in, there should be no problem.
"We're trying to play fair and getting punished for it."
Of the game overall, he says: "It went all right and a draw was, probably, a fair result with both sides having chances.
"But we created quite a number of chances and we were away so, on the balance of it, we probably deserved to win the game.
"We looked solid again but it would be nice to get a couple of goals.
"It's not quite falling for us in front of goal but I'm very confident it will happen."
It was Christian's first return to Derby since leaving three years ago, and he adds: "It was great to come back because I loved it at Derby, and I got a good reception from the fans.
"It was what I would expect because they are great supporters."
Christian is delighted that Don Hutchison has signed for the Hammers - and rejects the notion that the fee was too high for a 30 year old.
"Nobody at West Ham cares what people say anyway," he says.
"He is a very fit guy and it is a great signing; he is a good lad and a good character, and he will definitely do well for us.
"It is great to see Hutch at our place."