Duffer to Chelsea?

[tiktok]

chelsea have brought wayne bridge in to play behind him at left back which all looks good for duff, and he's the type of skillful player that chelsea fans have always appreciated. i can see him doing well there.

have to agree with Silvio in that i think friendlies don't require the presence of those definite starters and are best used to blood some players for future internationals (not in the daft play all 22, changing the team at half time that erikkson and mccarthy did, rather to give three or four a full game as part of an otherwise strong team and see how they do).

anyway, from www.unison.ie

Highest ever transfer fee for Irish player Duff

Damien Duff has made up his mind he's off to Chelsea. The Irish winger will tie up the €25 million deal later tonight according to the player's representatives. He's set to be unveiled at Stamford Bridge alongside England defender Wayne Bridge who has signed for €10 million.

best of luck damo. ;)

[Seamus #1]

Yep good luck to the lad. A lot of pressure on him now but I am sure he can deliver.

http://www.sportcentral.ie/images/stories/duffluc.jpg

The poor lad couldn't even go for a jog along Fulham Broadway without a Chelsea Pensioner in civies trying to pick his ear.

[Éanna]

Originally posted by John83
I can't be agreeing with Silvio Dante. I can't... :eek: :o
thats just cos his hero roy thinks it, so he must think the same. unthinking, unknowing...........

[colster]

This is a very good move for Duff and Chelsea.
I think Ranieri could do absolute wonders for Duff.
The plebs in the English Press think this is a waste of money, that Duff is not a world class player.
Are they insane? This lad is going to be massive.
He'll have a greater effect on Chelsea that Ginola had on Newcastle.
Anyone who thinks that the Chelsea fans won't love Duff are mad.
I can't wait to see him play in the CL. Thats were he belongs.

[ian]

I think that duff will do very good at chelsea it will make him a better player and for us chelsea fans we will see a good bit of skill from a good player and at last chelsea have an Irish man on there books it has been a couple of years let the good times start.:D :D

[Seamus #1]

Originally posted by colster
This is a very good move for Duff and Chelsea.
I think Ranieri could do absolute wonders for Duff.
The plebs in the English Press think this is a waste of money, that Duff is not a world class player.
Are they insane? This lad is going to be massive.
He'll have a greater effect on Chelsea that Ginola had on Newcastle.
Anyone who thinks that the Chelsea fans won't love Duff are mad.
I can't wait to see him play in the CL. Thats were he belongs.

Duff is very highly rated by fans and media alike on this side of the water don't worry about that. Maybe some reports might be saying he is not world class but I think their has been a consensus for some time over here that he is one of the best left wingers in the world. Liverpool had to make do with Harry Kewell as a booby prize because they couldn't afford him!

[tiktok]

from www.rte.ie

Damien Duff's agent has admitted that he is baffled as to why Manchester United did not bid for the player. Pat Devlin, who handles Duff's affairs as well as being manager of Bray Wanderers, told RTE Sport that the winger would have been perfect for the club considering their history of Irish connections.

But as Chelsea were the only club to meet Blackburn's evaluation of the player, the only decision Duff had to make according to Devlin, was whether or not to leave Blackburn Rovers.

And money had nothing to do with Duff's decision, Devlin stated. "Damien didn't even ask about the money. He just wants to play football. We were so impressed by the Chelsea set up and our meeting with Claudio Ranieri, that Damien said immediately - I want to sign."

Yesterday Duff completed his £17.7million move, signing a a five-year deal worth a reported £70,000-a-week

;) fair play to him, 70000stg a week is alright. I think Chelsea will be a good move for him given the type of ball they like to play. there are also rumours abound that ranieri wants him for a zola type role behind the fromt two. hope this isn't the case, prefer to see him on the left wing.

[NigeSausagepump]

Originally posted by Silvio Dante

By the way Nige, Roy hadn't played for three weeks prior to the home leg and was allowed to play in it by Fergie against Old Trafford medical advice.

To say he opted out of the second leg is a travesty of the truth. Something a few McCarthyites have a habbit of doing unfortunately....

Ahh, I see.

I make a comment construed to be negative towards King Roy, ergo I am a McCarthyite?

Its all so much clearer now.

I probably rate McCarthy as highly as you do old boy (ie not very)

Some things go beyond personalities.

[brine2]

Roy risked serious injury playing Iran in Dublin. But then again, he always did give 100% for his country.

[Éanna]

Originally posted by Silvio Dante
Glad to hear I'm not alone then. Most people I know think he was the bloody second coming....:D
There are plenty of people who don't like McCarthy or Keane- I'm one of them. Disliking one of them doesn't always mean liking the other..


Originally posted by brine2
Roy risked serious injury playing Iran in Dublin. But then again, he always did give 100% for his country.
So he and the Old trafford spin doctors say. And he did give 100%.............when he bothered turning up. :rolleyes:

[NigeSausagepump]

Originally posted by Éanna
There are plenty of people who don't like McCarthy or Keane- I'm one of them.

:

I'm another.

Why is it all so black and white to some people?!

[colster]

Come on we can't be still arguing about this now.
It's been over a year since this happened the team and squad have moved on. Keane and McCarthy are history as far as the Irish team is concerned.
I think that there are people who are still in denial that Keane is gone. Get a life. He's gone, he's not coming back and lets support the lads who are playing for Ireland.

[ian]

Colster i could not agree more with what you say just get over it it has been a year.

[Plastic Paddy]

Originally posted by colster
Come on we can't be still arguing about this now.
It's been over a year since this happened the team and squad have moved on. Keane and McCarthy are history as far as the Irish team is concerned.
I think that there are people who are still in denial that Keane is gone. Get a life. He's gone, he's not coming back and lets support the lads who are playing for Ireland.

Seconded Colster. And to think I started this thread about Damien Duff's move to Chelsea. :rolleyes:

Come on lads, get over Keane and McCarthy. Neither play an active role any more. Let's focus our efforts behind Brian Kerr and the team. Nuff said.

:D PP

[NigeSausagepump]

I agree we should be talking about something else, but I can also guarantee that this debate will resurface in Irish football websites for years and years to come. People won't "get over it" for a long, long time given the passions it evoked and still evokes.

[John83]

Originally posted by NigeSausagepump
...ergo I am a McCarthyite...

Someone watched the matrix... :rolleyes:

[John83]

Originally posted by NigeSausagepump
...ergo I am a McCarthyite...

Someone watched the matrix... :rolleyes:

[colster]

Originally posted by Silvio Dante
The most earth shattering event in Irish football will, as Nige said, be hotly debated for years to come. And rightly so....

not earth shattering enought to merit it's own tread though!!!

If you want to debate do it another tread so that people who have accepted reality and moved on can avoid this boring bs.

[NigeSausagepump]

Originally posted by John83
Someone watched the matrix... :rolleyes:

Nah, Life of Brian mate!

[tiktok]

anyway, duff appears to be settling in well at chelsea according to aertel, lets hope the national side can reap the benefits of both him and reid playing at a higher level

from www.rte.ie

New Chelsea signings Damien Duff and Wayne Bridge have been finding their feet amongst their new team-mates in Kuala Lumpur. Chelsea skipper John Terry insisted the recent influx of signings had kept morale in the camp high and although the humidity has got to them, he is looking forward to stepping out against Malaysia tomorrow.

He insisted: "The lads have been struggling a little bit and are a little bit tired, but we had a light session today so I fell as if we are okay now. The atmosphere is good in the team. We have made four good signings already and its good for the other players around. It's good for Chelsea. There are lots of games coming up and we can't play every game anyway. Duff and Bridge have settled in very well."

He continued: "It was their first training session today. The lads have been getting on really well with everybody and I am looking forward as much as everyone else to see them playing in a Chelsea shirt. With the squad we have got, we can rotate the players and we know that if someone is struggling a little bit, maybe a little bit tired, someone just as good can come in an do the job."

Ranieri would not confirm whether Duff and Bridge are likely to make their Chelsea debuts against Malaysia, preferring to wait until the morning of the match to assess the fitness of his entire squad. He said: "I will see how they are tomorrow and then I will pick the right first XI. I have a little problem, for example, with Carlo Cudicini, Marco Ambrosio and Mario Stanic - maybe the jet-lag, maybe the conditions I don't know. They are a little problem and I will have to wait until tomorrow."

[bitored]

Slow Friday afternoon at the office so tuned in to catch a bit of Duffer's debut - he only played for 30 mins but looked first class.
The usual Duff stuff - mazy runs, one great long range effort, one effort he should have buried and a good cross to set up Gudjohnson for Chelsea's third.
The opposition were weak but still very encouraging.

[Seamus #1]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39324000/jpg/_39324413_dunn1_ge_200.jpg

He's played his first game for them then!!!

Report here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/3097017.stm)

[NigeSausagepump]

Ranieri only gave him 15 mins against Newcastle today and he didn't do very much, bar have a peno saved by Given in the shootout!

[ian]

A good game duff had on friday when he did come on but as for yesterday he did not have the time to get in to the game he is going to be a good player for chelsea when the season starts as for the peno will he is not a taker is he.

[NigeSausagepump]

I think he'll defo benefit from playing with a higher standard of players at Chelsea. Even though he did comparatively little yesterday, you could see that he was making all kinds of insightful little runs into the channels and Gudjohnsen and Hasselbaink were looking to pick him out.
Whereas Andy, sorry Andrew, Cole at Blackburn couldn't pick out someone wearing a Rangers top at Landsdowne :D