Shane Duffy D Norwich b.1992

**Kingdom** · 15/08/2021, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by Colbert Report

Great game from Duffy here in a 2-1 win away to Burnley to start the season. From everything I've heard, his season at Celtic couldn't have gone worse, but he looked like a solid Premier League player today, particularly against the aerial offensive from Burnley. Must start in the upcoming qualifiers.

I've serious reservations about Shane, but credit where it's due, he's really turned things around from what looked like a really bad position for him professionally.

Each game has to be taken on it's individual merit, and Burnley away with the style of football they play is almost the perfect comeback game for him, and Portugal in Lisbon is going to be a different type of game, with balls in behind and the movement that comes with their game, but agree with above, if he's playing, playing in the PL, and playing well, then he's an absolute starter, definitely.
Given Doherty at LWB and Coleman RWB (if Kenny keeps the 3 at the back), then we couldn't have asked for a better time for him to return to form.

**Olé Olé** · 18/08/2021, 2:24 PM

I just spotted there that Shane Duffy also made it into the Whoscored.com team of the week: https://www.whoscored.com/Regions/25...Premier-League

He had 91.8% passing accuracy, won 9 aerial duels and had 4 shots, with 2 on target. Of course, there's a point to be made with regard to the aerial duels that he should have opportunity to win that many against Burnley. It's going to be very interesting to see what happens with him for the rest of the season. He might stay at Brighton but maybe one of the promoted sides or a Championship club signs him? I'd be happy enough with all 3 scenarios, once he got his share of matches at Brighton that is!

**John83** · 18/08/2021, 10:24 PM

Re: aerial duals, he's always scored well in those. Prior to his big slump in form, he tended to be in the top 5 EPL centre halves on that stat. In that regard, he's a monster. Hopefully, he keeps his place and his form this year and continues to look comfortable in green as he did in the last international window. As much as we have depth at centre half, he's still probably the best of our options there in absolute defensive terms.

**elatedscum** · 19/08/2021, 1:17 AM

Originally Posted by John83

Re: aerial duals, he's always scored well in those. Prior to his big slump in form, he tended to be in the top 5 EPL centre halves on that stat.

I remember reading the season before last or the one before that, him and Van Dijk were a mile ahead of everyone else in percentage of headers won in the league. Both well above 90% win rate and the third was about 10% lower.

**SkStu** · 19/08/2021, 7:45 PM

Originally Posted by Olé Olé

He had 91.8% passing accuracy

was he really aiming for that pensioner in Row Z every time though?

joke!

Good news to see him come back into a bit of good form at a high level. Only a good thing for us. Still not convinced he is the right man for a ball playing defense but will see how it goes.

**Eminence Grise** · 19/08/2021, 10:17 PM

If he was hitting the same pensioner every time, I'd have no fears about him as a ball playing defender! We definitely have a place for Duffy - he's a very, very good defender, in a blood 'n' thunder, no subtlety kind of way! - but he needs one or two CDs beside him (and/or a keeper more comfortable with the ball than Randolph) who can pass and offer alternate outlets for distribution.

**Diggs246** · 20/08/2021, 12:54 PM

Duffy was excellent against Hungary and was excellent for Brighton last week. But here is the question. If kenny selects him does that not make a mockery of the playing out from the back philosophy? Duffy isnt that guy let's me honest

**Trequartista20** · 20/08/2021, 1:02 PM

We're a small nation with slim resources.

It is therefore beholden of the manager to find a system that suits the players he has. If Kenny can't understand or accept that simple truth then we'll have to find somebody who does.

Duffy - Egan - O'Shea did well a back three against Hungary; it looked like something we could definitely build upon.

If Kenny moves away from that then we're obviously going nowhere fast.

**John83** · 20/08/2021, 1:02 PM

Originally Posted by Diggs246

Duffy was excellent against Hungary and was excellent for Brighton last week. But here is the question. If kenny selects him does that not make a mockery of the playing out from the back philosophy? Duffy isnt that guy let's me honest

Surely we can afford one square peg without it being a "mockery" of the system? We're not so blessed with talent that we can drop good EPL players lightly.

**Diggs246** · 20/08/2021, 1:09 PM

I'd play him. But I would play a 4-5-1

**passinginterest** · 20/08/2021, 1:18 PM

Yeah, I think for certain games probably for most, you can have one Duffy type in the defensive positions. It just means compromising the style a bit and letting him go direct under pressure, rather than expecting him to be playing 2 or 3 short passes in a tight area. I think we saw that compromise against Hungary and it suited us.

**Razors left peg** · 20/08/2021, 4:08 PM

Originally Posted by Diggs246

Duffy was excellent against Hungary and was excellent for Brighton last week. But here is the question. If kenny selects him does that not make a mockery of the playing out from the back philosophy? Duffy isnt that guy let's me honest

He doesnt have be the one playing the ball out from the back. If he has another center half or 2 along side him they can do that job. If he gets back to his very best form then hes an excellent defender who is also a good organizer on the pitch and we have to accommodate him.

**Colbert Report** · 21/08/2021, 4:34 PM

Starts again today at home to Watford in the middle of a back three. I think Duffy and Coleman are the only two Irishmen starting in the Premier League nowadays.

**Colbert Report** · 21/08/2021, 4:40 PM

Scores the opener with a great header off a corner ten minutes in. Very happy for him.

**Olé Olé** · 21/08/2021, 4:42 PM

Was delighted to see him start again. This is great.

**irishfan86** · 22/08/2021, 6:23 AM

It’s honestly one of the best feel good stories in the Premier League. He was essentially kicked the curb, dumped to Celtic, dealing with the death of his father, and has come back and basically forced Potter’s hand by being comprehensively dominant. Fair play Shane.

**MancIrishWolf** · 22/08/2021, 6:40 AM

Brighton fans effusive with praise at Duffy’s turnaround. Certainly seem a supportive bunch lacking the usual fickle bitterness you’d expect from smaller provincial clubs. Long may it continue.

https://www.northstandchat.com/showt...ic-loan/page19

**Eirambler** · 22/08/2021, 6:47 AM

They're an unusually tolerable bunch, Brighton fans. But I think that's a lot to do with Brighton as a city, it's as much an extension of London as it is a provincial city and that shows in how they vote in elections, Brexit views etc. as well as their football supporters.

From an Irish point of view there have been some great stories at the start of the new season - Parrott finding his confidence in League 1, Bazunu off to a flyer at Portsmouth, O'Shea and Robinson at West Brom, Manning at Swansea and a few more, but Duffy's almost unbelievable comeback from where he was at in the spring is still the best story of the lot.

**MancIrishWolf** · 22/08/2021, 7:17 AM

Good point, the city has always been famed for it’s liberal views. Certainly a stark contrast to the bitter views I’d expect from fans in post industrial outposts in the Midlands and North (such as my own club) which you’d expect in Post-Brexit Britain. Definitely a good place for young Irish kids to thrive and probably why Connolly hasn’t been as lambasted as much as he would elsewhere.