Duffer coming out of retirement

buyer95

It appears that Damien Duff has decided to follow Shay Given, and return to the Irish team again. Duff has been good this year, so I dont see it as a step backwards, plus wingers are in short supply in this squad.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2265756/Damien-Duff-set-international-return-Republic-Ireland.html

gustafo

Good god what is the point? these players are well past there time, we still have no hope of getting to the world cup with them or without them.

Nuri Sahin

Smh.

shanec1928

Let the young lads have a chance!

listermint

There is also a lot to be said for experience too.

But im in mixed feelings about this. Duff has had a great resurgence in the last year though.

SirDelboy18

buyer95 wrote: »

It appears that Damien Duff has decided to follow Shay Given, and return to the Irish team again. Duff has been good this year, so I dont see it as a step backwards, plus wingers are in short supply in this squad.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2265756/Damien-Duff-set-international-return-Republic-Ireland.html

How about give Anthony Pilkington a well deserved chance instead. Been our best winger on form this year.

Corholio

listermint wrote: »

There is also a lot to be said for experience too.

But im in mixed feelings about this. Duff has had a great resurgence in the last year though.

For Fulham yes, but he's been on a slow decline for Ireland. His experience and calmness on the ball are his main attributes now, the pace is gone.

LuckyLloyd

gustafo wrote: »

Good god what is the point? these players are well past there time, we still have no hope of getting to the world cup with them or without them.

Nuri Sahin wrote: »

Smh.

shanec1928 wrote: »

Let the young lads have a chance!

Duff would make us better right now, and definitely through the end of this qualifying process.

McClean isn't really panning out and we shouldn't be turning our noses up at a wily old competitor like Duff. We are alive in this qualifying process too by the way, and I'd feel an awful lot better about our chances with Duff on the pitch making good decisions in possession and winning set pieces.

buyer95

shanec1928 wrote: »

Let the young lads have a chance!

McGeady is flat out crap, McClean has lost his place in the Sunderland, Brady although promising is plying his trade for Hull City, so I would argue that his return is a positive thing for our chances against Sweden. If Pilkington really does want to play for Ireland then he should start for sure, but I would have no problem with Duff being an impact sub with 25 mins to go. He's always a good man to win a few frees, and has an end product unlike McGeady..

TaosHum

Probably realised he still has enough left in the tank. Although I have now problem seeing these lads come back and want to put on the jersey again, especially after their service, I can't help but wonder how much influence Trap and Tardelli are having on this.

NinjaK

Why not, if they are better then what we have then they should play.

Rekop dog

Great news. We need him, badly!

GavRedKing

The way I see it is, both Given and Duff are options, the more options the better our chances so it if they want to come out and play again and give us more options then I'm all for it.

Great to see.

Still has a lot to offer.

gustafo

GavRedKing wrote: »

The way I see it is, both Given and Duff are options, the more options the better our chances so it if they want to come out and play again and give us more options then I'm all for it.

ya but you know they won't be options they will be starters that's a fact, that old italian will never try something new even if the new younger guys are playing well at the time,

i can see the first 11 being the same 11 that played in poland.

homer simpson

Duff will be a great addition to the squad, even if he doesn't start he will bring a lot to the dressing room in experience terms. He still has got something to offer the team IMO I was a bit gutted when I'd heard he was retiring from international football.

Let's face it we need al the help we can get too.

bren2001

If we had another manager I would be delighted with this announcement. To have the experience of Duff in the dressing room, in training and an option off the bench when we want to close out games, he is fantastic.

However, we all know he is going to play for 90 minutes. Brady, McClean, Pilkington deserve their chance and, in my opinion, offer more than Duff over 90 minutes.

Similar to the Given announcement I receive it with mixed emotions.

Mr.Nice Guy

Don't know why people are complaining about this. He's an automatic selection choice if he's fit, especially since McClean looks like he may have lost his place at Sunderland after a disappointing season.

This isn't like bringing in someone who is knackered. The guy keeps himself fit and is a great option to have against the Swedes.

We will be big underdogs to take second spot against Ibra and co. but if returning legends can increase the likelihood of us getting it - and I believe they would - then I'm all for it.

Liam O

Duff was gassed after about 20 minutes all 3 games in Poland, was a liability in all 3 games.

Predalien

Where is this perception that McClean has lost his place at Sunderland coming from? He didn't start at the weekend, but scored in the game before that and has started most games with his form improving as the season has gone on. Every club rotates.

G.K.

Liam O wrote: »

Duff was gassed after about 20 minutes all 3 games in Poland, was a liability in all 3 games.

Disagree, was one of your better players imo.

Mr.Nice Guy

Predalien wrote: »

Where is this perception that McClean has lost his place at Sunderland coming from? He didn't start at the weekend, but scored in the game before that and has started most games with his form improving as the season has gone on. Every club rotates.

Sunderland played their new signing N'Diaye ahead of him against Wigan and he played very well. McClean has generally been poor this season.

It seems extremely unlikely he will get back in the team now.

Owen_S

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Sunderland played their new signing N'Diaye ahead of him against Wigan and he played very well. McClean has generally been poor this season.

It seems extremely unlikely he will get back in the team now.

Isn't N'Diaye a defensive midfielder?

Predalien

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Sunderland played their new signing N'Diaye ahead of him against Wigan and he played very well. McClean has generally been poor this season.

It seems extremely unlikely he will get back in the team now.

N'Diaye was signed for central midfield. McClean has played in 23 out of 23 league games this season, it's very premature to suggest he's lost his place.

Predalien

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Sunderland played their new signing N'Diaye ahead of him against Wigan and he played very well. McClean has generally been poor this season.

It seems extremely unlikely he will get back in the team now.

Also, this isn't true, he hasn't been as good as last year but has been far from poor. He covers a lot of ground, puts in plenty tackles and has been okay, just needs to improve his contribution to attacking play.

Mr.Nice Guy

Predalien wrote: »

N'Diaye was signed for central midfield. McClean has played in 23 out of 23 league games this season, it's very premature to suggest he's lost his place.

We don't know where he was signed to play. Maybe he was signed for central midfield but the fact is he replaced McClean and earned rave reviews for his performance.

Bought by the Sunderland manager, Martin O'Neill, from Bursaspor for £3m, Alfred N'Diaye could be one of those January signings who gives panic buying a good name. The French midfielder's full debut for the Black Cats was outstanding. Barrel-chested, slightly knock-kneed, the 22-year-old covered an extraordinary amount of ground, breaking up any number of Wigan attacks with tackles and interceptions, distributing the ball intelligently and creating one of two goals for Steven Fletcher.

Even at the end, when Sunderland were desperately hanging on, N'Diaye was diving to head the ball clear from his penalty area.

"We've had to show a lot of fight and determination, and we did that," said O'Neill. "N'Diaye is a strong lad, his vitality is there to see, and when he learns about the game – because he's still very raw, he's only 22 – he'll be really good. He's only been around the club for a short time, and when he gets to know the players he'll do great for us."

Having fallen behind early, when David Vaughan deflected Ronnie Stam's low ball into the six-yard box past his own goalkeeper, Sunderland responded in some style. They may have been slightly fortunate to be awarded a penalty when Sebastian Larsson's free-kick hit the arm of James McCarthy, albeit that said arm was raised at the time, but after Craig Gardner had sent Ali al-Habsi the wrong way from the spot they sensed Wigan's vulnerability and in Fletcher, had the man to exploit it.

His first goal owed all to N'Diaye's wonderful cross from the left.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/jan/19/wigan-athletic-sunderland-premier-league

Doesn't appear like he's going to be dropped for a below-par McClean, does it?

Predalien wrote:

Also, this isn't true, he hasn't been as good as last year but has been far from poor. He covers a lot of ground, puts in plenty tackles and has been okay, just needs to improve his contribution to attacking play.

It is true. He has been poor this season and not a patch on the performer he was last season.

G.K.

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

We don't know where he was signed to play. Maybe he was signed for central midfield but the fact is he replaced McClean and earned rave reviews for his performance.

I agree with most of what you are saying (In terms of McClean's form) but N'Diaye was signed to play DM (See Paully D's posts) and did against Wigan.

applehunter

Same posters still living in the past and are slow to give younger players a chance to show their worth.

DB10

A very overrated player. About time him Given and Keane packed it in. Purely selfish reasons they are still there. At least Kilbane knew when it was time.

The_Kew_Tour

Having seen Duff in every competive home game and few more in flesh I can debunk the overrated theory. Anything but....

noodler

Overrated?

What a fcuking laugh.

Honestly, I can only assume there is a huge cohort of posters who only tuned in to watch Ireland play in the Euros.

Must have missed how absolutely vital he has been to the cause for the last ten years.

EDIT: BTW, Daily Mail? No quotes?

LuckyLloyd

DB10 wrote: »

A very overrated player. About time him Given and Keane packed it in. Purely selfish reasons they are still there. At least Kilbane knew when it was time.

Ha!

shanec1928

buyer95 wrote: »

McGeady is flat out crap, McClean has lost his place in the Sunderland, Brady although promising is plying his trade for Hull City, so I would argue that his return is a positive thing for our chances against Sweden. If Pilkington really does want to play for Ireland then he should start for sure, but I would have no problem with Duff being an impact sub with 25 mins to go. He's always a good man to win a few frees, and has an end product unlike McGeady..

what has that got to do with anything? we have players in that squad that play at a lower level.


this.. but you know it wont happen and trap will stick with the old veterans.