THE NATURE OF Damien Duff’s career as a player – even a coach – means he can pluck names for comparison with as much ease as Will Jarvis controlling a ball falling from the sky.
Dimitar Berbatov sprung to mind from his final days as a Premier League player with Fulham a decade ago, as the Shelbourne manager tried to explain the on-loan Hull City attacker’s ability.
When Duff worked at Celtic, players like Odsonne Edouard and Tom Rogic had the same kind of laissez-faire attitude to training as the 21-year-old, something his boss is coming to terms with.
Duff isn’t shy about talking up the qualities of his players – on and off the pitch – but he also provided a bit more insight into how Jarvis, back for a second stint at Tolka Park after his impact in the second half of last season, is helping his develop his own understanding of how individuals within his squad operate.
When you have the quality to control that kind of pass on the run from goalkeeper Conor Kearns, taking the ball in your stride through the smallest of gaps between two Shamrock Rovers defenders and then calmly slotting a shot beyond the goalkeeper (below), you will get some slack from a manager even as demanding as Duff.
That touch 🤌#LOI24 | #SHESHA pic.twitter.com/34VThn4QJa
— League of Ireland (@LeagueofIreland) February 23, 2024
“He’s a joke. He’s a strange character. It probably took lads maybe a few weeks to warm to him the first time he was here because he’s so laid back, he’s on the floor,” Duff said.
“Me as manager, as coach, the way I’m built you’re on it every day in training but he’s not. I’ve to bitE the lip and just accept it, he’s one of those players who doesn’t train particularly well, a bit like Liam Burt, but on Friday night they stand up. Yeah, brilliant goal.”
Expanding on the day-to-day challenges, Duff had no issues explaining how Jarvis is not a player he gets after to increase his application levels.
“It’s not like he is sitting on the side in a deck chair, we’ve all come across them. I remember (Dimitar) Berbatov at Fulham. It’s just his demeanor, the way he is… Maybe the last time I did it was at Celtic.
“I remember Odsonne Edouard and Tom Rogic come out, and they’re wonderful players, but they’re maybe a bit calm and I’d be having a shit-fit so they’re probably looking at me like who is this crazy Irish guy.
“So you take little bits along the way maybe from working with the likes of them and I’m looking at Will. But if it’s Under 15s, 17s – Evan Caffrey will tell you – 6.30 in the morning, if you’re not out running when I was at Roadstone with him, you’re going to get it but if you deliver on a Friday I might turn a blind eye to Will.
“It probably won’t help him at other clubs but that’s probably why we’re tailor made for him,” Duff continued.
“We know how to manage him, he’s settled in, he loves it here and couldn’t wait to come back which I felt very proud about because every guy that comes here and plays for four or five months, they want to go back to the UK and stay there but he wanted to come back.
“So maybe you could say the way we deal with him or let him get away with training shit, I don’t know, but I think it’s there for everyone to see what a top player he is. And he’s only half fit as well. The scary thing is he hasn’t had a pre-season.”
Shels have four points from their opening two games and Friday’s 2-1 win was not just the first against Rovers under Duff’s control, but since 2012.
It led to a post-match huddle at the manager’s behest, with words from scorer of the first goal, captain Mark Coyle, followed by a photo in front of jubilant supporters.
“It wasn’t to rub anyone’s nose in it,” Duff said. “Big night, massive win, to show everyone we’re together, we’re as honest a group as you’ll get. I got them in, in front of the Riverside [Stand]. I think it’s powerful. We do it in the dressing room and at half-time. And I wanted Mark to speak in it and what he said was spot on, it was exactly how I was thinking.”
Duff knows what he wants but a talent like Jarvis is making him realise the different approaches can deliver it.