Head to Head - Duff v Pires

[Peadar]

Arsenal.com have an article on the two wingers before their league clash on Sunday.

[Stuttgart88]

Did you notice that they refer to Duff as "Downing" at the end?!!

I presume they're unlikely to go head to head in September though. In September I expect these stats:

Minutes on Pitch: Duff 93 Pires 0
Goals: Duff 1 Pires 0
Assists: Duff 1 Pires 0
Sulky Tantrums: Duff 1 Pires 7

[Peadar]

I presume they're unlikely to go head to head in September though.

Probably. After Wednesday, I'm very worried about September.

[Poor Student]

I'd never have thought Pires would have put in about double the defensive work of Duff. The rest I knew. Pires has a tremendous knack of being in the right place at the right time and making the right runs giving him a brilliant strike rate from midfield. He also is an excellent passer of the ball on the ground. However Duff is a far more skilled dribbler.

[Peadar]

However Duff is a far more skilled dribbler.

Yeah, I'd agree with that.
If anything, Pires is less willing to take on his man now than he was 3 years ago.

[drinkfeckarse]

Both class players, very different to each other though.

[geysir]

Did you notice that they refer to Duff as "Downing" at the end?!!

I presume they're unlikely to go head to head in September though. In September I expect these stats:

Minutes on Pitch: Duff 93 Pires 0
Goals: Duff 1 Pires 0
Assists: Duff 1 Pires 0
Sulky Tantrums: Duff 1 Pires 7

not to mention
WCQ. Duff 2 Pires 0

[sligoman]

Minutes on Pitch: Duff 93 Pires 0
Goals: Duff 1 Pires 0
Assists: Duff 1 Pires 0
Sulky Tantrums: Duff 1 Pires 7

If Pires doesn't play then how will he have 7 tantrums?

[Stuttgart88]

You don't have to be playing to have a tantrum

[Peadar]

You don't have to be playing to have a tantrum

Just ask Robbie Keane.

[eirebhoy]

Did you notice that they refer to Duff as "Downing" at the end?!!

They actually were talking about Downing at the end. Duff got more than 4 assists in the league surely.

[tetsujin1979]

Duff got more than 4 assists in the league surely.

Whatever about the Premiership, I'm pretty sure that Duff was second in the assists table in the Champion's League last season to Pirlo

[eirebhoy]

Whatever about the Premiership, I'm pretty sure that Duff was second in the assists table in the Champion's League last season to Pirlo

Aye, Duff got 5 assists in the CL last season and he start 3 or 4 of Chelsea's games. I can't believe he only got 4 assists in 30 games in the premiership. Anyway, Pires probably would be better than the Duff of Chelsea. He's not a patch on the Duff of Ireland though.

[chancer]

Pires won't play with Zidane on the pitch anyway so it doesn't really matter now. Duff is IMO the better player and far less of a moody gimp with chin pubes.
prediction: 2-1 Ireland (Robbie Keane x2, Zidane)

[Peadar]

Sadly it would seem that Duff is outdoing Pires on the dive count as well.
Good old Jose loves his teams to cheat.

[chancer]

Where is that mentionned in the article? Besides, I'm sure Duffer wasn't diving , just...resting.

[Karlos]

I was actually sitting in the west lower against Italy, directly in line with one of the most blatant dives and attempt to con a referree I've ever witnessed. No, it wasn't Pirlo, Gilardino or even Del Piero but our own Damien Duff.

Naturally, I started to boo him everytime he touched the ball after that as we all know Ireland fans dispise cheats as witnessed in Paris. Sadly, it appeared that those around me felt it was the referee's fault for not allowing us to cheat!!!

Now of course I'm only taking the p!ss but it does amaze me that some people ridicule how the english media and fans stick up for the likes of Rooney doing similar but completly turn a blind eye when we hype up our own players and ignore their willingness to openly cheat.

Players will be players, fans will be biased. Always.

[OwlsFan]

I was at the other end of the ground when Duff beat two players and seemed to be taken down by a third. Was it a dive ? Haven't seen it on TV from my armchair or barstool since.

There is no doubt Duff has mastered the art of going down to win frees but somehow it always looks like a free to my green eyes.

[Karlos]

I was at the other end of the ground when Duff beat two players and seemed to be taken down by a third. Was it a dive ? Haven't seen it on TV from my armchair or barstool since.

There is no doubt Duff has mastered the art of going down to win frees but somehow it always looks like a free to my green eyes.

He certainly wasn't touched by the third man (nor the other two for that matter) so make of that what you will.

He got up and complained about which in my eyes is as bad as Rooney celebrating a penalty won by diving. It happens all the time - some players get singled out for it, others get away scott free. Nonetheless, it's cheating.


Duff, master of the art - Pires, cheat!

[Baker]

I can't believe he only got 4 assists in 30 games in the premiership. Anyway, Pires probably would be better than the Duff of Chelsea. He's not a patch on the Duff of Ireland though.

I had Duff on my fantasy football team for most of last season and he got an awful lot more than than just 4 assists.

Agree completely that Irelands Duff is much better than Pires! I doubt if Bobby will make it into the French squad for the Ireland game not to mind the starting XI so I dont think it will affect the result of our game next next month.