Duff's decline into mediocrity?

**Reality Bites** · 24/02/2006, 9:13 AM

from elevenaside.com

Twelve months on from playing a central role in a Chelsea victory over Barcelona at Stamford Bridge, Damien Duff was reduced to the role of onlooker as the sides rejoined battle on Wednesday night. eleven-a-side.com considers the Irishman’s future with the Premiership champions.

Dutch winger Arjen Robben and England international Joe Cole are now firmly established as first-choice support forwards in the 4-3-2-1 system deployed by Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.

When the energy of Robben was exhausted in the second half on Wednesday night, and his side in need of inspiration, Mourinho turned not to Duff – a natural replacement for the left-sided role – but to former Manchester City speedster Shaun Wright-Phillips.

SWP, a £21m arrival last summer, has been labelled by some as the most expensive reserve in the history of the English game, but he has seemingly displaced Duff as next-in-line for the wide berths, leaving the Dubliner under severe pressure when it comes to the comings and goings in the summer.

So where does it all leave Duffer, Ireland’s talisman?

There is no doubt that the move to Chelsea brought Duff onto a higher plane, and his performances, initially at least, lived up to the billing.

Any Irish fan who remembers his demolition job on Lazio in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico in his first season as a Chelsea player will have been waiting for Duff to take the next step onto super-stardom, with both club and country.

But it is clearly evident that his stock has dipped significantly this season, and injuries can only be blamed for so much.

Duff was fit and well for the first two months of the season, featuring in each of Chelsea’s first 11 games. But he was substituted on seven occasions, and in only two of those games did he play the entire 90 minutes.

A knee injury during Ireland’s tempestuous World Cup encounter in Cyprus in October cost him three weeks but he returned and started seven games in a row. Another injury ditched another fortnight, but once again he was restored to the starting line-up when fit.

Now, whether down to Duff’s lack of form or fitness, it seems Mourinho has finally lost patience – the Irish international has failed to start a game since January 22nd.

His difficulties at club level have not exactly been carried over onto the international arena – on occasions for Ireland, Duff seems to have been enlivened by his escape from Mourinho’s organizational rigidity – but it is an inescapable fact that Duff’s displays in the green have slipped a notch over the past two years.

A star of the World Cup finals in 2002 – the right-wing, left-foot artistry of Barcelona’s teenage wonder Lionel Messi on Wednesday night recalled Duff’s stunning display against Spain in Suwon four years ago – Duff has yet to regain those heights at international level; his current goalless run for Ireland, stretching back to a remarkable solo effort against Canada in November 2004, stands at 14 matches and counting.

While Duff will remain the darling of Ireland for a long time yet, it is less certain what the future holds at Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho has never shirked from the need to offload some of the club’s more expensive purchases – Juan Sebastian Veron, Adrian Mutu and Scott Parker, all signed by Claudio Ranieri, were summarily dispatched, while Tiago and Mateja Kezman – two of Mourinho’s acquisitions, for a combined £13m – lasted just 12 months before leaving by the Bridge’s over-worked revolving door.

Last season, Hernan Crespo was offered to AC Milan on a season-long loan – only an exceptional season, capped by two goals in the Champions League final, offered him a route back into Mourinho’s affections – while England international left back Wayne Bridge finds himself on a short-term deal at Fulham in a bid to find a back door into Sven Goran Eriksson’s World Cup squad.

Duff has never been comfortable with the bright lights and big stars of the Fulham Road. He once spoke of his awe at sharing a training field with the likes of Crespo, and he routinely avoids the spotlight.

With a Champions League second round exit on the cards following Wednesday’s first leg home defeat to Barca, under-achievers will not be countenanced in the summer review. For better or worse, our Duffer falls into that category, and he could yet fall through the trap-door. Time will tell whether it was a fine trap-door to fall through.

**Irish_Praha** · 24/02/2006, 9:21 AM

I wouldn't write off his Chelsea career just yet but he could do worse than get himself a move to ManUre in the Summer. At least he'd be given the freedom to be more adventurous there. The only thing that would worry me though would be old red nose's dislike for international football.

**klein4** · 24/02/2006, 9:29 AM

he might be gone in the summer...but yeah would love to see him leave chelsea...

**Stuttgart88** · 24/02/2006, 9:34 AM

I'd prefer to see him at Liverpool. Part of the blame has to be Chelsea's system itself & in a way Duff is paying the price for being too "obedient", diligently performing his defensive duties, far more so than Robben & Cole.

But he has undoubtedly fallen down the pecking order. Cole has impressed me, even though I dislike him. But does he have it when it really counts?

SWP is explosive going forward but would Mourinho trust him week in week out, or will he just see him as a possible game-changing substitute option?

**Peadar** · 24/02/2006, 9:40 AM

Jose has too much respect for him to send him out into that mud pit.
Once the pitch is sorted and Jose wants his side to try playing football again, Duffer will be back.

**pete** · 24/02/2006, 9:53 AM

Way to early to right off Duff. Hes had a few injuries this season & Wright-Phillips is still nowhere near a starting position.

Robbens form is up & down so Duff will get his chance again.

**Dodge** · 24/02/2006, 10:23 AM

Both Robben and Cole have been consistently better than Duff the past 12 months or so

**eirebhoy** · 24/02/2006, 10:28 AM

I think Stuttgart got it spot on. He has the ability to do what he used to do but is too obedient. I'd say he'd love to have taken on the Colchester right back at every opportunity but Mourinho doesn't want Duff to be the wing wizard of old.

**Dodge** · 24/02/2006, 10:49 AM

Sorry lads but thats cack. Robben and Cole attack all the time and are picked all the time. Are you trying to suggest that Mourinho won't pick Duff because he does what he's told?!?

**colster** · 24/02/2006, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Sorry lads but thats cack. Robben and Cole attack all the time and are picked all the time. Are you trying to suggest that Mourinho won't pick Duff because he does what he's told?!?

Robben and Cole are a different type of winger to Duff. When they attack they usually go for goal. Duff on the other hand passes or crosses but isn't a good finisher.

**Dodge** · 24/02/2006, 11:46 AM

Thats what I think. I was just answering those above who think the only reason he's dropped is because he listens to the manager

**Emmet** · 24/02/2006, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Thats what I think. I was just answering those above who think the only reason he's dropped is because he listens to the manager

I agree. He's out of Chelsea's team because of form, nothing else! I can't see Chelsea selling him to another top English team though so if he does leave it would possibly be to a Spanish / Italian side. Just remember though, Cole's form was on the ropes not so long ago and he was widely tipped to be on his way out but he played his way back into the first team there so Duffer could well have a future at Chelsea yet.

**Stuttgart88** · 24/02/2006, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Thats what I think. I was just answering those above who think the only reason he's dropped is because he listens to the manager

That wasn't what I was saying at all. I think Duff has lost a lot of his attacking punch because of what else he does. Radio 5 Live have been saying Duff seems afraid to lose the ball and plays far more of a percentage game these days as a result. I think that's a fair observation. But I think he's been dropped because Robben & Cole are playing better attacking football at the moment.

I think Duff would be preferred to SWP in a big game, say Barca away, but if either was to come on as an impact sub it'd be SWP. I think Mourinho very much values Duff's adherence to his instructions but I'm hoping the new Irish mnagement can encouarge him to be more carefree.

Maybe you still think it's cack though!

**eirebhoy** · 24/02/2006, 12:35 PM

Duff was a consistant robot before Mourinho came along. Under Ranieri he was without a doubt Chelsea's key player. The same with Blackburn and people were gowing tired of hearing his name for man of the match at Lansdowne. He never had bad games. I used to absolutely love watching him because you were guaranteed to see an excellent individual performance. He has not played like that for Chelsea for the best part of a year and that is certainly down to Mourinho. If Man Utd bought him back in 2003 he'd still be that fantastic winger that lit up the world cup. The winger that tens of thousands of people around the world voted as the best left winger in the world. The winger that the likes Parnaby and Lauren said was the most difficult player they've ever faced. The winger that Claudio Ranieri's mother wanted to sleep with.

I don't buy into this off-form stuff. If that's the case he's been off form for months and that is certainly a change from the Duff that didn't know how to play badly. I'm actually going to put together all my clips of Duff on my computer to remind ourselves what he was like.

**Stuttgart88** · 24/02/2006, 12:46 PM

On the point of Duff & MUFC, Ronaldo gets all the plaudits because every now & again he does something spectacular but far more frequently he flatters to deceive. His final ball is astonishingly bad for a guy who can beat people so well. Duff might not beat people with so much ease (though maybe he can) but his final ball is sensational. Almost unerringly accurate be it aiming for somebody's head or along the ground.

Does anyone remember Duff at Old Trafford when Chelsea lost 1-0? How many times did he place the ball on a sixpence for Drogba or an onrunning midfielder with a cutback? His ability to play a ball along the 6 yard box ahead of the keeper & behind the defender is as good as anyone I've seen. I think Duff suffers for Chelsea because he only ever has one striker to aim for in the box, and often it's Drogba! Cole in particular is more direct, going for goal himself.

**gspain** · 24/02/2006, 12:47 PM

Duffer has played 26 games for Chelsea this season. He got injured a few weeks back and came back Liverpool but got injured again and then came back v Colchester and played for an hour.

He was first choice for almost all of last season after initially being left out.

It is hardly a crisis considering he has had at least 2 injuries this season.

**fergalr** · 24/02/2006, 12:50 PM

Why does this ridulous twaddle surface every time Duff misses a few games. To me it seems rooted in some people's inability to accept that Duff plays for Chelsea and not one of the EPL teams with a higher number of Irish fans.

One quote from the article sums it up: "Duff has never been comfortable with the bright lights and big stars of the Fulham Road." The subtext is that he would be happier in Liverpool or Manchester!? Give me a break.

**Hither green** · 24/02/2006, 12:53 PM

I don't think we need to worry too much, Mourinho's so unpredictable that he may well be back as a regular before long. I wonder if that's Mourinho's tactic, afterall only a month or so ago SWP couldn't get a game for love nor money, not long before that it was Robben who'd lost favour and last season it was Cole. At least Duff's the least likely to p1ss Mourinho off by complaining about not getting a game, like the other 3 did.

Wouldn't want to see him go to either Liverpool or United. Liverpool have already got options on the left. As for United, he might make it and replace Giggs but he's just as much chance of becoming the next Park, or of picking up bad habits off Ronaldo (he already can't finish - last thing we want is for him not to be able to create anything either).