Saved off the line and assisted third goal
Fulham have Leeds at home in the next round so hopefully gets that game and a couple of others including Latvia before we play France.
It may seem uncouth these days but I'd have Duffy on the bench at least. He can be thrown on up front if we're in need of a goal late in games then.
elatedscum made a good case for him starting recently. I think it was along the lines that while he might make mistakes with distribution, we don't make the defensive mistakes that have crept into our game with him in the side.
It seems to be Collins making those mistakes. The old, less high profile lads like Egan, O'Shea and also lenihan. Seem more solid. But it's Collins who u would fancy being a star in 5 years
Just to add I would play lenihan ahead of Duffy.
I watched the match. I appreciate Sunderland are a Championship team but Duffy looked very comfortable and had moments where his positioning neutralized their attacks. Looked comfortable on the ball and hit a couple of nice long passes including one diagonal ball which created a goalscoring opportunity.
Definitely eases the mind a bit if he does end up starting for us, even if France is on a different planet in terms of attacking firepower.
A mistake in midfield is not as bad as a mistake in a centre back position. We've enough cover in defence to experiment with collins
I'm a bloke,I'm an ocker
And I really love your knockers,I'm a labourer by day,
I **** up all me pay,Watching footy on TV,
Just feed me more VB,Just pour my beer,And get my smokes, And go away
There’s a comment on the Fulham forum that praises Duffy as an “old-school” defender. But that’s the issue – he is too old-school for the modern game. As much as he is brilliant in the air, getting in blocks, putting his body on the line, the game has moved on and you can’t overlook how uncomfortable he is on the ball and how limiting this is for team flexibility.
There's a line on a Fulham fan website commenting on the game that said: "Even before his second half heroics, Shane looked majestic at the heart of defence - calm, stoical, vigilant."
It seems he played how you might expect an accomplished, 55-cap international who has regularly tussled with the best attackers in the world, to play.
In the last few years, a narrative has set in that Duffy can't or could never play football, that he is lucky if he completes a pass, but it is a myth. He has a mistake in him like any defender, but the truth is that Duffy's distribution (see irishfan86's diagonal ball) and reading of the game have been features of his game since he made his debut for Everton in the Europa League at 17. His out-and-out defensive attributes are indeed his trademark, but that doesn't mean the other side of his game is necessarily bad. He wouldn't have played so many games for Stephen Kenny if that was remotely true, nor would he have excelled when he got back into the Brighton team following the Celtic shambles.
If he gets a run of games for Fulham in the Premier League and plays well, I think he is right back in the conversation to start - and captain - the team.
Last edited by Predator; 10/02/2023 at 3:38 PM.
End Apartheid Now! One Team in Ireland!
Its nice words from them and everything, but I'd say Fulham will let him go on a free at the end of the season to be honest. I've seen him pass the ball straight to opposing attackers under minimal pressure, I've seen him give the ball straight to them with his first touch, because it landed about three yards away from him, and then get himself booked trying to slide tackle to get the ball back from his earlier mistake. I've seen him play 50 yard cross field balls that have re-entered the earth's orbit about 15 yards over the touchline. All while playing for Ireland.
It's not like every pass he makes is a disaster or anything, his pass completion rates (one of the most overused stats in football) are probably fine. It's that he's constantly a mistake waiting to happen, and he doesn't seem to even need to be under that much pressure to make the mistake.
Fulham trust him so much that they've given him 4 minutes of Premier League game time all season. That says it all really. I'm sure Kenny will probably have him in the squad for March because, well, Kenny, but he has no business being in our starting team and his remaining days in the squad are limited too I'd say.
Keane O'Shea Given Best Smallbone
Signs a three year contract with Norwich.
3 years is good going. I would been expecting a two year deal somewhere.Originally Posted by JR89
Really is.
Though added competition for Omobamidele now, so hopefully it isn't a case of one or the other
Maybe a sign that Omobamidele is going to be sold !
I think thats almost definitely the case
What surprised me about the three year deal is that he accepted it. Thought he'd only go for a two year deal which might have left his options open to get a better move.
Grant Hanley likely out for awhile and them needing to use Omobamidele to raise funds if he pushed for a three year deal I'd say they couldn't afford to say no. Don't think they could have gotten a better defender than Duffy for free. Beggers can't be choosers as they say
He'll be Norwich's player of the season next year. This is a great move for them.
If I was a betting man I'd put money on it. Norwich complained about how players looked uninterested at times. How they didn't care. Duffy is going there with a point to prove. To regain his Ireland spot and can see him putting in some big performances for Norwich.
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