Damien Duff

[strangeirish]

I'm intrigued as to what this meant? Sorry I almost feel like I'm intruding on a private, and somewhat baffling conversation here

Dear me?


He's expensive.

[NeilMcD]

Think Rafa was just expressing a gallic shrug of indifference, an answer that proves his point if you like, Duff beating a Cypriot full back hardly proves he's still a good player, even if it answers Rafa's question

Well if Duffs contribution is to beat the likes of Cypriots full backs over the next few years I will have him in the squad and team. Lets be honest Most teams in our groups are of the ability of Cyprus. There really is a grouping or how do I put this a joining of teams of the 5th 4th 3rd and 2nd sees at international level. So I do not think that beating a Cypiriot full back with ease and setting up a goal is anything to be sneezed at for a country of about 4 million.

[tetsujin1979]

and I as well Neil, beating the lower ranked sides is something we've always struggled with, and until someone better than Duff comes along (and I don't mean Stephen Hunt) then it's his place to lose.

[irishfan86]

If McGeady improves and Liam Lawrence is given a shot, I could see Duff being dropped- but to say that Duff should be automatically dropped at this stage is unfair, certainly when you consider what he's done for us over the years.

[geysir]

If McGeady improves and Liam Lawrence is given a shot, I could see Duff being dropped- but to say that Duff should be automatically dropped at this stage is unfair, certainly when you consider what he's done for us over the years.

"If" is not an argument.

There is nothing at all to consider about Duff's past performances. Doesn't mean diddly to Trap.
It is his very good performances for us now which make him an automatic (no brainer) choice to be in the first team.

[gustavo]

I agree , Club form is what should get you into an international team and then your form for the country is what should keep you in it

[Colie]

Picked at left full today. Will he become the next Zinedine Kilbane?

[elroy]

Where to now for Duffer? Will he get a move to an EPL team or is it the championship for him next year? I hope not, i think if he ends up playing in the championship it will be the beginning of the end for him. We need Duffer to give us 3/4 more years at the top.

[Colbert Report]

Sadly I fear this is the end of the line for Duff. He has no pace to beat right fulls anymore, so he can't be a viable option on the left wing, yet he can't tackle well enough to drop back and be a full time left back. If he's willing to take a massive pay cut he could wind up on the books of one of the three newly promoted teams, but I can't see any other Premiership team bringing him in given his injury trouble. Hull maybe? Too much of a risk I think.

He can't be blamed for playing out the final year of his contract down in the Championship with Newcastle. He's on massive money that he'll never see again.

[tetsujin1979]

He was linked with wolves already, but that will probably happen to most irish players

[tetsujin1979]

He was linked with wolves already, but that will probably happen to most irish players who are relegated or out of contract.

[elroy]

He can't be blamed for playing out the final year of his contract down in the Championship with Newcastle. He's on massive money that he'll never see again.

I think I may have read somewhere recently that alot of the big earners at Newcastle dont have a relegation clause in their contract but surely you would expect that Duff will have to take an automatic pay cut if he stays with Newcastle. There will be a big clear out at newcastle nonetheless, Owen, Taylor, Martins, Viduka, Owen will all definitely depart imo.

[John83]

I think I may have read somewhere recently that alot of the big earners at Newcastle dont have a relegation clause in their contract but surely you would expect that Duff will have to take an automatic pay cut if he stays with Newcastle.

Contracts don't work that way.

[Colbert Report]

I think I may have read somewhere recently that alot of the big earners at Newcastle dont have a relegation clause in their contract but surely you would expect that Duff will have to take an automatic pay cut if he stays with Newcastle. There will be a big clear out at newcastle nonetheless, Owen, Taylor, Martins, Viduka, Owen will all definitely depart imo.

Yeah, contracts don't work that way. Some players will have it written in that if the team gets relegated, they are a free agent. Duff definitely does not have this clause and even if he did he wouldn't want to leave, because he wouldn't be on half the wages he's on now anywhere else. Newcastle will likely have to buy him out and release him, which I don't see happening. Best case scenario for both sides is if he accepts a small release package and gets on with a Premier League team for around 20k/week. I believe he's on 65k a week now.

[danonion]

Contracts don't work that way.

wrong

[Metrostars]

wrong

You're right. From what I heard is that most teams who are relegation candidates do have "relegation clauses" in their players' contracts. But apparently not Newcastle.

[SilkCut]

wrong

Not entirely wrong, what clubs who are relegated tend to do is offer to sell their high earners for a lower price to enable them to negotiate a larger signing on fee with their new club. They also sometimes pay out a portion of their contract, the player obviously does not have to accept these offers but in most cases they will. An example of this is Leeds when they went through all that turmoil and had to offload players at a ridiculous loss, some players left like Harry Kewell (at the start of the relegation season) who left for only 5m when the season before was valued closer to 20m. Others like Gary Kelly stayed (although Kelly apparently took a pay cut) Seth Johnson was given a choice - rot in the reserves because Leeds could not afford the bonus due to Derby or take a free transfer meaning Leeds took a loss of 7m instead of having to pay his wages for the remainder of his contract. The player and club must obviously agree on any relegation clauses in contracts and neither can just insist on a move in the event of relegation. There is obviously ways around contracts though.

[elroy]

Contracts don't work that way.

Perhaps ye know different but as far as I know its common practice for the clubs who face relegation on a regular basis to have clauses in the contracts of their players that if they get relegated that a mandatory 20% reduction applies in salary. On the other hand, there often are clauses whereby on relegation a fixed transfer fee clause applies.

Very easy to write the two above clauses into contracts in fact.

[shakermaker1982]

Duff is short of confidence. Any time I've seen him for Newcastle (since Xmas anyway) he will look to take the easy option by coming back inside and giving it to Butt/Guthrie and now Nolan. He probably has lost a little bit of pace but he won't lose his trickery overnight. I just think he's afraid of making a mistake and the 'best fans in the world' getting on his back. Take him out of that environment and he'll be fine for Ireland. He's still one of our big game players behind Given and Keane.

[Drumcondra 69er]

Made a massive mistake chasing the big wage packet at Newcastle rather then a lesser deal at Liverpool and it's come back to bite him on the arse.

Hope he gets a decent move but could be difficult for him, he'll need to take a massive pay cut and the best he could hope for would be to end up at the likes of a Spurs although even that's probably expecting too much. Still, we all know how 'Arry lives a bargain so maybe.....