Damien Duff

[strangeirish]

I'm intrigued as to what this meant? Sorry I almost feel like I'm intruding on a private, and somewhat baffling conversation here:confused::confused:
Dear me?


He's expensive.

[NeilMcD]

Think Rafa was just expressing a gallic shrug of indifference, an answer that proves his point if you like, Duff beating a Cypriot full back hardly proves he's still a good player, even if it answers Rafa's question

Well if Duffs contribution is to beat the likes of Cypriots full backs over the next few years I will have him in the squad and team. Lets be honest Most teams in our groups are of the ability of Cyprus. There really is a grouping or how do I put this a joining of teams of the 5th 4th 3rd and 2nd sees at international level. So I do not think that beating a Cypiriot full back with ease and setting up a goal is anything to be sneezed at for a country of about 4 million.

[tetsujin1979]

and I as well Neil, beating the lower ranked sides is something we've always struggled with, and until someone better than Duff comes along (and I don't mean Stephen Hunt) then it's his place to lose.

[irishfan86]

If McGeady improves and Liam Lawrence is given a shot, I could see Duff being dropped- but to say that Duff should be automatically dropped at this stage is unfair, certainly when you consider what he's done for us over the years.

[geysir]

If McGeady improves and Liam Lawrence is given a shot, I could see Duff being dropped- but to say that Duff should be automatically dropped at this stage is unfair, certainly when you consider what he's done for us over the years.
"If" is not an argument.

There is nothing at all to consider about Duff's past performances. Doesn't mean diddly to Trap.
It is his very good performances for us now which make him an automatic (no brainer) choice to be in the first team.

[gustavo]

I agree , Club form is what should get you into an international team and then your form for the country is what should keep you in it

[Colie]

Picked at left full today. Will he become the next Zinedine Kilbane?

[elroy]

Where to now for Duffer? Will he get a move to an EPL team or is it the championship for him next year? I hope not, i think if he ends up playing in the championship it will be the beginning of the end for him. We need Duffer to give us 3/4 more years at the top.

[Colbert Report]

Sadly I fear this is the end of the line for Duff. He has no pace to beat right fulls anymore, so he can't be a viable option on the left wing, yet he can't tackle well enough to drop back and be a full time left back. If he's willing to take a massive pay cut he could wind up on the books of one of the three newly promoted teams, but I can't see any other Premiership team bringing him in given his injury trouble. Hull maybe? Too much of a risk I think.

He can't be blamed for playing out the final year of his contract down in the Championship with Newcastle. He's on massive money that he'll never see again.

[tetsujin1979]

He was linked with wolves already, but that will probably happen to most irish players

[tetsujin1979]

He was linked with wolves already, but that will probably happen to most irish players who are relegated or out of contract.

[elroy]

He can't be blamed for playing out the final year of his contract down in the Championship with Newcastle. He's on massive money that he'll never see again.

I think I may have read somewhere recently that alot of the big earners at Newcastle dont have a relegation clause in their contract but surely you would expect that Duff will have to take an automatic pay cut if he stays with Newcastle. There will be a big clear out at newcastle nonetheless, Owen, Taylor, Martins, Viduka, Owen will all definitely depart imo.

[John83]

I think I may have read somewhere recently that alot of the big earners at Newcastle dont have a relegation clause in their contract but surely you would expect that Duff will have to take an automatic pay cut if he stays with Newcastle.
Contracts don't work that way.

[Colbert Report]

I think I may have read somewhere recently that alot of the big earners at Newcastle dont have a relegation clause in their contract but surely you would expect that Duff will have to take an automatic pay cut if he stays with Newcastle. There will be a big clear out at newcastle nonetheless, Owen, Taylor, Martins, Viduka, Owen will all definitely depart imo.

Yeah, contracts don't work that way. Some players will have it written in that if the team gets relegated, they are a free agent. Duff definitely does not have this clause and even if he did he wouldn't want to leave, because he wouldn't be on half the wages he's on now anywhere else. Newcastle will likely have to buy him out and release him, which I don't see happening. Best case scenario for both sides is if he accepts a small release package and gets on with a Premier League team for around 20k/week. I believe he's on 65k a week now.

[danonion]

Contracts don't work that way.

wrong

[Metrostars]

wrong

You're right. From what I heard is that most teams who are relegation candidates do have "relegation clauses" in their players' contracts. But apparently not Newcastle.

[SilkCut]

wrong


Not entirely wrong, what clubs who are relegated tend to do is offer to sell their high earners for a lower price to enable them to negotiate a larger signing on fee with their new club. They also sometimes pay out a portion of their contract, the player obviously does not have to accept these offers but in most cases they will. An example of this is Leeds when they went through all that turmoil and had to offload players at a ridiculous loss, some players left like Harry Kewell (at the start of the relegation season) who left for only 5m when the season before was valued closer to 20m. Others like Gary Kelly stayed (although Kelly apparently took a pay cut) Seth Johnson was given a choice - rot in the reserves because Leeds could not afford the bonus due to Derby or take a free transfer meaning Leeds took a loss of 7m instead of having to pay his wages for the remainder of his contract. The player and club must obviously agree on any relegation clauses in contracts and neither can just insist on a move in the event of relegation. There is obviously ways around contracts though.

[elroy]

Contracts don't work that way.

Perhaps ye know different but as far as I know its common practice for the clubs who face relegation on a regular basis to have clauses in the contracts of their players that if they get relegated that a mandatory 20% reduction applies in salary. On the other hand, there often are clauses whereby on relegation a fixed transfer fee clause applies.

Very easy to write the two above clauses into contracts in fact.

[shakermaker1982]

Duff is short of confidence. Any time I've seen him for Newcastle (since Xmas anyway) he will look to take the easy option by coming back inside and giving it to Butt/Guthrie and now Nolan. He probably has lost a little bit of pace but he won't lose his trickery overnight. I just think he's afraid of making a mistake and the 'best fans in the world' getting on his back. Take him out of that environment and he'll be fine for Ireland. He's still one of our big game players behind Given and Keane.

[Drumcondra 69er]

Made a massive mistake chasing the big wage packet at Newcastle rather then a lesser deal at Liverpool and it's come back to bite him on the arse.

Hope he gets a decent move but could be difficult for him, he'll need to take a massive pay cut and the best he could hope for would be to end up at the likes of a Spurs although even that's probably expecting too much. Still, we all know how 'Arry lives a bargain so maybe.....

[SunderlandBohs]

I think somewhere like Wigan or Fulham would be his best bet. Has to rebuild his career. A lot of people see Duff as a injury prone has been.

[dr_peepee]

I think somewhere like Wigan or Fulham would be his best bet. Has to rebuild his career. A lot of people see Duff as a injury prone has been.


I think anyone outside the top four and Villa is a viable option. Duff still has alot to offer and left Wingers (decent ones) are still a rare breed at that level... Provided he takes a pay cut!!!

Everton maybe??

[KK77]

Sadly I fear this is the end of the line for Duff. He has no pace to beat right fulls anymore, so he can't be a viable option on the left wing, yet he can't tackle well enough to drop back and be a full time left back. If he's willing to take a massive pay cut he could wind up on the books of one of the three newly promoted teams, but I can't see any other Premiership team bringing him in given his injury trouble. Hull maybe? Too much of a risk I think.

He can't be blamed for playing out the final year of his contract down in the Championship with Newcastle. He's on massive money that he'll never see again.


Good post.

[reder]

Made a massive mistake chasing the big wage packet at Newcastle rather then a lesser deal at Liverpool and it's come back to bite him on the arse.


He was mad to leave Chelsea in the first place. JM didnt want him to go, I remember him saying so in an interview and he had just won his 2nd league winners medal with them. If he stayed at Chelsea he would still be playing CL football and looking forward to an FA Cup final.

Spurs wanted to buy him also back them.

[elroy]

http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/duff-im-staying-at-newcastle-412223.html

Damien Duff has vowed to remain at Newcastle United after his own goal sealed the Magpies relegation from the Premier League.

And the winger wants Alan Shearer to become manager on a full-time basis despite his failure to keep United in the top flight after an eight-game spell at the helm.

Duff inadvertently deflected a first-half shot from Aston Villa’s stand-in skipper Gareth Barry past Newcastle goalkeeper Steve Harper to doom his side to a 1-0 reverse yesterday at Villa Park.

It meant Newcastle finished in the bottom three but Duff is keen to help the club regain their Premier League status at the first attempt.

Duff said: “I’m as loyal as they come and, whether the gaffer stays or goes, I’d love to try and get Newcastle back up into the Premier League.

“I don’t know what words can describe the way I feel. I’m devastated. The lads haven’t tasted relegation apart from me at Blackburn and Nicky Butt at Birmingham.

“When it happened at Blackburn, I wasn’t planning on seeing it again in my career. It’s not a nice feeling.

“No disrespect to the Championship, but Newcastle are too big a club to be down there. I plan on being straight back up (in the Premier League) after next season.”

As regards the own goal, Duff said: “You think, ’why me?’. But I’m a big man, and I’ve been around for a while now, so I’m going to have to get over it.

“I’ll be thinking about it for a long, long time, but what can you do? That’s football. You can’t dwell on disappointments in your career. You have to move on.

“I think we’ve had a lot of bad luck, but at times in a season, you do make your own luck.”

Duff is convinced Shearer, who will decide on his future after talks later this week with club owner Mike Ashley, can bring the good times back to Newcastle after working with him for the past couple of months.

He said: “I’ve loved working with him. It’s been a proper, proper football club for eight weeks, and it’s about time. It’s just disappointing we couldn’t stay up for him and the fans.

“I think he’s been brilliant even though we haven’t got the results to keep us up.

“It’s the first time in a long while that this place has felt like a proper football club. Things are done right and it’s been a breath of fresh air.

“If there’s one man to get us back up, it’s Alan Shearer.”

[Crosby87]

Does Newcastle even still want him?

[John83]

Perhaps ye know different but as far as I know its common practice for the clubs who face relegation on a regular basis to have clauses in the contracts of their players that if they get relegated that a mandatory 20% reduction applies in salary. On the other hand, there often are clauses whereby on relegation a fixed transfer fee clause applies.

Very easy to write the two above clauses into contracts in fact.
Duff has no such clause, meaning that he's won't "have to take an automatic pay cut if he stays with Newcastle" as the post I specifically quoted claimed.

But hey, you folks telling me I'm wrong all know better, right?

[endabob1]

Made a massive mistake chasing the big wage packet at Newcastle rather then a lesser deal at Liverpool and it's come back to bite him on the arse.

Hope he gets a decent move but could be difficult for him, he'll need to take a massive pay cut and the best he could hope for would be to end up at the likes of a Spurs although even that's probably expecting too much. Still, we all know how 'Arry lives a bargain so maybe.....

No chance of him going to Spurs, his wage demands scuppered the move when he went to Newcastle & I doubt very much Levy would be back in for him, besides Modric is currently operating in the left hand role for Spurs and there's no way Duff would get ahead of him

[gustavo]

Does Newcastle even still want him?

With an attitude like that from that interview they'd be stupid not to , Highly unlikely to see some of his team mates come out with a statement like that

[dr_peepee]

Damien Duff has vowed to remain at Newcastle United after his own goal sealed the Magpies relegation from the Premier League.

Hungry ****!!!

[Maroon 7]

Made a massive mistake chasing the big wage packet at Newcastle rather then a lesser deal at Liverpool and it's come back to bite him on the arse.


That looked like a stupid decision at the time and looks even worse now. Probably been good for his bank balance alright.

[elroy]

Duff has no such clause, meaning that he's won't "have to take an automatic pay cut if he stays with Newcastle" as the post I specifically quoted claimed.

But hey, you folks telling me I'm wrong all know better, right?


I was speaking in general rather than specific to duff's case, i dont know what is in his contract.

I said "I would expect that he has to take an automatic pay cut" but hey dont let the facts get in the way. To which you replied contracts dont work like that, which isnt in fact true as some players do have relegation clauses in their contract that means they take a reduction in pay upon relegation. Apparently newcastle dont have such a policy

Anyways :rolleyes:

[irishultra]

If he stays arguably our best player is playing in the second tier of English football.:(

[Serb]

If he stays arguably our best player is playing in the second tier of English football.:(

I think it'd be a big stretch to classify him as our best player. He's certainly up there with the best, but his contribution to Ireland has been fairly sub-standard the past year at least. Robbie is out-and-out our best player for me.

Look at Juventus when they went down. Many top players such as Del Piero, Buffon, Trezeguet and Nedved stuck with them to make sure they got back into Serie A, and it didn't do them any harm.

[John83]

I think it'd be a big stretch to classify him as our best player. He's certainly up there with the best, but his contribution to Ireland has been fairly sub-standard the past year at least. Robbie is out-and-out our best player for me.

Look at Juventus when they went down. Many top players such as Del Piero, Buffon, Trezeguet and Nedved stuck with them to make sure they got back into Serie A, and it didn't do them any harm.
Trezeguet wanted out but wasn't let go, I think. Regardless, that situation was different, as Juve were relegated for off the field reasons, while Newcastle are just crap.

[carloz]

Surely Newcastle will do everything they can to get rid of him. With his high wages, he is surely a luxury they don't need in the Championship. At a guess i wouldn't say there will be a queue of Premiership clubs after him, maybe a team of the standard of Bolton or Wigan. Shame to see him **** away the last 2/3 years of his career. His logic for joining Newcastle was way off

[Stuttgart88]

Clever comments by Duff. No harm keeping in the fans' good books. I take them on face value - I think he's honest enough.

Regardless, I'm not fussed from an Ireland perspective. Doyle dropping down a league did his international form no harm. Duff is experienced and good enough to do a job for us regardless of where he's playing.

[tricky_colour]

I think it depends on wages, are we to assume Duff is happy to take a pay cut?
I mean is he saying I am happy to stay on £80,000 a week or is he saying he is happy to stay even if it is a fraction of that? Presumably if Newcaste have to pay big wages they will sell him?

[Drumcondra 69er]

I think it depends on wages, are we to assume Duff is happy to take a pay cut?
I mean is he saying I am happy to stay on £80,000 a week or is he saying he is happy to stay even if it is a fraction of that? Presumably if Newcaste have to pay big wages they will sell him?

They'd have to let him go on a free for anyone to come near macthing his wages. He can stay put and pick up his fat pay packet till his contract runs out if he likes.

[Oink]

As it looks like he is staying at Newcastle...

I wonder could this be a good thing for Duff, in the championship he could get the chance to find his confidence again. If Newcastle get the players in and push for the title he could find his form again, something which he has been trying to do for a long time now. I know the opposition won't be as strong as in the premiership but I don't think its a massive thing for Duff, being in a loosing team with a poor atmosphere is a lot worse for a player trying to get over a speedbump in his career.... at his age he should have the mentality to push his game in this situation and not let it drop.

[tetsujin1979]

According to Sky Sports News earlier, the entire Newcastle first team is up for sale, along with the club itself

[jbyrne]

I wonder could this be a good thing for Duff, in the championship he could get the chance to find his confidence again.

he didnt really look too short of confidence on sat i thought

[Stuttgart88]

It was lovely to see him skin people again and drawing fouls and just generally being a dependable outlet. His best work was on the right too - reminiscent of the second half masterclass in Suwon.

[paul_oshea]

ya all the doubters will be quiet now, was great to see duffer winning and skinning players.

[Oink]

he didnt really look too short of confidence on sat i thought


That's kind of my point, the pressure is off now and he can just concentrate on his football..... the first time in a long time for him. If he stays at Newcastle, where he is settled (in terms of his career) and is playing for a winning team in a league where he would stand out, surely its a great oppertunity to find his form again?

Maybe this is just wishfull thinking.

[geysir]

You have a weak base to your point, Oink.
He doesn't strike me as a confidence player, as in fragile when things don't work and he has enough guile in his general play to have a positive influence on the overall play of the team.
The biggest barrier to his game have been the recurring injuries along with the usual sharpness and fitness issues that follow. Secondary issues are playing out of position for a crap club.
For us, when he plays, he looks normal enough to me.

[strangeirish]

That's kind of my point, the pressure is off now and he can just concentrate on his football..... the first time in a long time for him. If he stays at Newcastle, where he is settled (in terms of his career) and is playing for a winning team in a league where he would stand out, surely its a great oppertunity to find his form again?

Maybe this is just wishfull thinking.
The whole squad has been transfer listed (http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/premier-league/duff--for-sale-as-ashley-puts-entire-toon-squad-on-transfer-list-1766472.html)
It'll be interesting to see where Duff may end up.

[dr_peepee]

I think the biggest factor will be wages.. There's not many teams that wouldn't be improved by his presence.

Those that can afford his wages will be reluctant given his recent fitness issues.

[Wolfie]

The whole squad has been transfer listed (http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/premier-league/duff--for-sale-as-ashley-puts-entire-toon-squad-on-transfer-list-1766472.html)
It'll be interesting to see where Duff may end up.

Wolves?

[Duggie]

Wolves?

could see someone like moyes making a bid for him or spurs. if they offload bentley, they really need a left winger. as long as he gets first team football i dont care where he goes.