Damien Duff

[Charlie Darwin]

Good on him. Would be great to see him in the LOI when he sees the time as right.
Definitely. I wonder what his connection to Bray is though.

[Mr A]

Duff visiting, and patrolling with Irish troops in Lebanon.

http://twitpic.com/a3fj0b

He probably hasn't felt this exposed since the second half of the Spain game. :-|

Fair play to him though, good to see.

[geysir]

Definitely. I wonder what his connection to Bray is though.

Agent Devlin.

[passinginterest]

Delighted he's staying on. Probably still our most technically gifted player. I don't think players should retire from international football anyway, it should be the manager's call and if he thinks younger players have more to offer then fair enough.

[seanfhear]

This is exactly the kind of attitude I wish every player had, an example as ever Damien.

Now time to revisit that whole "duff into centre mid" business again. ;)He will have to adjust his game if he is going to keep playing so into midfield it is and then work his way back to sweeper !

[brine3]

Great news.

Central midfield three of Duffer (captain), McCarthy and Gibson. Aiden and McClean out wide and Long up front on his own.

Defence? We won't need one.

But Trap picks Cox ahead of Duff in central midfield, so I don't see it happening.

[seanfhear]

Great news.

Central midfield three of Duffer (captain), McCarthy and Gibson. Aiden and McClean out wide and Long up front on his own.

Defence? We won't need one.

But Trap picks Cox ahead of Duff in central midfield, so I don't see it happening.It would be nice to give those a chance.

[Murfinator]

He will have to adjust his game if he is going to keep playing so into midfield it is and then work his way back to sweeper !

He has the best close control of any player in our ranks and amongst the best passing stats as well so on paper I reckon he could. We're very well stocked in the wide areas and less so central and at full back so I really wish positional changes were something considered for the next campaign. I'd love to see Hunt at left back and Duff in centre mid.

[Stuttgart88]

I just can't see Duff as a central midfielder. His tool kit is completely different to that of a CM although I do take the point that the best CMs can carry the ball very effectively. At the Euros many CMs ate up 10 to 15 yards if the space was free. In the last few years I honestly can't remember a single instance of an Irish CM taking the ball from a CB and carrying it forward more than a few paces.

Gibson has superb close control btw. I think it's harder to take the ball in CM than it is out wide, and also harder to find space.

[nigel-harps1954]

Nobody seen Ryan Giggs as a central midfielder either Stutts.

[tetsujin1979]

Nobody seen Ryan Giggs as a central midfielder either Stutts.
Sir Alex?

[nigel-harps1954]

Sir Alex?

Well..if you want.

[tetsujin1979]

Well..if you want.
mind you, he did think the same about Alan Smith!

[nigel-harps1954]

Well there was also some crazy folk that thought Alan Smith was a striker too.

[Charlie Darwin]

Alan Smith was actually a good striker until he broke both his legs 14 times. Why on earth anybody thought that was the perfect preparation for a central midfield role I have no idea, but there you go.

[Stuttgart88]

I could just about see Duff being the "1" in a 4-3-1-2 but I think employing him out of his natural position would just imbalance the team. Point taken re-Giggs, though he never fully impressed me in CM and he had far better players around him than we do.

[nigel-harps1954]

I could just about see Duff being the "1" in a 4-3-1-2 but I think employing him out of his natural position would just imbalance the team. Point taken re-Giggs, though he never fully impressed me in CM and he had far better players around him than we do.

I think it's more a case of Duff being a good reader of the game. Cool head who can hold up a ball, but can also pick out the killer pass. He'd be ideal in a 4-3-1-2 situation if you ask me.

[brine3]

I just can't see Duff as a central midfielder. His tool kit is completely different to that of a CM although I do take the point that the best CMs can carry the ball very effectively. At the Euros many CMs ate up 10 to 15 yards if the space was free. In the last few years I honestly can't remember a single instance of an Irish CM taking the ball from a CB and carrying it forward more than a few paces.

Gibson has superb close control btw. I think it's harder to take the ball in CM than it is out wide, and also harder to find space.

I have noticed that sometimes during matches that Duff drifts into the centre, probably out of pure frustration of watching the barren void that is Whelan/Andrews. And when he does, he does very well.

[SkStu]

Duff and Ireland centre mids with Green and Whelan out wide? Mouthwatering prospect!

[John83]

Duff and Ireland centre mids with Green and Whelan out wide? Mouthwatering prospect!
It kind of reminds me of Milan's midfield of old - creative central players in Pirlo and Kaká, flanked by more physical ball-winners (Gattusso and I don't remember). Granted, we have no players of that quality, but perhaps something similar could be achieved with Gibson being minded by Andrews and Whelan while Duff gets a free role further ahead. It would seem to lack width, but a number of our strikers are happy to operate fairly wide a lot of the time.

[Charlie Darwin]

Ambrosini I assume? Or Seedorf, but he's hardly a physical ball-winner. Even if we had players of sufficient quality, I don't think that formation is any more appropriate to combat a five-man midfield than our current system.

[John83]

I agree. It'd give us more cover in the centre, but our full backs would be badly exposed.

[Stuttgart88]

...or it'd give our full backs room to get forward. Full backs are a vital proactive cog in the wheel and should not just be seen as being reactive.

Watching some teams at the Euros was a delight - the way the whole team was fluent and interacted. In most teams only the CBs and maybe a deep-lying midfielder were essentially fixed in position. Midfielders would cover for full backs, forwards would drop deep if midfielders advanced. Great stuff.

Our national XI at the Euros (and beforehand) is a metaphor for the whole structure of the game in Ireland. 3 distinct units with no conjoining thread.

[John83]

...or it'd give our full backs room to get forward. Full backs are a vital proactive cog in the wheel and should not just be seen as being reactive.
I'd agree in principle, but I think we're relatively weak at full back, particularly left back. Thinking of the protection McGeady and particularly Duff offered the full backs in key games in qualifying, I'd expect trouble if they were left to their own devices.

[Stuttgart88]

Yep, it'd help if we actually had good full backs. You could easily see Coleman or Kelly being a proper pro-active right back though.

[geysir]

Other teams seem to manage quite well to manage the threat of Duff and McGeady on the flanks, sometimes doubling and tripling up. It's rare to find a team that leaves its full back all alone to deal with the threat of a tricky wide midfielder.

[Philly]

Other teams seem to manage quite well to manage the threat of Duff and McGeady on the flanks, sometimes doubling and tripling up. It's rare to find a team that leaves its full back all alone to deal with the threat of a tricky wide midfielder.

Croatia really figured us out. They basically said "right, they aren't even going to try attack from the middle so mark the wingers like crazy and Ireland won't bother us." How right they were.

[elroy]

According to Paul Rowan in yesterdays times, Duff spent a few days recently with the Irish forces (in Lebannon I think it was). This was in Rowans opinion reason to think that Duff might not be retiring after all!!!

[DannyInvincible]

Why would that necessarily mean Duff wasn't going to retire? :confused:

[elroy]

Why would that necessarily mean Duff wasn't going to retire? :confused:

My point exactly.

[tricky_colour]

Perhaps he went to get some shooting practise!!! :D ( it's the way I tell em!! :cool:)

[SkStu]

didnt he already clarify that he was hanging around for a while longer? (or did i imagine that??)

[geysir]

According to Paul Rowan in yesterdays times, Duff spent a few days recently with the Irish forces (in Lebannon I think it was). This was in Rowans opinion reason to think that Duff might not be retiring after all!!!
What exactly did Rowan say? Sounds bizarre even for him.

[Colbert Report]

He already said he won't retire. He even said that he'll wind up playing in the LOI one day because he loves football so much and he'll play until no team wants him.

[paul_oshea]

My point exactly.

I imagine, because he has gone out to Irish troops he draws the conclusion that he is representing the irish nation, through his participation in the Irish football team, and therefore he must still be a football player. Logical, but still pretty silly allusion.

[SwanVsDalton]

I imagine, because he has gone out to Irish troops he draws the conclusion that he is representing the irish nation, through his participation in the Irish football team, and therefore he must still be a football player. Logical, but still pretty silly allusion.

Primary reason (to Damien at least) was to see his brother. (http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/irishsun/irishsunnews/4407329/Damien-Duff-visits-Lebanon-troops.html) As ye say, bit of an aul stretch although Duffer has indicated he's sticking with it for now.

[paul_oshea]

I knew that, perhaps rowan didnt!

[elroy]

I knew that, perhaps rowan didnt!

I would strongly suggest that he did not.

[osarusan]

Doers anybody have a link to the article?

[EastTerracer]

Doers anybody have a link to the article?

This is the Irish Times article from a couple of weeks ago when Duffer suggested that he wasn't retiring (http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/soccer/2012/0703/1224319308042.html). The Indo was not quite as definitive (http://www.independent.ie/national-news/family-man-duff-wont-be-hanging-up-his-boots-3155635.html) though and suggested that he was still thinking about his international future.

[theworm2345]

Goal for Duff. Long diagonal ball from the left channel, Duff burst in behind the defence in to the right side of the box, took one touch, and a very nice finish to beat Ruddy.

[Charlie Darwin]

Infostrada Sports on Twitter: (https://twitter.com/InfostradaLive/status/236834038520872960) "Fulham's Damien Duff joined Robbie Keane as the Irishman netting in most different PL seasons - 13 each. Duff first netted in 1997/98."

[DannyInvincible]

Duff also assisted Petrić's goal.

[DannyInvincible]

Duff's goal versus Norwich:


http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xswk6i_fulham-vs-norwich-city-18-08-2012-duff-goal-1-0_sport

Found himself in acres of space after a long ball from the Fulham half over the Norwich defence. The Norwich left-back was sleeping and looked for an offside call but Duff was played just about onside by the centre-back. He took it down well and stretched to slot it past the keeper.

[Charlie Darwin]

The left back was Ireland's Marc "Call Him Up Trap" Tierney.

[Yard of Pace]

The left back was Ireland's Marc "Call Him Up Trap" Tierney.

Would you not consider Duff to have been half a yard offside when the ball is played? Anyway, delighted for Duffer, took the chance well. By a mile my favourite Irish player ever. He's just so bloody great in every way, it's unreal.

[DannyInvincible]

Definitely onside. Half of his body and limbs might have been behind the line Tierney was holding but he was played onside by the centre-back.

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc12/poguemahone85/duff.png

I haven't worked out exact angles but I think that's a pretty fair gauge. Duff was well aware of what he was doing as he had the whole Norwich defence within view. Very good positioning as he waited for the kick of the ball to spring into a sprint.

[Murfinator]

The fact that from a viewers perspective it looked like a blatant offside shows just how alert Duff was and how dreadful the Norwich defence was.

[tricky_colour]

It look like that ball was going wide until it bounced and the spin from the deflection too it in.
Looked like a leg-break (as i cricket)

[Charlie Darwin]

Tierney also played Rodallega onside for the penalty. Call him up Trap!