THREE OF THE people at the back of the room are important in different ways to Damien Duff.
There is Neil Doyle, the Shelbourne co-owner who listens in on the manager’s press conference ahead of Friday’s clash with Bohemians at Tolka Park.
“For me the real edge for Shelbourne in a Dublin derby is against Bohs. Why? Here, who knows? I can feel it, it’s something you can’ touch, can’t see. But it’s there. I don’t know if Shels fans will agree but it’s the one for me, where, yeah, there’s an edge,” Duff says.
New chief executive Mossie Quinn is also there, and would have enjoyed Duff’s answer to job opportunities elsewhere.
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“I don’t even look, or people [say] ‘what’s your plan?’ Because it’s good to have a plan in life, I don’t. As long as I’m wanted here, I’m staying here.”
And that is when Duff pointed out the most important person of all. “Sorry I’m looking over your shoulder, because that’s my son at the back of the room. I’m here because they (his family) are here and I want to be here.
“Celtic, a year or over a year without them, I will never do that again. Football is my life… [But] when you strip it all back, no, I’m staying with my kids and it’s that simple. I don’t look or picture myself anywhere else but Ireland.”
The conversation ended up taking this turn after Duff felt obliged to state that he was “not a top manager” after being asked for his view on Gary Neville’s analysis that Premier League players were being micromanaged and stifled by coaches.
At first he bristled. “I don’t know whether you’re trying to link it to our [0-0] game [against St Pat’s] on Friday night, maybe subconsciously you are, but our game on Friday night, I thought was a fascinating game, even more fascinating when you watch it back.
“What other people say is irrelevant. AlI I know is managing and managing people’s positions on a pitch, having real structure, is something that we’re referencing with the guys to maybe take more responsibility and make their own decisions more.
“But if we didn’t do that for the last three years, myself, the staff, as in micromanage where to stand, where to run, we potentially wouldn’t have stayed up and got to the cup final in year one.
“We wouldn’t have got to Europe in year two, and we wouldn’t have won the league in year three. If I was just to let – brilliant players, brilliant squad – these guys ‘out yiz go, boys, and just play’, pfft, it wouldn’t be a pretty watch.
“We all have our different styles, we all have our different opinions, do I manage and micromanage where to be on a pitch? Absolutely, I think it’s modern-day football.
“I’m not a top manager so I’m not putting myself in this bracket but any top manager. Liverpool are more than likely going to win the [Premier League]. Those players are told where to stand and where to run, believe you me.
“Yeah, you put your own stamp on things, of course you do. Guardiola, six Premier Leagues, how did they do it? By being micromanaged. If I just tell the lads ‘off you pop and do what you want’ it would be mental, mental.”
The champions are fourth in the table and, depending on Friday’s results, could go top with victory over Bohs. Duff insists that he will “always have probably a little bit of paranoia which just drives you on,” and was not being drawn into discussion about his fractured relationship with opposite number Alan Reynolds.
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“To prepare for a game, any game, whether it’s in Europe, the cup or the league is the hardest, most tiring thing I have ever done in my life.
“It would be poor coaching and management from me to be looking at the manager as I would be taking my eye off the ball. I haven’t allowed myself even 1% to think about Alan. It would be poor of me to be thinking about a person rather than a game and how Bohs are going to be set up.
“Bohs will be shown enough [respect] because they’re bloody dangerous. Outside of that, we’re the champions of Ireland and I think, here, it’s maybe a loaded message to our guys, I think our guys can puff their chance out more, ie: last Friday, a hint of apprehension, a hint of nervousness in our play. Why? They’re top players, leave that at the door.”
And that’s where Duff headed with his son waiting.
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'The real edge for Shelbourne in a Dublin derby is against Bohs' - Duff eager for latest test
THREE OF THE people at the back of the room are important in different ways to Damien Duff.
There is Neil Doyle, the Shelbourne co-owner who listens in on the manager’s press conference ahead of Friday’s clash with Bohemians at Tolka Park.
“For me the real edge for Shelbourne in a Dublin derby is against Bohs. Why? Here, who knows? I can feel it, it’s something you can’ touch, can’t see. But it’s there. I don’t know if Shels fans will agree but it’s the one for me, where, yeah, there’s an edge,” Duff says.
New chief executive Mossie Quinn is also there, and would have enjoyed Duff’s answer to job opportunities elsewhere.
“I don’t even look, or people [say] ‘what’s your plan?’ Because it’s good to have a plan in life, I don’t. As long as I’m wanted here, I’m staying here.”
And that is when Duff pointed out the most important person of all. “Sorry I’m looking over your shoulder, because that’s my son at the back of the room. I’m here because they (his family) are here and I want to be here.
“Celtic, a year or over a year without them, I will never do that again. Football is my life… [But] when you strip it all back, no, I’m staying with my kids and it’s that simple. I don’t look or picture myself anywhere else but Ireland.”
The conversation ended up taking this turn after Duff felt obliged to state that he was “not a top manager” after being asked for his view on Gary Neville’s analysis that Premier League players were being micromanaged and stifled by coaches.
At first he bristled. “I don’t know whether you’re trying to link it to our [0-0] game [against St Pat’s] on Friday night, maybe subconsciously you are, but our game on Friday night, I thought was a fascinating game, even more fascinating when you watch it back.
“What other people say is irrelevant. AlI I know is managing and managing people’s positions on a pitch, having real structure, is something that we’re referencing with the guys to maybe take more responsibility and make their own decisions more.
“But if we didn’t do that for the last three years, myself, the staff, as in micromanage where to stand, where to run, we potentially wouldn’t have stayed up and got to the cup final in year one.
“We wouldn’t have got to Europe in year two, and we wouldn’t have won the league in year three. If I was just to let – brilliant players, brilliant squad – these guys ‘out yiz go, boys, and just play’, pfft, it wouldn’t be a pretty watch.
“We all have our different styles, we all have our different opinions, do I manage and micromanage where to be on a pitch? Absolutely, I think it’s modern-day football.
“I’m not a top manager so I’m not putting myself in this bracket but any top manager. Liverpool are more than likely going to win the [Premier League]. Those players are told where to stand and where to run, believe you me.
“Yeah, you put your own stamp on things, of course you do. Guardiola, six Premier Leagues, how did they do it? By being micromanaged. If I just tell the lads ‘off you pop and do what you want’ it would be mental, mental.”
The champions are fourth in the table and, depending on Friday’s results, could go top with victory over Bohs. Duff insists that he will “always have probably a little bit of paranoia which just drives you on,” and was not being drawn into discussion about his fractured relationship with opposite number Alan Reynolds.
“To prepare for a game, any game, whether it’s in Europe, the cup or the league is the hardest, most tiring thing I have ever done in my life.
“It would be poor coaching and management from me to be looking at the manager as I would be taking my eye off the ball. I haven’t allowed myself even 1% to think about Alan. It would be poor of me to be thinking about a person rather than a game and how Bohs are going to be set up.
“Bohs will be shown enough [respect] because they’re bloody dangerous. Outside of that, we’re the champions of Ireland and I think, here, it’s maybe a loaded message to our guys, I think our guys can puff their chance out more, ie: last Friday, a hint of apprehension, a hint of nervousness in our play. Why? They’re top players, leave that at the door.”
And that’s where Duff headed with his son waiting.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Damien Duff League of Ireland Shelbourne Soccer