QuoteCan you retire from serving your country?
Even the likes of Aldo and Cascarino played on, not to mention Paul McGrath with his dodgy knees!
Of course I changed my tune
I don't hold onto baseless opinions after it transpires clearly that they were baseless.
That was just the fan in me, wanting to believe the report that Duff was not retiring, ET was much more circumspect.
Can you retire from serving your country?
Even the likes of Aldo and Cascarino played on, not to mention Paul McGrath with his dodgy knees!
Dion Fanning has an interview with Damien Duff in today's SIndo. It's very much along the same lines as the NewsTalk interview from Thursday.
"There's man all over for you, blaming on his boots the fault of his feet" - Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot
Interesting read, I think the important thing is that he thinks it is the right time for him and what others think does not really matter, after allOriginally Posted by EastTerracer
he has to be happy in his own mind about his decision, the annoying thing for me is that he seems to playing the best football of his career,
he has certainly been knocking the goals, in something he was not particularly renown for. However maybe he is playing so well because he has
retired from internationals and concentrate on club football.
I also knew I would be referencing a new found stats site at some point and now seems as good as time as ever.
http://www.squawka.com/players/damien-duff
His performance score is 316 ( or 220 depending on which you chose to use), that's the highest I have found so far although I
have only looked at a few players. The red blob next to the 316 is nearly all red, there is a tiny bit of black at the top.
Van Perse gets scores of only 208 (and 146) for example - I feel even more annoyed now!!!
http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/irish...-tempted-back/
Tardelli plans to speak with Duff and hopes he can convince him to return for Ireland in time for the Germany game.
Would be wonderful if he could but sounds like wishful thinking.
Yep, we need more players with experience of being spanked by the big guns
Duff's record against Germany is 1W 1D and 1L so I certainly wouldn't mind that experience.Yep, we need more players with experience of being spanked by the big guns
The Germans don't think they'll spank us though...
Tardelli thinks Duff can be talked out of it: http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/irish...-tempted-back/
With no one rushing to Villa Pk, Shay is probably feeling a little forsaken.
Given had legitimate reasons behind his retirement, his fitness, the fact that he's contracted until 39 and a possible form decline in recent times. Duff is going through a period of his best form and fitness in recent times and had no reason for quitting other than feeling "the time was right". As well you can compensate for a weaker GK by just not conceding shots. Impossible to compensate for your best player in possession.
Though it may be the case that Trap was planning on replacing Given regardless and isn't too bothered whereas he wasn't planning to replace Duff for this campaign.
Trap is due to speak to Duff tonight so we may have some definitive news tomorrow.
http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2012/...al-retirement/
Doyle thinks its a lost cause.
he'll probably convince him to come back and then drop him indefinitely for dodging the Serbia, Kazakhstan and Oman games...
I like high energy football. A little bit rock and roll. Many finishes instead of waiting for the perfect one.
Ironically the last man he convinced to come out of retirement (Steve Finnan) was never selected after his "return".
What ever happened to Finnan? Never got picked up by any club, surely he was good enough to play in the lower leagues, no?
Presume he just had enough, everyone expected him to move on after Portsmouth. He had done well there but because of their financial situation they couldn't afford him. His last game was the FA cup final if I remember right. He'd have got a 1 year deal in a top league or 2 years in a lower league no problem, must have just not wanted it. Never officially retired.
Trap's comments today both dismissed the possibility of Brady and McClean starting against Germany. That's either very good news because Duff is returning or very bad news if he's considering keeping Cox out wide.
Yes he was. He started the away games against Georgia and Montenegro in 2008 before he got injured playing for Espanyol.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/f...an-922539.html
Interesting to note that all of our still active players that played have changed clubs since then, with the exception of Whelan.
Spain just beat Georgia 1-0 away yesterday. Perhaps we're not as bad as we think.
What is the logic of the man coming out today and saying McClean wont start against Germany?!? Like what good does it do, for either party?!?
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