Damien Duff

**tetsujin1979** · 30/04/2010, 10:14 AM

considering Fulham started in the first qualifying round, waay back in July, it's some achievement to get to the final.
I did apply for tickets to the final, but was rejected. I wasn't too bothered at the time, but I'm a bit disappointed now.

**geysir** · 30/04/2010, 3:59 PM

I thought since Rangers and Middlesbrough made the final that the sensation value had greatly diminished.
I think a club has to at least come very close in the final if not win it, before being worthy of some acclaim.
The football standard has been more noted for its excitement value than its quality.

**irishfan86** · 01/05/2010, 4:39 PM

That was probably the most entertaining match I've seen all season. What a comeback. I really like the characters on that team, and I'm delighted for Duff. It wasn't his best game, but judging from the amount of times he was fouled, I think he was a marked man.

**back of the net** · 08/05/2010, 10:38 AM

What i thought was a lovely tribute from Roy Hodgson to Duffer:

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...139552,00.html
"Duff is outstanding. When the annals of Irish history are written, and there have been some good players over the years, he will be right up there with them. He'd have 100 caps already but for one or two serious injuries.He's been the Damien I got to know as a young boy at Blackburn. Several people tried to dissuade me that he was a totally different player I was signing but I'm pleased to say they were wrong and I've been right. If anything he's a better player today because he was always very clever in his play but the 10 years of experience has not done him any harm.
Damien Duff didn't come to Fulham for money, that's for sure. If he'd wanted serious money he would have stayed at Newcastle to see his contract out. He came here to play football."

**tricky_colour** · 23/08/2010, 12:54 AM

http://videos.sapo.pt/JRUYJ7UKd6tJtTyBYdld

Nice work by Duff on the wing there, like a hot knife through butter

**DannyInvincible** · 23/08/2010, 1:21 AM

That was wonderful.

**rebelmusic** · 23/08/2010, 9:44 AM

Bit lucky with the deflection but lovely first touch. Great to see

**Sullivinho** · 23/08/2010, 2:05 PM

Classic Duffer.

Wish I was Evra...he had he best view.

**osarusan** · 23/08/2010, 2:13 PM

Crazy penalty decision against him too in my opinion.

**Closed Account** · 23/08/2010, 2:24 PM

Originally Posted by osarusan

Crazy penalty decision against him too in my opinion.

I've just watched that now after hearing about it and here's my tuppence(if that's worth anything)
If you mistime a tackle in the box, it usually results in a foul, penalty, no argument there. Now what Duffer did was mistime a volley, which resulted in him fouling the ball. Penalty. In my mind there's no question about it. Ball to hand/Hand to ball? Not applicable as Duff hit the ball with his knee first. How would you feel if Duffer was attacking and handled the ball like that into the net?

**osarusan** · 23/08/2010, 2:32 PM

As I understand the rule (and I may well be wrong on it), it must be deemed deliberate for it to be considered a foul. I don't believe that Duff deliberately played the ball onto his hand, nor did he deliberately handle it after his poor first touch, nor was his hand in an 'unnatural position'.

**passinginterest** · 23/08/2010, 2:43 PM

Originally Posted by osarusan

As I understand the rule (and I may well be wrong on it), it must be deemed deliberate for it to be considered a foul. I don't believe that Duff deliberately played the ball onto his hand, nor did he deliberately handle it after his poor first touch, nor was his hand in an 'unnatural position'.

That's also my understanding, it was never deliberate in which case it shouldn't be called as a foul.

**Closed Account** · 23/08/2010, 2:48 PM

Originally Posted by osarusan

As I understand the rule (and I may well be wrong on it), it must be deemed deliberate for it to be considered a foul. I don't believe that Duff deliberately played the ball onto his hand, nor did he deliberately handle it after his poor first touch, nor was his hand in an 'unnatural position'.

Technically, the hand ball rule does include the work 'deliberate' but in effect it doesn't work that way. Shy of admitting that you wanted to handle the ball, there is no way to prove deliberacy. What makes Duff guilty, in my eyes, is that the ball shouldn't of hit his hand, and it was his deliberate actions which resulted in the ball striking his arm. Had the ball come from a yard away or at an unbelievable speed then I'd give him the benefit of the doubt but he was on the receiving end of the one of the rare times John O'Shea found a teammate. As I said, if he'd scored with that kind of handball, the United players would be calling for a replay of a 39th game or something redelaneyiculous like that.

**tricky_colour** · 23/08/2010, 5:02 PM

Originally Posted by rebelmusic

Bit lucky with the deflection but lovely first touch. Great to see

It's hard to tell what happens there, i'd like to see a slow-mo of it, I don't see how he got the ball
past him but I'm not complaining! It seems it came back to him, but he did well to control it.

**Stuttgart88** · 23/08/2010, 5:28 PM

Great to see him playing well again. Guardian gave him MOTM this morning. Wrap him up in cotton wool next weekend please.

**shaneker** · 23/08/2010, 5:51 PM

I'm sorry to say I was one of the doom-and-gloom brigade regarding Duffer a few years back, and I genuinely didn't believe he would be able to get back to (close to) his best.

Some of the best tasting humble pie ever, this. Keep it up Damien, you've a European Championships in you yet!

**Charlie Darwin** · 23/08/2010, 5:55 PM

Originally Posted by joe_denilson

Technically, the hand ball rule does include the work 'deliberate' but in effect it doesn't work that way. Shy of admitting that you wanted to handle the ball, there is no way to prove deliberacy. What makes Duff guilty, in my eyes, is that the ball shouldn't of hit his hand, and it was his deliberate actions which resulted in the ball striking his arm. Had the ball come from a yard away or at an unbelievable speed then I'd give him the benefit of the doubt but he was on the receiving end of the one of the rare times John O'Shea found a teammate. As I said, if he'd scored with that kind of handball, the United players would be calling for a replay of a 39th game or something redelaneyiculous like that.

When it's not obviously delibrate, the interpretation is supposed to be whether the player's hand was in an unnatural position and whether he gained an advantage from it. Duff's arm was out as he was swivelling and he definitely didn't gain an advantage (quite the opposite - it stopped his clearance), so I don't really see how it could be considered handball.

**osarusan** · 23/08/2010, 7:32 PM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

and whether he gained an advantage from it.

I don't have access to the rules right now, but from memory, the issue of whether it's of advantage to the player isn't part of the question. As I remember it, the referee must declde if it's deliberate or not. Guidelines to help the referee make this decision are, first, if the player moved his hand towards the ball, second, if he had time to move his hand out of the way but didnt, and third, if his hand was in an unnatural position.

Again, I am just going from memory on these.

**Charlie Darwin** · 23/08/2010, 8:03 PM

That sounds about right from an official point of view, but I think any referee with a bit of sense should (and usually will) take advantage into account.