Duff must be getting fed up!

eirebhoy · 14-09-2003 11:23am #1

I know no player should be guaranteed a place in the team but since Duff has joined Chelsea I haven't seen him play for the full 90 minutes. he goes off at around the 70th minute and Joe Cole replaces him and usually plays well. Cole can play anywhere in midfield, why doesn't he take another player off for him?

It's not as if Duff is unfit. I just want to see Duff playing a full match, no other manager takes the same player off every game when he's playing well and put on the same player to replace him all the time. Ranieri is always changing tactics during a match and switching players to different positions. I get the feeling Ranieri thinks he's playing Championship Manager.

jesus_thats_gre · 14-09-2003 11:40am

Originally posted by eireboy
I know no player should be guaranteed a place in the team but since Duff has joined Chelsea I haven't seen him play for the full 90 minutes. he goes off at around the 70th minute and Joe Cole replaces him and usually plays well. Cole can play anywhere in midfield, why doesn't he take another player off for him?

It's not as if Duff is unfit. I just want to see Duff playing a full match, no other manager takes the same player off every game when he's playing well and put on the same player to replace him all the time. Ranieri is always changing tactics during a match and switching players to different positions. I get the feeling Ranieri thinks he's playing Championship Manager.

He obviously sees Joe Cole as a good back up/alternative to Duff and is trying to ensure he stays sharp. He is also trying to keep them all happy by giving them all a run out. Its a fine balancing act when you have 8 quality midfielders on one team that could get in the starting 11 of any other team.

smuckers · 14-09-2003 9:58pm

He did play 2 international games that could have been a big factor, there was no Veron or Crespo either CFC can afford to rest those 2 players as the strength in depth is there.

UbahOne · 14-09-2003 10:31pm

Duff was just tired i reckon. Give him time...

DapperGent · 15-09-2003 9:56am

Duff has hamstring problems that usually hit him late game, if the result is safe why risk him?

I don't think you'll see him getting taken off when the result is in doubt and he's having a blinder.

JohnnyBravo · 15-09-2003 11:40am

Exactly the result was assured and raneiri is making sure he doesnt get too comfortable in that position ie if he plays crap( which he wont cos he is a legend) they have a ready replacment.
What must really piss him off is having to play for ireland and being the only good player on the pitch until robbie keane comes back

PHB · 15-09-2003 11:50am

Hey, don't forget Given and O Shea, those guys are both top quality international players.

JohnnyBravo · 15-09-2003 11:51am

thats true forgot about them although o shea is brutal when he plays centre back for us

eirebhoy · 15-09-2003 12:50pm

Originally posted by JohnnyBravo
thats true forgot about them although o shea is brutal when he plays centre back for us

I guess your talking about Man Utd because I don't think O'shea played centre back for Ireland, although I may be wrong.

yop · 16-09-2003 8:32am

Duffer came out this morning, and "according to reports" on planetfootball.com he is not happy with the rotation, "I would like to play a full 90 minutes"

Dis-harmony in paradise already! bit early to be given out!

JohnnyBravo · 16-09-2003 9:12am

Planetfootball got it from the sun newspaper and it was probably just an off the cuff remark he is not one to moan and we know how the sun likes to sensationalize everything

eirebhoy · 16-09-2003 10:16am

I bet he sayed something like "I would obviously like to play the full 90 minutes but nobody is guaranteed to play all the time" and the sun done the usual fiddling around with words.

JohnnyBravo · 16-09-2003 10:23am

Duff's in a huff with Ran
From MARK IRWIN
in Prague

CLAUDIO RANIERI and Damien Duff are locked in a war of words as frustration at Chelsea’s giant squad boils over.

Boss Ranieri and Duff have clashed over the Irish star’s despair at always being subbed and being played out of position.

It is last thing under-pressure Ranieri needs ahead of tonight’s Champions League clash against Sparta Prague here.

Duff, a £17million summer capture from Blackburn, complained: “Sooner or later I would like to play a full 90 minutes.

“I was gutted to be taken off after 70 minutes of Saturday’s game against Spurs and it seems to be happening in every match.

“I didn’t like coming off at half-time in our previous game against Blackburn, either.

“But it was a tactical change and everyone knows the gaffer likes to make changes. So what can I do?”

Left winger Duff is also unhappy at being played on the right of midfield in most games.

He said: “It doesn’t help that I’m playing in different positions in the team but I’m big enough and strong enough not to let it bother me.”

Now Duff faces the axe with Ranieri insisting he will not tolerate whingers.

He said: “If anyone is not happy with us, they can stay behind in London.

“I know there will be unhappy players and they know what will happen if the atmosphere in the dressing-room is not good.

“This is a new era for Chelsea and everyone must accept the way things are now.

“Those who understand can stay with us. Those who don’t, then I’m sorry. If they are not happy they can stay behind.”

For the first time since Roman Abramovich’s arrival, all 21 members of Chelsea’s £160m first-team squad are available.

Ranieri faces some tough decisions and Duff’s outburst could make his job slightly easier.

Not even Duff can second-guess his boss. Thousands of Sun readers tried when they entered our competition to name Chelsea’s starting line-up for Saturday’s Premiership game against Spurs.

Not one person scooped our £1,000 prize.

And with keeper Carlo Cudicini just about the only certain starter tonight, the Chelsea boss knows that there are going to be a lot of disappointed players.

But he said: “Sooner or later, everyone will get a chance. The team will be picked entirely on how they perform on the pitch.

“Having so many options is not a problem for me, it’s exciting.

“But we’ve trained together as a squad only once — not ideal preparation for the Champions League.”

eirebhoy · 16-09-2003 10:52am

This has really annoyed me reading this article the way tabloids twist stories so much. Duff made a few comments that he would "like" to play the full game and he would have liked to play the full game against Blackburn, everyone would like to play a full game. There's nothing new there. This story is also in the mirror, I can imagine how duff felt when he read this and i don't think he will speak the same to any journalist again.

I would love to listen to the full interview and see the true story. If it was Beckham it would be a different story but the brits wouldn't do that to there star.

The only thing that duff sayed that he shouldn't have was:
“It doesn’t help that I’m playing in different positions in the team but I’m big enough and strong enough not to let it bother me.” If you hear his tone of voice when he is saying this i bet you would put a different view on it. He was probably asked about playing in different positions and he sayed the obvious "it doesn't help" but he sayed it won't let it bother him.

Bloody tabloids!

JohnnyBravo · 16-09-2003 11:02am

he is still a legend though

eirebhoy · 16-09-2003 11:08am

Originally posted by JohnnyBravo
he is still a legend though

True. A lot of the English will just have a different opinion of Duff now because of these Journalists.

growler · 16-09-2003 11:46am

he might be getting fed up at the way things are now , but I'd say that by november he'll be a permanent fixture in the chelsea squad. Ranieri hasn't got much time to see how best to put the team together in a competitive environment so he has to make changes and subs or he wouldnt be doing his job very well. Duff should keep his mouth shut for a while and see how things work out, he really has nothing to worry about , legend !

The Muppet · 16-09-2003 12:27pm

True. A lot of the English will just have a different opinion of Duff now because of these Journalists.

As All the comments are reported as being direct quotes how can it be the journalists Fault Unless the quotes are ficticious and if the are duff will surly deny them.

It is suprising that the unrest has surfaced so early in the season but everyone can see there is going to be major problems keeping all their superstars happy. IMO If Chelsea go out of the major competiitions early this problem will get worse because there will be fewer games to play.

Sposs · 16-09-2003 12:32pm

eirebhoy · 16-09-2003 12:43pm

Originally posted by The Muppet
As All the comments are reported as being direct quotes how can it be the journalists Fault Unless the quotes are ficticious and if the are duff will surly deny them.

They make it out like he is moaning. There is not one quote there to say that Duff moaned at all. He would have likd to play the full 90 minutes but as i said, so woud everyone.

If it was someone that admired duff who was writing this then it would have been written in a different way.

Things like the following comments are twisting sotries:
CLAUDIO RANIERI and Damien Duff are locked in a war of words as frustration at Chelsea’s giant squad boils over.

and

Boss Ranieri and Duff have clashed over the Irish star’s despair at always being subbed and being played out of position.

The Muppet · 16-09-2003 12:47pm

Fair enuff but form his quotes he does appear to be unhappy. It will be interesting to see if he plays tonight.

eirebhoy · 16-09-2003 1:24pm

Originally posted by The Muppet
Fair enuff but form his quotes he does appear to be unhappy. It will be interesting to see if he plays tonight.

I hope he does cos i have him in my cl fantasy football;) . Also, Joe Cole said he feels he should be rewarded with a start as he feels he has been performing well.

I know it is impossible to predict Ranieri's starting lineup but I'll try.

Cudicini

Johnson

Terry

Desailly

Bridge

Geremi

Veron

Makelele

Duff

Mutu

Crespo

I wouldn't want to predict which postions the midfield line will play. Also, Mutu might be rested as reported on RTE teletext but I'll stick with that.

p.pete · 16-09-2003 1:32pm

Looks like a good lineup eireboy. I
wouldn't rest Mutu unless he needs
it - I reckon he'll be playing slightly
behind Crespo.

Also should be interesting to see
Veron and Makelele playing
together. It may take a while for
them to familiarise with one another
but when they do they should be
able to play to each others strengths.

eirebhoy · 17-09-2003 1:24pm

If you saw the Chelsea match last night Ranieri refused to play Duff because of the comments he made and at half time he copped on that they needed a bit of width on the pitch.

When Duff came on Bridge got into the game more and it gave the team more room to spread. It was also Duff's cross that set up the goal.

I am nearly sure that Duff was left on the bench because of the comments he made, because no manager would play four central midfielders and no wingers. If that was the reason then Ranieri needs his head examined and the tabloids need to cop on.

Here is the difference in what the British Tabloids say about Duffs comments and what the Irish broadsheets say:

British Tabloids: CLAUDIO RANIERI and Damien Duff are locked in a war of words as frustration at Chelsea’s giant squad boils over.

and

Boss Ranieri and Duff have clashed over the Irish star’s despair at always being subbed and being played out of position.

Irish Times: Duff's comments hardly constitute an outburst at Ranieri. They were made without malice and amid clear indications that he was content at Chelsea.

So the Tabloids could have cost Chelsea a winning start to the champions league all because Ranieri, who I don't think is the full shilling, listened to them.

JohnnyBravo · 17-09-2003 1:28pm

he could have played joe cole there he doesnt neccesarly have to play duff all the time there is no player bigger than the club

eirebhoy · 17-09-2003 1:38pm

Originally posted by JohnnyBravo
he could have played joe cole there he doesnt neccesarly have to play duff all the time there is no player bigger than the club

He could have played Joe Cole but he didn't. I believe, maybe I'm wrong, that Duff was dropped because of his comments. If he wasn't then Ranieri is a worse manager than I thought he was, playing four central midfielders.

JohnnyBravo · 17-09-2003 1:44pm

Let me ask you this did you think vialli was a good manager he won pissy cups for us but that was it i think raineri is a god manager he works his socks of for the team he has a better knowledge of players than any of our previous managers and he got us to champions league last year after spending no money

Duff must be getting fed up!

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