Mark Duffy

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Eric Cartman

Eric Cartman

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If he was 5 years younger he’s worth 8 figures.

I have never seen a player with such good close control, the ability to change direction, the agility and ability - he is unbelievable and just getting BETTER.

Ok today might not be the best game to bring it up because he didn’t impact the result but he had an impact in the first half and he looked as good as ever.

I’ve not seen many visiting players as good as Duffy with the above qualities nevermind players we’ve actually had. Epitomises everything that’s good about this side. What a player.
 



Best player on the pitch today by a mile, in the first half anyway. I posted last week that I think he could cut it in the PL, simply due to his skill and intelligence on the ball. Let's hope we find out soon.
 
Nicolaus_Copernicus said:
A serious curious question. Why was it then, that 5 years ago when he was 5 years younger, he was playing for Scunthorpe in League 1? A late bloomer?
Click to expand...

Wasn’t he generally deployed on the wing in his earlier playing days?
 
He's a rare player. A midfielder who will run at players and take them on. There's little of that the modern game.
 
There are lots of players who bloom late in their careers, and some who bloom early then fade. I thought Duffy was outstanding when I saw him play for Scunthorpe all those years ago, but they always played him wide on the wing. That may have been the right thing to do when he was younger and faster, I don't know. What I do know is that he's deployed in his best position for how he is now and that's always a good way to get the best out of any footballer. Get them to focus on what they do best.
 
An example of taking a winger's ability and applying it all over the pitch after gaining the required experience and know how.
 
Nicolaus_Copernicus said:
A serious curious question. Why was it then, that 5 years ago when he was 5 years younger, he was playing for Scunthorpe in League 1? A late bloomer?
Click to expand...

In the game today , nobody takes the wide men seriously. A lost art but it will come around again. Until then lets just enjoy the little scouse scamp
 
Eric Cartman said:
If he was 5 years younger he’s worth 8 figures.

I have never seen a player with such good close control, the ability to change direction, the agility and ability - he is unbelievable and just getting BETTER.

Ok today might not be the best game to bring it up because he didn’t impact the result but he had an impact in the first half and he looked as good as ever.

I’ve not seen many visiting players as good as Duffy with the above qualities nevermind players we’ve actually had. Epitomises everything that’s good about this side. What a player.
Click to expand...
Apparently wilder still hates him.

At the final whistle he put him into a headlock and tried to wrestle him to the ground...

It was either that or an affectionate hug and hair ruffling before wilder went on to hoof the ball into the air
 
Sometimes he's too quick for the rest with his passing, has to be up there with the best at this level if not better.
 



Nicolaus_Copernicus said:
A serious curious question. Why was it then, that 5 years ago when he was 5 years younger, he was playing for Scunthorpe in League 1? A late bloomer?
Click to expand...

When we played Scunthorpe at home in our first season in League 1, he was comfortably their best player. I couldn’t believe he got released a couple of seasons later.
 
Duffy's playing style is quite similar to Juan Mata's, I think - his strengths being technique, close-control/dribbling in tight spaces, creativity, passing, finding space through one-twos/triangles, etc - and, though Mata is in a very different league (literally and metaphorically), I think Mata has been wasted by Man Utd by being deployed as a winger where his lack of blistering pace makes him far less effective than in the centre - and Duffy's use at his previous clubs (before Wilder tried him out at no.10, and the rest is history...) was probably similarly wasteful.

I think the 352 we play, with attacking wing-backs bombing down each flank, two strikers to link up with, two deeper playmaking midfielders to also link up with and the freedom to move wherever he sees fit, is absolutely perfectly suited for a player with Duff's qualities (and general quality) to thrive
 
He'd be even better if he could kick the ball with his left foot.
 
SwissBlade said:
Apparently wilder still hates him.

At the final whistle he put him into a headlock and tried to wrestle him to the ground...



It was either that or an affectionate hug and hair ruffling before wilder went on to hoof the ball into the air
Click to expand...
I don't think Chris hates him. In the Star he praised Mark after the Blackburn game ....saying now he's learned he has to track back mark his man & defend he was excellent on Wednesday. Noone can complain about this as even the greatest attacking midfield player we've ever had ....TC .....used to track back. If players listen to Chris he makes them better players. You can't ask for more from a Manager than this.
 
MoSF94 said:
Duffy's playing style is quite similar to Juan Mata's, I think - his strengths being technique, close-control/dribbling in tight spaces, creativity, passing, finding space through one-twos/triangles, etc - and, though Mata is in a very different league (literally and metaphorically), I think Mata has been wasted by Man Utd by being deployed as a winger where his lack of blistering pace makes him far less effective than in the centre - and Duffy's use at his previous clubs (before Wilder tried him out at no.10, and the rest is history...) was probably similarly wasteful.

I think the 352 we play, with attacking wing-backs bombing down each flank, two strikers to link up with, two deeper playmaking midfielders to also link up with and the freedom to move wherever he sees fit, is absolutely perfectly suited for a player with Duff's qualities (and general quality) to thrive
Click to expand...
This^^^^^^^^^ nailed it.
 
Laney Blade said:
I don't think Chris hates him. In the Star he praised Mark after the Blackburn game ....saying now he's learned he has to track back mark his man & defend he was excellent on Wednesday. Noone can complain about this as even the greatest attacking midfield player we've ever had ....TC .....used to track back. If players listen to Chris he makes them better players. You can't ask for more from a Manager than this.
Click to expand...
It was a tongue in cheek comment which refers back to a thread from a last month where the OP stated that Wilder and Duffy don't get along
 
Roygbiv said:
No idea what he's been doing all his career because he's obviously got enough quality to have been a regular Premiership player.
Click to expand...

It's almost certainly because he's been playing for crap managers who didn't know how to utilise his talents. Think Adkins with Campbell-Ryce. Or Clough with Coutts.
 
I can remember twenty years ago when under Spackmans brief spell, we ditched the 4-4-2 and went 3-5-2, and pushed Dane Whitehouse in to the same role as Duffy plays now, with outstanding results, and Dane flourished and played the some of his best football in that role, until it was curtailed by that utter cunt Gareth Ainsworth.

I know a fair bit about football and tend to know who the movers and shakers are down the leagues. When we signed Mark Duffy, I didn’t know an awful lot about him, and thought he was just another typical lower league journeyman we had brought in because we couldn’t afford anyone better.

What stand out about Duffy for me is his footballing intelligence. I’ve said it multiple times that he is the most intelligent players I’ve seen play for the Blades. In the role he plays now which suits him right down to the ground, he seems to have the ability of finding little pockets of space in and around the opposition box, and has the awareness and speed of thought to know where his team mates are where to place the ball.
 
Good to see that some players get their rewards in the end. He seems to have a pretty "happy go lucky" attitude when it comes to playing football and based on where he's come from you can see why. Well done to him and us for signing him.
 



MoSF94 said:
Duffy's playing style is quite similar to Juan Mata's, I think - his strengths being technique, close-control/dribbling in tight spaces, creativity, passing, finding space through one-twos/triangles, etc - and, though Mata is in a very different league (literally and metaphorically), I think Mata has been wasted by Man Utd by being deployed as a winger where his lack of blistering pace makes him far less effective than in the centre - and Duffy's use at his previous clubs (before Wilder tried him out at no.10, and the rest is history...) was probably similarly wasteful.

I think the 352 we play, with attacking wing-backs bombing down each flank, two strikers to link up with, two deeper playmaking midfielders to also link up with and the freedom to move wherever he sees fit, is absolutely perfectly suited for a player with Duff's qualities (and general quality) to thrive
Click to expand...

Are we getting Mata on loan as Duffy's replacement next season in the Prem? :)
 
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