DAMIEN DUFF DOUBLED down on comments on the now infamous images of him at Dalymount Park last week, describing it as “a deeply embarrassing photo for the league”.

The Shelbourne boss was suspended for the 1-0 defeat to Bohemians last Friday and watched the game from a hill overlooking the School End of the Phibsborough ground, with the photos quickly going viral on social media.

“I’m not on the socials, obviously, but I’m not stupid,” Duff said on Monday night as the defending champions dropped to sixth place with a 0-0 draw at home to Drogheda United.

“I’d imagine it got a lot of airtime, probably a lot of laughter. I’m sure an awful lot of people thought I was embarrassed; I wasn’t one bit embarrassed. I find it a deeply embarrassing photo for the league.

“I fought as much as anyone for the league for four years, so you could say I’m mortified – ‘Oh, Damien is mortified for himself’ – I’m not one bit mortified for myself, I’m mortified for the league.”

“We call it the greatest league in the world, I call it the greatest league in the world, but a picture has gone to a lot of countries around the world, some big people in the football world have texted me laughing. I think for too long now people have laughed at Irish football and everything about us.

“Let’s not all fool ourselves and get carried away, the league is in a great place, a wonderful place. Yeah, great, the fans coming like you’ve never seen before, wonderful tight games, the most watched game I think in TV history last year up in the Brandywell, the most exciting league finish in years upon years, but let’s not get carried away, it was an embarrassing photo for the league, not me.”

When asked if there were any alternative locations to watch the match in Dalymount, or was he sent there due to lack of facilities, or if it was a predetermined location, the Ballyboden native responded sharply, stating, “Read into it what you want, it’s not me having digs. Like I said, it’s probably got a lot of traction. I stood in a meadow on top of a hill. Here, as the Beatles sing, I was probably the fool on the hill. But again, I was probably the butt of the jokes, but I shouldn’t be. Because it was an awful reflection of the league.

“That’s all I’m saying. Embarrassing. Like I said, you can read into that what you want. I said it before, I said it after, because I utterly believe it.”

Duff cut a frustrated figure when trying to analyse what his charges showed in their stalemate with last season’s FAI Cup winners.

“It’s disappointing, we huffed and we puffed,” said Duff. “Did we do enough for me to come in here and say we deserved to win the game? I don’t think so, we dominated possession, maybe three-quarters of the possession but did we do enough with the ball?

“Drogheda, they are set up so well and work so hard for each other, loading it, a block, back five ends up a four in front of one at times, brilliant, they have their way, it’s a very efficient way. With Drogheda you have to wear them down, grind them down, and we didn’t do that enough.”

Monday night’s draw was the eighth in the league this season, and when pressed on what he thinks may be the issue of turning draws into wins, Duff said there may be a lack of confidence – not just in his attackers – but throughout the team and knows only one thing will turn their fortunes.

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“Possibly but you could paint that at the whole squad. They are maybe in a vulnerable time, not on a good run and as disappointing as tonight is, it’s the many other games this season that we have let go by and dropped points is where you suffer. There have been more disappointing nights.

“For sure there’s a lack of belief, a lack of spark and all we can do is stick together and keep working hard, as I told them at the end of the game.”