WHEN DAMIEN DUFF was asked about his celebration of Shelbourne’s 90th-minute winner over St Patrick’s Athletic it was noted how muted it was compared to his demeanour on the touchline leading up to that magic moment.
“Are we rating my performance on the side now as well? In hindsight I was more emotional in the second half, trying to drive the lads on with their press. It’s not always a sexy pass or a dribble that gets people off their feet, sometimes it’s a tackle,” he said.
Duff had been shown a yellow card earlier in the second half for repeatedly stepping outside his technical area in an attempt to cajole his players.
His counterpart Stephen Kenny appeared to do the same but escaped sanction, and from the stands above it seemed as if that only angered Duff more.
Advertisement
“As I’ve always said, rightly or wrongly, the guys mirror my emotion. I need to be emotional on the side but it wasn’t really emotional at my players, I think I was obviously trying to manage Shelbourne Football Club, coach Shelbourne Football Club but I was trying to ref the game, because I thought it needed help.
“I want to run Irish football, I want to do everything but there’s obviously not enough time. There was emotion tonight but it wasn’t at the players.”
That last bit was said with a kind of deadpan humour we’ve come to expect from the Shels boss. Still, the fallout with friend and rival Stephen Bradley over at Shamrock Rovers has been played out publicly.
“It has absolutely got out of control. It’s a story for you (media), it looks like it is. When there are wonderful football games going on around the country and this is getting airtime, I find it a little bit disappointing,” Duff said.
“There are wonderful reporters in this room and you are writing about this nonsense. To give my sentiment on it really, he who is without sin let him cast the first stone. I am not perfect. He’s not perfect and everybody needs to keep schtum now and get on with their football. It is very simple.”
Duff with Stephen Kenny before kick-off. Tom Maher / INPHO
Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
Shels needed last night’s win to end a run of five without a victory. The manner of the late goal should provide even more encouragement, especially as Duff’s side went into the half-time break trailing 1-0.
“I know you all look at me like I’m going up there throwing pots and pans. I can’t remember the last time I screamed in a dressing room,” he said, smiling at midfielder Kerr McInroy who was at the side of the room.
“I’m very calm. I could hear Coyler (captain Mark Coyle) five rooms away screaming and that’s what I want.
“If there’s a slight on Kerr, he’s probably too quiet. He’s a leader, he’s come in, he’s been brilliant, he’s took the club by storm but he’s still quiet. I could hear Coyler screaming, tearing the heads off people and that’s what I want, we’re champions, I want men in the dressing room.
“We came in, we explained the shape, the shape change, and there’s not really a lot else you can do. I could feel nerves off them, a bit of edginess.
“As bizarre as it sounds, they may need an arm around the shoulder and help because winning the league is now and defending the league is new. They are there to be shot at, they are coming off the back of a bad few weeks. They don’t need me and Joey to tear strips off them.”
Related Reads
Brotherly love and lifelong challenges for wheelchair users in League of Ireland
Phenomenal growth of summer football in Clare and Mayo shows FAI plan is worth trying
FAI make Oireachtas presentations amid growing dissent over aligned calendar season
Continuing on that theme, Duff explained some of the demands he is putting on his squad and techniques used during the half-time break.
“I guess in modern day football coaches go away and have a chat and we leave the players for three minutes and then we come in. I think we have only bounced in once or twice in the last four years and that was to throw pots and pans.
“Outside of that, it is I guess try to be calm and dissect the game and have a quick chat. And let them. And if I aim criticism at Kerr it is that he is a bit quiet, the dressing room is too quiet. I say it to them privately, to their units, to the individuals, maybe they don’t believe me, maybe they will believe it now when I say it to the media; they are a quiet bunch.
“I am pushing them and prodding them every day to find their voice because it can’t always be me and [assistant] Joey [O’Brien]. One voice all the time driving and driving and driving isn’t a healthy environment.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
'It has absolutely got out of control... everybody needs to keep schtum'
WHEN DAMIEN DUFF was asked about his celebration of Shelbourne’s 90th-minute winner over St Patrick’s Athletic it was noted how muted it was compared to his demeanour on the touchline leading up to that magic moment.
“Are we rating my performance on the side now as well? In hindsight I was more emotional in the second half, trying to drive the lads on with their press. It’s not always a sexy pass or a dribble that gets people off their feet, sometimes it’s a tackle,” he said.
Duff had been shown a yellow card earlier in the second half for repeatedly stepping outside his technical area in an attempt to cajole his players.
His counterpart Stephen Kenny appeared to do the same but escaped sanction, and from the stands above it seemed as if that only angered Duff more.
“As I’ve always said, rightly or wrongly, the guys mirror my emotion. I need to be emotional on the side but it wasn’t really emotional at my players, I think I was obviously trying to manage Shelbourne Football Club, coach Shelbourne Football Club but I was trying to ref the game, because I thought it needed help.
“I want to run Irish football, I want to do everything but there’s obviously not enough time. There was emotion tonight but it wasn’t at the players.”
That last bit was said with a kind of deadpan humour we’ve come to expect from the Shels boss. Still, the fallout with friend and rival Stephen Bradley over at Shamrock Rovers has been played out publicly.
“It has absolutely got out of control. It’s a story for you (media), it looks like it is. When there are wonderful football games going on around the country and this is getting airtime, I find it a little bit disappointing,” Duff said.
“There are wonderful reporters in this room and you are writing about this nonsense. To give my sentiment on it really, he who is without sin let him cast the first stone. I am not perfect. He’s not perfect and everybody needs to keep schtum now and get on with their football. It is very simple.”
Shels needed last night’s win to end a run of five without a victory. The manner of the late goal should provide even more encouragement, especially as Duff’s side went into the half-time break trailing 1-0.
“I know you all look at me like I’m going up there throwing pots and pans. I can’t remember the last time I screamed in a dressing room,” he said, smiling at midfielder Kerr McInroy who was at the side of the room.
“I’m very calm. I could hear Coyler (captain Mark Coyle) five rooms away screaming and that’s what I want.
“If there’s a slight on Kerr, he’s probably too quiet. He’s a leader, he’s come in, he’s been brilliant, he’s took the club by storm but he’s still quiet. I could hear Coyler screaming, tearing the heads off people and that’s what I want, we’re champions, I want men in the dressing room.
“We came in, we explained the shape, the shape change, and there’s not really a lot else you can do. I could feel nerves off them, a bit of edginess.
“As bizarre as it sounds, they may need an arm around the shoulder and help because winning the league is now and defending the league is new. They are there to be shot at, they are coming off the back of a bad few weeks. They don’t need me and Joey to tear strips off them.”
Continuing on that theme, Duff explained some of the demands he is putting on his squad and techniques used during the half-time break.
“I guess in modern day football coaches go away and have a chat and we leave the players for three minutes and then we come in. I think we have only bounced in once or twice in the last four years and that was to throw pots and pans.
“Outside of that, it is I guess try to be calm and dissect the game and have a quick chat. And let them. And if I aim criticism at Kerr it is that he is a bit quiet, the dressing room is too quiet. I say it to them privately, to their units, to the individuals, maybe they don’t believe me, maybe they will believe it now when I say it to the media; they are a quiet bunch.
“I am pushing them and prodding them every day to find their voice because it can’t always be me and [assistant] Joey [O’Brien]. One voice all the time driving and driving and driving isn’t a healthy environment.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Damien Duff League of Ireland Shelbourne Soccer