Duff to improve with Keegan?

[tetsujin1979]

Why wouldn't he? Heinze wasn't shy about stating he wanted to go to Liverpool? It's common knowledge that Duff would have needed to take a substantial pay cut, Chelsea were prepared to accept an offer from Liverpool that was a lot higher then they got from Newcastle. Totally different to man u not accepting an offer for Heinze. But they were also happy to accept a lower offer from Newcastle to ensure Damo didn't join one of their rivals as that meant Newcastle could bulk up his wages to match his reputed £100k plus per week. At no stage was he given an ultimatum of rotting in the reserves if he didn't go to Newcastle, it's nonsense to suggest so mate.
Duff's supposed to be on 65k a week at Newcastle, not 100k

[lionelhutz]

That's it exactly. Liverpool and Spurs offered several million pounds more than Newcastle for Duff but Chelsea made it clear to Duff they would keep him in Chelsea's reserves until his contract ran out rather than sell him to a rival club. Freddie Sheppard actually thanked Chelsea at the press conference!

Firstly, I think Duff has been excellent for Ireland the majority of times he's played for us. Even in the shambles of the last campaign he produced top performances against the czechs and slovaks at home.

However, I was extremely disappointed he went to Newcastle. Even if he wasnt going to be allowed sign for Liverpool, why didnt he stick it out with Chelsea and fight for his place. Wasnt Wright Phillips in the same situation at the time?

I remember Mourinho saying at the time he was happy to keep Duff but if he wanted to leave he could. I know this doesn't inspire confidence in Duff but he said the same of a few players who stuck it out.

[OwlsFan]

Anyone find it funny that at half time on SKy for the soccer games they run the Lucozade adds featuring our Damo, who is warming the bench at Newcastle, having spent half the season out injured, and the slogan is "keeps top athletes going 50% longer" :D :D

[Dr. Ogba]

looks like Damo could be out the door at newcastle. they've been linked with Reyes in today's papers. The question is what prem team would be interested in him??
Would love to see someone like Moyes at Everton give him a chance...

[paul_oshea]

Everton would be another step down, do ye think maybe duffer would go to liverpool now if they came in for him?! I definitely think he just needs a new club, but a top 5 club.

[lofty9]

If he has any nads on him at all he should be trying to convince Ranieri to give him a chance at Juventus. IMO Ranieri got the best out of him.

[Dr. Ogba]

Everton would be another step down,

Newcastle 13th with 31 points and completely hapless manager

Everton 5th , in with a chance of champions league and one of the best man-managers in the game

hmmmm :confused:

[eirebhoy]

He'd easily get a move to a decent team abroad if he wanted but I don't think he does. Valencia and Inter wanted him the last time.

[ifk101]

"Duff has stated that he would never sign for a continental club as he enjoys playing in the colder climate of the UK and Ireland." Source: Wikipedia :D

[paul_oshea]

Newcastle 13th with 31 points and completely hapless manager

Everton 5th , in with a chance of champions league and one of the best man-managers in the game

hmmmm :confused:

Sorry i wasn't very clear, i dont think everton is suitable for him either to be honest.

[Drumcondra 69er]

Duff's supposed to be on 65k a week at Newcastle, not 100k

Basic salary maybe but he had a massive signing on fee from the saving they made on the transfer fee and has huge bonuses (not that much of them would have been cashed in yet) etc written into it. Himself and Owen's contracts are worth well over £100k a week in total from all accounts.

Having a signing on fee spread over the length of a contract is massively common to avoid breaking wage structures etc.

[kev mcq]

Anyone find it funny that at half time on SKy for the soccer games they run the Lucozade adds featuring our Damo, who is warming the bench at Newcastle, having spent half the season out injured, and the slogan is "keeps top athletes going 50% longer" :D :D

It's actually 33% longer

[kennedmc]

Is there a MLS team who may be interested in him, where the climate is moderate? They could do a 'Beckham like' deal so Duffer could keep earning the 75K a week he needs to earn to ensure a happy retirement. ;)

Although Pat Devlin better get a slice of the images rights else there'll be no deal happening.

[Wolfie]

It's actually 33% longer

Just as well he's on the bench so.

[Scram]

He'd easily get a move to a decent team abroad if he wanted but I don't think he does. Valencia and Inter wanted him the last time.

Or Celtic.

ps. I thought he was already abroad ?!

[eirebhoy]

Aye but Newcastle don't fit the decent team bit. ;)

[jmurphyc]

Outside of the Big 4 and Newcastle does ANY other player in the Premiership get as much as him?

He could get very good wages at West Ham or Tottenham. I don't think West Ham would be right for him though and I don't think Tottenham would be interested any more. A move abroad would seem the best bet but I can't see him leaving England.

[RogerMilla]

would be shocked if he left england , he should fight for his place at newcastle

[irishfan86]

Is there a MLS team who may be interested in him, where the climate is moderate?

The MLS season is played in the summer, and it's anything but moderate in many parts of the USA then. Remember USA 94 and Pink Stan?

[FarBeag]

To be fair, Duff has been going down hill for a long time. His was at his best when he played for Blackburn and the early stages at Chelsea. Its a shame because when Duff was on form and lined out in a green top I always felt we would win the game even before it started.I don't think we will ever see the old Duffer again but I hope I am wrong.

[Razors left peg]

Last time Duff played for Ireland in a competitive game it was against Slovakia at home and he ripped them to pieces almost on his own, he was stunning that night.

The problem isn't Duff, it's how people are using Duff. Duff needs to be playing on a wing with a fullback who can cover him, for Newcastle Duff has ended up doing far more defensive work than offensive, and who could blame him when the only one behind him is N'Zogbia?

I agree.... also though I think that maybe after his injury he mightnt be 100% until he get a proper preseason behind him

[kennedmc]

Aye but Newcastle don't fit the decent team bit. ;)

why wink? :confused:

[jmurphyc]

Last time Duff played for Ireland in a competitive game it was against Slovakia at home and he ripped them to pieces almost on his own, he was stunning that night.


Whilst I agree with the rest of your post, from what I can recall he was quite good against them but he hardly tore them apart. He was still nowhere near as good as he has been in the past and was by no means at his very, very best that night. He had a good game, but not a truly exceptional one.

[Colbert Report]

Duff didn't make it off the bench today but in fairness Newcastle won the match 4-1.

[paul_oshea]

was chatting to a load of newcastle fans last night in the pub ( not far from tottenham ) and i was asking them why isn't duff getting on the bench ( apart from yesterday ) for newcastle and they went, he's injured, I said I dont think he is and they were like "why aye man, he must be if he isn't getting picked". They all assumed that he must have been injured to be not getting on the bench even, they couldn't understand it.

[NeilMcD]

IT is dues to the fact that Keegan has decided to play 4 3 3 with Martins Owen and Viduka up front and three workers in the centre. This could be just to get them out of trouble, who knows but it seems to be working.

[Guidedbyvoices]

was chatting to a load of newcastle fans last night in the pub ( not far from totenham ) and i was asking them why isn't duff getting on the bench ( apart from yesterday ) for newcastle and they went, he's injured, I said I dont think he is and they were like "why aye man, he must be if he isn't getting picked". They all assumed that he must have been injured to be not getting on the bench even, they couldn't understand it.



Still a total p!ss head i see!! Have you managed to lower more than five pints before it starts coming up again? Many a suit of mine did you ruin you Roscommon pup ya.Anyhow Paulie i have never heard of this new town in london i have hightlighted above. Maybe you dreamt it all , meet up with the Newkie boys the lot,in your usual intoxicated state.:D

[paulie_walnuts]

West Ham will be his next port of call. Graveyard for Newcastle failures. Duff seems to be one of them.

[eirebhoy]

Sunday Tribune
LITTLE BOY LOST
Barry O'Donovan


The current mediocrity is all the more painful because of past excellence. If it's hard to believe Duff is now 29, it's easier to forget just how good Duff was for a couple of years. Good enough to have Arsene Wenger pick him out when Arsenal faced Chelsea in the Champions League quarter-finals back in 2004 for one.

That first year at Chelsea when Mama Ranieri, along with the Chelsea support, got fed up with Claudio Ranieri leaving him out for no good reason and Duff still conjured up assists well into double figures and five league goals.

That period between around October '04 - March '05 when himself and Arjen Robben tore defences asunder down either wing and Duff had six goals in a month. The time he terrorised Sinisa Mihajlovic into two yellow cards and slalomed his way to a wonder goal away to Lazio, the assist at Camp Nou a year later and the third goal of that romp against Barcelona in the second leg that seemed just a precursor of great nights and greatness to come. When Jose Mourinho came to Dublin to see Duff in an international game in September 2004 he was a non-believer, yet by February 2005 he'd been swayed, declaring of Duff, "He is crucial to us, I cannot rest him. He is better than I thought." There were goals at Anfield and Old Trafford, twinkling toes running at defenders and making of chances all over Europe. Perhaps the clearest signal of Duff's form was the relative lack of whooping it up done over here and you know how we're a killer for the next great thing; there was simply no need to big up a man walking the walk.

Full Article (http://www.tribune.ie/article.tvt?_scope=Tribune/Sport/Soccer&id=85979&SUBCAT=Tribune/Sport&SUBCATNAME=Sport)

[paul_oshea]

who would go for him?!

http://www.eleven-a-side.com/acrossthewater/news.asp?n=31598

[Guidedbyvoices]

[quote=paul_oshea;910684]who would go for him?!


What do you mean by that? I dont think anyone would go for poor auld Damien, isnt he just a little lad? BTW why is there a need to use an exclamation mark with a question mark:confused:?

[paul_oshea]

[quote=paul_oshea;910684]who would go for him?!


What do you mean by that? I dont think anyone would go for poor auld Damien, isnt he just a little lad? BTW why is there a need to use an exclamation mark with a question mark:confused:?

I don't know, you tell me ;)

[geysir]

It's paradoxical.

[eirebhoy]

Keegan:

"We've not only got a good team of players at the minute, we've also got a good squad around it.

"What you have to have in your squad is the ability to change things at all times.

"We've got that with someone like Damien Duff - he's on fire at the moment.

"I thought he might get a goal (after he appeared as a 74th-minute substitute against Reading) and he was unlucky not to.

"He's champing at the bit to get back in the team, and then it'll be James Milner in the next ten days or so wanting to get back in as well.

"You'll see now when Duff, Milner and Smith come back in - and they will - they'll be coming back into a side which has some confidence. That can make a major difference to how they play as well."

[OwlsFan]

That's good but my betting is that he'll be sold to someone like West Ham or Birmingham at the end of the season.

[kennedmc]

Duff on fire at the moment....... on the bench :D :D

You gotta love Keegan!!

[mackannovic]

Keegan:

"We've not only got a good team of players at the minute, we've also got a good squad around it.

"What you have to have in your squad is the ability to change things at all times.

"We've got that with someone like Damien Duff - he's on fire at the moment.

"I thought he might get a goal (after he appeared as a 74th-minute substitute against Reading) and he was unlucky not to.

"He's champing at the bit to get back in the team, and then it'll be James Milner in the next ten days or so wanting to get back in as well.

"You'll see now when Duff, Milner and Smith come back in - and they will - they'll be coming back into a side which has some confidence. That can make a major difference to how they play as well."

This man is an idiot.

[gustavo]

This man is an idiot.

Why??

[carloz]

This man is an idiot.

In fairnes his 4-3-3 in recent weeks has been a bloody breath of fresh air in a league over run by negative 4-5-1 anti football

[NeilMcD]

I think he went with the idea of playing that system in order to get them on track and now he is going to bring the wingers back in a fck it all up again and Duff will get the blame.

[tetsujin1979]

Keegan:
"You'll see now when Duff, Milner and Smith come back in - and they will - they'll be coming back into a side which has some confidence. That can make a major difference to how they play as well."

Interesting stat on football365 recently was that Newcastle started winning as soon as Alan Smith was dropped, and he hasn't played a minute of football since.