Ireland team.

[carnstien]

Don't really like the sound of that. Sounds like Mourinho is questioning Duff as a player at this moment in time. Not that Duffer would be short of offers if he wasn't favoured by Mourinho.

I don't think Mourinho will be good for Duff at all. Going on yesterdays performance and Porto in the CL, Mourinho is a very defensive coach and I also note that he didn't play any wingers yersterday.

Duff claims his favourite pass time is to sleep, Mourinho like to start his training sessions at a ridiculous hour, something like 7AM.

I think Duff will leave Chelsea at the end of the season and probably end up at United or Liverpool.

[NeilMcD]

bit of an exagerration, they have to be in for 9 to have breakfast, and training starts at 10 most clubs just insist you are there on time for training but he wants them all to have breakfast together, Duff usually arrives just about a minute before, the deadline. GOod point though about tactics, i could not believe that Chelsea, were so defensive, If utd had their full team with ronaldo, and van nistelrooy and saha, they would have murdered them, as it was, utds 3rd choice midfield, had 73% of the ball.

[Bowsy]

I am the eternal pessimist but you're interpretation sounds quite likely Neil. I think it's that i don't particularly like Mourinho plus his game plan often seems to revolve around his full backs giving him the width. At least the Tinkerman (and his ma) thought the sun shined out of Duffer's rear.

[carnstien]

At least the Tinkerman (and his ma) thought the sun shined out of Duffer's rear.

And he was right too. I thought that kind of football was gone from the premiership with the departure of that donkey Houllier, but Houlliball is alive and well and living in Chelsea, may the lord have mercy on our souls.

[Bowsy]

Going on yesterdays performance and Porto in the CL, Mourinho is a very defensive coach and I also note that he didn't play any wingers yersterday.

Agree with that Carnstein and hence my pessimism. He brought in Ferreira to bomb forward like he did for Porto and Bridge can do a similar task. Here's hoping this is not the case though.

[eirebhoy]

Bowsy, I don't think you understood exactly what Mourinho meant. When Duff was playing in training his teammates know they have to go easy on Duff but in a competitive game Duff gets fouled about 10 times. He's just a little scared that his shoulder will dislocate again so he won't be going past players like he used to for the next couple of games.

The Portuguese manager was without the services of wingers Arjen Robben and Damien Duff. However he had included Duff (still recovering from a shoulder injury) in the squad to leave a bit of a doubt in the opponents’ mind as to how we would play.

“But Duff is not yet ready,” he explained. “He’s working really hard. I tried to push him. I put him against Milan and Zaragoza but he’s not super-confident with his shoulder in competitive matches like this just yet.

“I know he’s selected for the Irish team for the next week but I don’t think he’s ready for it. I know he’s an important player there and maybe this national team match can help him to get over the mental approach of a competitive game because of the shoulder.”

The new manager went on to say that normally one of the two wingers would be playing.

[fergalr]

Beware of hack journos and the "quotes" they attribute.

According to the club, what Jose actually said was:

“But Duff is not yet ready,” he explained. “He’s working really hard. I tried to push him. I put him against Milan and Zaragoza but he’s not super-confident with his shoulder in competitive matches like this just yet.

“I know he’s selected for the Irish team for the next week but I don’t think he’s ready for it. I know he’s an important player there and maybe this national team match can help him to get over the mental approach of a competitive game because of the shoulder."

While the second paragraph is somewhat contradictory, I take it to mean that We should get to see the Duffer on Wednesday.

I'd also like to comment on the nonsense that Duff's time at Chelsea is limited. For some strange reason his move there never went down well with a section of the Irish media - I wonder why.

[Condex]

From football365 :

************************************************
A notable mention should go to O'Shea and Miller who both did solidly well in midfield. Though Miller needs to eat more Shredded Wheat, he showed tons of commitment and isn't short of knowhow. And for a centre-half/left-back John O'Shea yet again proved that in time he should be able to pick a position in the team he wants to play.
************************************************

Is this the two same players that got a 4 rating in the Times.
Agree about the Shredded Wheat, Miller need to get down the qym.

[eirebhoy]

Agree about the Shredded Wheat, Miller need to get down the qym.

Miller is 5'7" which is just an inch taller than Shaun Wright Phillips. There's nothing he can do about his height at 23 I'm afraid. He weight seems in proportion to his height to me.

[carnstien]

How the feck did they give Fortune 5 and O'shea and Miller 4..... the mind boggles


Don't like the sound of that either - "mental competitive" block is not something that we would usually associate with the Duffer

Looked at those rating scan and they are a joke. Giggs and Fortune were by far ManUre's worst players and they both got 5's. In my opinion Miller and O'Shea were Uniteds 2 best midfielders.

Smith also got a 5, which is a joke, he was by far United's best player, he didn't stop fighting until the final whistle and I would have thought he deserved and 8. Probably would give Miller and Roy both 7's and O'Shea a 6.

[brine3]

That's Mourinho playing mind games and doing a bit of motivation. Good manager. Better than Kevin Keegan waxing lyrical about Shaun Wright-Phillips every time he has a half decent game.

[eirebhoy]

Kerr: Duff wil play

[tiktok]

From football365 :

************************************************
A notable mention should go to O'Shea and Miller who both did solidly well in midfield. Though Miller needs to eat more Shredded Wheat, he showed tons of commitment and isn't short of knowhow. And for a centre-half/left-back John O'Shea yet again proved that in time he should be able to pick a position in the team he wants to play.
************************************************

Is this the two same players that got a 4 rating in the Times.
Agree about the Shredded Wheat, Miller need to get down the qym.

That was written by a United fan though, not a neutral observer.

[1MickCollins]

I didn't get to see the game but friends that di said Miller looked a bit lost.

The Guardian is always accurate - they say Miller was bemused It's only his first start, there is a long way to go. Djemba-Djemba continues to suck.


"Ferguson will still have been disappointed that his selection, mostly comprising experienced players, could not adapt to the absence of a few stars.

Eric Djemba-Djemba, for example, was bought expressly to supply an alternative in midfield but he is yet to thrive in England and still looks a last resort. There is deeper understanding for Liam Miller. The 23-year-old was just extablishing himself at Celtic when he received the irresistible offer from Ferguson and, in his first start for United, was bemused."