Duffy in the Athletic

[Breakingblade]

Big 'exclusive' from the Athletic...

Wanted to extend his contract as it was only him with just a year left. Other clubs saw the types of players we were signing so expressed an interest, his agent 'was just doing his job' by telling him this. Duffy went to speak with CWAK directly, Wilder said he'd gone about it the wrong way and froze him out.

Duffy admits he could have done it differently but doesn't have any hard feelings. Comes across well.

Still friends with the players, following the club etc.

Article basically says nothing new. Glad I got the athletic on a free trial, wouldn't pay for it.

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

Click bait titles, behind a pay wall.

Is my perception.

 

[Ainsley Harriott]

The Athletic has always come across as a bit of a posh publication. Looks professional and as it's a subscription, I expect a lot.

I don't get a lot.

 

[Rodley]

The Athletic has always come across as a bit of a posh publication. Looks professional and as it's a subscription, I expect a lot.

I don't get a lot.

Comes into its own if you like multiple sports

 

[8lade]

Still think there was needle before this, the promotion celebrations where Duffy threw beer on Wilder 'that' look on his face. Somebody saved the day by throwing more on both of them.

 

[SwissBlade]

I cancelled my subscription a few months back.

They have some really good content, but they have a lot of fillers which aren’t really based on anything but opinions

 

[Breakingblade]

Comes into its own if you like multiple sports

I can believe that. Nothing in it is bad but, from the way it was promoted, I expected real insight, some real intelligent articles that I couldn't get elsewhere. For me, there's better stuff for free here or on twitter.

 

[Niceguyeddie]

I paid for the full year up front but barely read it ,anything decent is usually shared on here

 

[FriethBlade]

Some excellent articles on the Athletic and for a fiver a month its great value, particularly if you like a variety of sports

 

[coaxingstar71]

With the advantage of hindsight, does anybody think Duffy would have got a game this season?

I think he'd have been warming the bench and then moved in January anyway.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Some excellent articles on the Athletic and for a fiver a month its great value, particularly if you like a variety of sports

I think that’s the thing – there has been some excellent stuff in there, but the stuff I’ve really enjoyed and thought there’s been some really good journalism, has generally been non-United. There have been some good Sutcliffe pieces, but he’s not always accurate on detail, and it does feel a bit Star-esque in some of the filler pieces. But I like the format, and I’d much rather part with some cash for the overall benefits than the alternatives – The Star’s user interface online has always been a bit dire, and has started to lose ground rapidly to Yorkshire Live on the rolling news update front. I guess I read Sutcliffe’s stuff less for inside info, more for a change from the “this is what Wilder said in his press conference” stuff.

 

[Rodley]

I can believe that. Nothing in it is bad but, from the way it was promoted, I expected real insight, some real intelligent articles that I couldn't get elsewhere. For me, there's better stuff for free here or on twitter.

I don’t think the pandemic has done them many favours so soon after the launching, presumably curtailing content on other sports and access to interviews, more investigative stories. Nevertheless I think it’s good value - a bit over the cost of a pint a month is nowt.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

With the advantage of hindsight, does anybody think Duffy would have got a game this season?

I think he'd have been warming the bench and then moved in January anyway.

I think he’d have been in a role similar to Sharp was till Jan – an option to bring off the bench to change games. Regardless of Duffy’s suggestion that there were games “crying out for a number 10” I don’t think his presence in the squad would have changed the use of that. He’d have seen fewer games than Sharp, would not have often been on the bench, and Wilder’s probably saved himself a season of constant rumours of a fall out that would have played out on here even with Wilder justified in giving him limited time. Luke Freeman hasn’t been able to get time off the bench in that role – I don’t think he’d have been heavily involved, and Duffy probably would have then had a similar meeting in January to the one that pushed him out.

 

[McGrath]

With the advantage of hindsight, does anybody think Duffy would have got a game this season?

I think he'd have been warming the bench and then moved in January anyway.

We were already changing the system. He may have come off the bench when we were chasing games, but he wouldn't have been a starter.

I also think Wilder had been on the lookout for a Duffy replacement for a while as well. We just had no luck with the likes of Woodburn and Dowell.

Also, Duffy's 35 this year

 

[BladeInIreland]

I think Duffy would have had a good impact this season. Lots of games his creative spark would have been good.

I still maintain he was right in wanting his long term future sorting at the club or being able to take advantage of his good form to find a club who would. I don't necessarily think we were wrong for not doing it.

It's just a shame how they handled it.

 

[Carlton Blade]

The Athletic has always come across as a bit of a posh publication. Looks professional and as it's a subscription, I expect a lot.

I don't get a lot.

I had it for a year, didn't renew. It had some good articles but not enough to warrant paying. And I can't say I've massively missed it

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

He was the very player upon which our whole revival was based.

The football, the possession, the passing game, the overlapping centre halves, the 100 points, the holy trinity - his number 10 role. Promotion to, survival in and then promotion from the Championship. Reclaiming the city, catching and overtaking Leeds, with buckets of resilience and ultimate consistency of performance. All of it, special beyond words. Dispelling years of pessimism and replacing it with playing proper football, the Sheffield United way.

I couldn't be prouder and I couldn't be more thankful to Duffy and every last one of them.

They made everything we're witnessing now, possible.

Once a Blade...

 

[the young spaniard]

He was the very player upon which our whole revival was based.

The football, the possession, the passing game, the overlapping centre halves, the 100 points, the holy trinity - his number 10 role. Promotion to, survival in and then promotion from the Championship. Reclaiming the city, catching and overtaking Leeds, with buckets of resilience and ultimate consistency of performance. All of it, special beyond words. Dispelling years of pessimism and replacing it with playing proper football, the Sheffield United way.

I couldn't be prouder and I couldn't be more thankful to Duffy and every last one of them.

They made everything we're witnessing now, possible.

Once a Blade...

Nicely said Kozzy...agree with all of it.Duffy was an absolute pleasure to watch,unplayable at times.

 

[LondonBlade89]

Big 'exclusive' from the Athletic...

Wanted to extend his contract as it was only him with just a year left. Other clubs saw the types of players we were signing so expressed an interest, his agent 'was just doing his job' by telling him this. Duffy went to speak with CWAK directly, Wilder said he'd gone about it the wrong way and froze him out.

Duffy admits he could have done it differently but doesn't have any hard feelings. Comes across well.

Still friends with the players, following the club etc.

Article basically says nothing new. Glad I got the athletic on a free trial, wouldn't pay for it.

Completely disagree. It’s a brilliant interview full of insights from Duffy on why left the club, the mentality within the club and tonnes of little nuggets like Didsy joking that he misses him playing as a number 10, and the Arsenal player who came up to him in a hotel to congratulate him on promotion and ask if we could possibly play with overlapping centre halves in the Premier League. Best thing on us I’ve read for a while.

Highly recommend reading it because I think you’re so much better informed as a result. If anyone doesn’t have a subscription PM me and I can send you some screenshots.

 

[Champagneblade]

Still regrettable even now.

Not suggesting for a minute we go out and get a guy who will be 35 year old in October.

But with budgets tight, we could well have had a 34 year old, who never relied on pace anyway, who had just shown himself to be evergreen after a successful year in the PL.

He could have emerged to be a handy sub and reliable back up.

After Coutts got injured, I did wonder if having Duff play deeper may have been an option. Replacing Coutts proved not to be the role for Lunny as this season has shown. Maybe a flatter 3 but with Duffy more withdrawn could have helped fill the void more appropriately.

Certainly, 2 beauties vs Boro aside, Evans came and went, leaving little footprint other than a slight uptick in the bank balance. Likewise Leonard, to an even lesser degree.

The needle has moved, regardless of whether we invest much this year or not. Norwood, Berge, Fleck, Osborn and Lunny give us good options plus Freeman if he stays, who can definitely add more.

His reflection on the period has mellowed my own thoughts. I was hugely disappointed in him at the time, but GLTTL and thanks for the bouncekilling!

 

[robbiez666]

With the advantage of hindsight, does anybody think Duffy would have got a game this season?

I think he'd have been warming the bench and then moved in January anyway.

I think, when we're chasing a game, that he would have had a few 10-20 minute cameos. Would not have started.

 

[William]

Still think there was needle before this, the promotion celebrations where Duffy threw beer on Wilder 'that' look on his face. Somebody saved the day by throwing more on both of them.

I can see that. There was plenty of evidence of disagreements throughout Duffy’s time here as well but he was just too good a talent with abilities that were so hard to come by on our previous budget.

Either way it would have been a happier ending for everyone had he just enjoyed his last year with us and his dad and mrs kept their keyboards quiet.

 

[Bladeinleeds]

Think he’ll always regret the way it turned out, and missing the chance to pay in the Prem. And whilst I don’t think he would be a starter, I’m 100% sure he would have been at least as involved as he was with stoke.

also rate the athletic if you’re into multiple sports, especially American ones. Some really excellent articles.

 

[JackSUFC]

Mark Duffy: ‘It’s sad how it ended – I must’ve caught the gaffer on a bad day’
https://theathletic.com/1916256/202...field-united-exit/?source=user_shared_article

Just read it myself. Interesting stuff.

He deserves respect no matter how it ended.

 

[Stretch]

We have moved on, but I am still very sad at how this all ended. Regardless of where the blame lies, I feel like he missed out on a great chance to showcase his talent on the world stage, and I do feel that we could have used him in quite a few games.

I know that he says he doesn't bear any grudges, but it has to hurt him when he sees us flying high like this, knowing that he played a massive part in turning this club around and getting us to this level.

He is still my favourite player of the Wider era, and I hope he lands on his feet somewhere. Many of us on here had that feeling that he would make a good coach, or manager. So it would be great to see him make it in the dugout somewhere. The lad is a winner.

 

[Snake]

Although I loved Duff during his time here, I am not one bit sad about the way it ended. If anything I think it set and re-enforced the benchmark of manger/player relations. In the days where agents and greedy players (not saying Duff was being greedy, I don't know the details) are ruining the sport, we have to have a wage and recruitment/retention structure in place and CWAK have to be firmly in charge.

Duff seriously pissed off Wilder. Wilder hammered him. Other players and agents see this and, by and large, fall into line with how he operates. The result being a much stronger and self sufficient Sheffield United Football Club.

 

[Reedy1889]

Bit of a bump here but just seen he may be signing for Fleetwood.

Duffy & Couttsy back together may just make me take a keen interest in Fleetwood this coming season.

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

Bit of a bump here but just seen he may be signing for Fleetwood.

Duffy & Couttsy back together may just make me take a keen interest in Fleetwood this coming season.

100% and could transform their fortunes.

 

[FriethBlade]

Might have beaten Wycombe in the play offs if their keeper hadn't thrown 2 or 3 in.