Duff by name, Duffer by game!
By HTT On Mon 23 Oct 2006 |
When it was rumoured that we were in for Damien Duff the first thoughts that came into my mind were “why” and “here we go again with the trophy signings” - quickly followed by “please don’t let this be true.”
We were already overloaded with left-sided players and there we were, being linked with another when we badly needed defenders and strikers first and foremost. Of course this got a lot of fans dancing in the streets, as Freddy would say. Damien Duff? Superstar!
Anyway we did get him and we paid £5m for him which even I, who was against his signing, admitted was a great bit of business because he’s still a quality player on his day. At that price I thought “go on then”, I bought it. “But we still need defenders and strikers anarl…”
Well we got a defender, only he’s anorexic apparently and is away at fat camp or something to beef up while the strikers we got were two 21-and-under-year-old dwarfs with zero experience of the Premiership.
That £5m we splashed out on Duff could have been used to buy some proper defenders and strikers. “Ah well” I sighed as the close of the transfer window slammed shut. At least I could console myself that Duff would shine out wide for us, being the quality player he is…
Hasn’t happened though has it?
While others point their fingers at the little man from Nigeria for his lack of goals, the Spaniard for his lack of heart and the Turk for his lack of end product, Duff has quietly been forgotten about it would seem not only on the stands but on fellow fansites and in the local press who are quick to have a go at those with a foreign accent.
Well his below par performances haven’t went unnoticed by this Newcastle supporter and I ain’t afraid to bring it up either.
He’s been shite, unadulterated shite. That solitary goal to his name at Upton Park aside his best moments for the club have been while playing at left-back.
Where is this superstar with two Premiership titles to his name we simply could not afford to miss out on at such a “ridiculous” fee? We overpaid judging by his performances to date. He looks like he has Downs and is playing like he does as well!
I expect better from a player of his quality and experience. I afford our younger and new-to-the-Premiership imports some patience and one or two excuses but I just can’t find any for Duff because there is no excuse for what we are seeing. Not on those wages!
Yes the team is playing badly and he isn’t exactly playing in a side that helps him a great deal either but he’s a totally different player in a Black & White shirt to the one that not so long ago terrorised defences up and down the country, in Europe and on the international stage.
I saw him recently for Ireland and he was as guilty of running about like a headless chicken, choosing the wrong pass and blasting high and wide with his shots for them as he has been for us so it can’t just be a Toon thing.
Duff at the peak of his powers would be a huge benefit to this struggling side of ours and as a senior player he needs to up his game or he needs to be dropped for N’Zogbia whose own confidence and form has predictably been affected by Duff’s arrival.
Lets hope we start seeing the real Duff soon and not this duffer masquerading as a footballer, we have enough of them as it is.
Send in your views below and have your say, this is what N.O’s for so use it like I have done to have my own say. Shy bairns get nowt and all that.
Do you disagree, agree or have an opinion on this article? Have your say Here!
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Thanks for all your comments people, I stand by my comments although I thought he had a canny game last night at home to Pompey but he again failed to play the simple ball or look up often enough.
Sent in on: October 26th, 2006 at 12:46 pm
The signing of Duff was another “name” signign for the fans this summer by the board instead of concentrating on what was most urgently needed, strikers and a defence. At least decent center backs should have been brought in instead of has beens such as Moore and Bernard. The striking problem has not been resolved wither, Martins is a 10 million gamble and so far 3 in all competitions goals hasnt done much 2 justify that price tag. Sibierski tries his best but lets face it, he is not the greatest technical player on the planet and was strugglin in Man City’s reserves. Why is Luque sitting on the bench when we are not scoring goals? The spaniard has come under fire but has not been given a long enough run in the first team to prove himself. Why pay 9 million for a striker to leave him on the bench while Sibierski plays on a regular basis.
Sent in on: October 24th, 2006 at 2:39 pm
When Duff does do his stuff and should cross the ball he does not, as he always wants to beat one more man and the chance has gone. As for Martins at £10 mill I think we’ve been had, Shola should have had an opp on his hip in the close season but the club did not get it done, WHY? Also if Martins can have such a run in the team, why not the spaniard alongside Martins?
Sent in on: October 23rd, 2006 at 10:55 pm
I think this is article is rubbish, to be honest. I don’t see how anyone could complain at the initial signing and though he undoubtedly is not at his best, he’s easily been one of our best and certainly one of the most threatening. Duff is a great player and will do great here.
Sent in on: October 23rd, 2006 at 9:47 pm
It’s true that Duff hasn’t shown his best form for us.
We have an ability unmatched in the premier league to completely drain the talent from quality players.
If we don’t give them injuries we play formations that don’t match their style of play, give them the wrong support and play them out of position.
We have spent so long playing around Alan Shearer we don’t know how to do anything else.
Shearer is gone so we are now trying to play around Shola Ameobi who is trying to be Alan Shearer.
When that doesn’t work we try to play around Sibierski, who’s trying be Shola Ameobi being Alan Shearer.
We have all of this fabulous talent and just dont know what to do with it.
Lack of imagination from the management I’d say.
There’s not another team in the league that is so one diemnsional.
Bang it up the middle to Shearer/Ameobi/Sibierski who will collect it with their back to goal and try to distribute from there.
It’s like we just dont even consider that there might be another way to do it.
Sent in on: October 23rd, 2006 at 9:00 pm
Your are talking rubbish, Duffer is a class act and always will be. He may not have reached top form yet this season but he is the kind of player that can produce a moment of brilliance to win a match. Duff is the most highly skilled footballer we have at Newcastle and we have seen it!! Martins on the other hand is a totally different story.
To say that Damien Duff looks like he has Downs is below the belt and there is no call for it. Keep those kind of comments to yourself!
Sent in on: October 23rd, 2006 at 8:10 pm
Agree on fact that when we were linked with him i was wondering when are the defenders going to be bought, which never happend.
Hes a great player but even great players need great managers and since we dont even have that there isnt much hope for duff and others is there? To IMPROVE on their terrible performances, were is the motivation coming from…
I mean when we play terrible on the pitch or have a bad start who do our lads look over to? Roeder.. and am pretty certain that isnt a confidence booster, especialy when looking at the oppositions manager and comparing against our reject who got one of the greatest ever west ham teams relegated.
i dont blame Roeder however i simply blame the guy who once again installed a second class manager to save money for his own pockets.
Sent in on: October 23rd, 2006 at 6:34 pm
Duff has underperformed, but I don’t think Solano or Milner have been particularly convincing on the right either.
The reality is that we are asking our players of Premiership quality to play in what is generally a very poor team and a shocking defence. You won’t get the best out of Duff when he’s in front of Peter Ramage, or has the likes of Bramble and Taylor making a mess at the back. Or when our only striker over 6ft is unable to control a ball. Lots of changes are needed at ths club, from the top down, but we will never enjoy consistent success until players we know can perform at this level (Duff being one of them) are seperated from those that plainly can’t.
Sent in on: October 23rd, 2006 at 6:05 pm
Totally spot on. I was looking forward to seeing Duff play for us but so far he’s been less Chris Waddle and more Kevin Brock. A big let down and he must do better.
Sent in on: October 23rd, 2006 at 5:56 pm
What a sack of shit this article is.
Sent in on: October 23rd, 2006 at 5:33 pm
I think Duff has been going through a spell similar to that of Shearer under Gullit. One cannot find fault with his technical ability, but he is just not doing what he has done in the past. This is partly down to the fact that he is playing with a team of non-performers, partly down to the fact that his left back support is a championship-standard right-footed centre back, and partly down to the fact that he is really needing the manager to pull him to one side and instruct him to take on his man down the flank and whip the ball in.
Regardless, both Martins and Sibierski have been better value for money so far.
Sent in on: October 23rd, 2006 at 5:19 pm