Mark Duffy Macclesfield

[Booker4]

All the best to Duffy, one of the long list of superb free transfer players at the Lane, but Duffy obviously has a moment that will live long in every Blades fans memory. It was sad how it ended, I suspect that this was a case of Duffy's agent doing the talking to Wilder not directly Duffy himself, just guessing there. Either way, it would take a harsh man to get rid when he did, some will say Wilder was ruthless, others will say that's the sign of a good manager to act without sentiment. There's a right way to do that though, I wouldn't be surprised if Wilder decided to make a point to other players in how he dealt with it. Another one that we'll only know when Wilder releases an autobiography!

 

[DronnieBlade]

Good luck with the next chapter Mark.

Fond memories of you in your pomp .

UTB

 

[Stretch]

I still miss watching him. The best close control of any Blades player that I have seen in the flesh.

 

[Panini]

I can never understand why he never seems to settle in one club, and at 36, I would have thought he could still do a job for League 2 club, maybe even League 1?

It can't come as a surprise, I'll look into how many 90s he's completed since signing for us.

He was two months shy of his 34th birthday when he and Wilder fell out for whatever reason. There are lots of sentimental reasons we would've liked to see him in the PL, away at Anfield etc, but his career path since his last appearance for us suggests his contribution on the pitch was over.

He's now 36 and his short term deal at Tranmere (L2) expired on Dec 31st having played half a dozen games since August.

I heard a noise his agent tried to get him in at Chester (NLN, 6th tier) who said no and someone put Savage on the scent.

Macc are trying to race through the leagues as you might expect. He won't be their last signing with (recent) EFL experience. It's worth reminding they are now in the 9th tier of English football, having reformed in 2020.

An absolute Blades legend, not just for that goal but his part in the journey. No doubt. In my view, also, he left at the right time.

In any case this is a semi-retirement and a first step into coaching. Who knows how often involved he'll be on the pitch but it's not a level you can coast at. I wouldn't expect him to feature too much and he'll call it a day properly in the summer regardless.

Anyway, good luck to him

 

[DifferentClass]

Read this as Mansfield at first, thought "hold on, he's not a Nigel Clough type..."

 

[northsomersetblade]

With hindsight wilders treatment of the bounceslayer was one of the many signs that he was losing the plot

 

[Grappler]

 

[Heely bottoms underpants]

I don't think I've watched a Blades goal more than Duffy's against those hideous bouncing fuckwits.
For that goal alone he deserves a Blades knighthood.
UTB

 

[IOM Blade]

Been to Forest lots and lots of times to watch The Blades - had mixed results-

But my all time favourite was we unluckily lost 2-1. But we actually trounced them.

The midfield was Coutts Fleck and Duffy-

Duffy was literally unplayable he absolutely ran the show- he was leaving players dumped on the floor- he was knocking superb balls through - he was dribbling past players like they were statues - I've been to 100's of games but that day he was as they say wort double the entrance fee on his own.

Duffy was a fantastic gifted footballer for us. Not as good as Currie but F*** me I loved watching him, he did things that made you smile..

I really wish he'd never left.

I remember that game too. He was brilliant and the Forest fans agreed....

“Best side we have played this season, properly well drilled and there 21 was impossible to mark.”

“Sheff U are a decent side.21 owned the game for them.”

"Would take Fleck and especially Duffy over anybody we have, every day of the week.”

“thought Mark Duffy completely ran the show in that first half, quality player”

C/O Roygbiv 2017.

 

[TJB.]

A day that will live in infamy and a goal that will never be forgotten.

The magic of football is that thirty seconds is all it takes to create a memory that you can talk about with friends for the rest of your life, memories which will never fail to raise a smile. Them thirty seconds right there are simply beautiful.

Can't thank Duffy enough for what he did for Sheffield United.

 

[Need4speed]

The Duffy role will be a discussion for many a year but bounce slayer will live for ever

 

[mancunianblade]

He's bounced around a bit over the last few years. I'm surprised he hasn't stayed and succeed at one club since.

Pun intended.

Wasn’t he the same before coming to us though? And that was later on his career too.. some players just suit a club/style and anything else is a bad fit

 

[BigBed]

Hats off to him, brilliant player for us, and I wish him and his missus all the best for the future, I hope he enjoys himself and gets to where he wants to be!
And if you do read this Duffs..........
THANK YOU!(Especially for that goal!!!)

 

[metalblade]

Should really have been given a shot at the Premier League a one year deal wouldn't have hurt, with hindsight this was the first act of Wilder's management unravelling, to get rid of such a gifted player yet stick with the likes of Lundstram was criminal. Maybe he wouldn't have been a starter but he would have certainly been useful to have on the bench in our first season back at the top he deserved to have minutes as a Premier league player on his CV
GLTTL.

 

[metalblade]

He must have liked playing against Forest

 

[Berkshire Blade]

Should really have been given a shot at the Premier League a one year deal wouldn't have hurt, with hindsight this was the first act of Wilder's management unravelling, to get rid of such a gifted player yet stick with the likes of Lundstram was criminal. Maybe he wouldn't have been a starter but he would have certainly been useful to have on the bench in our first season back at the top he deserved to have minutes as a Premier league player on his CV
GLTTL.

While we were 9th in the premier league he was struggling at stoke and then went to the Dutch league on loan. A year later wasn't exactly doing much in league one. Wilder got it spot on.

 

[PaulHalfway]

Always been a journeyman player for lots of clubs except seemingly his spell for us

 

[metalblade]

While we were 9th in the premier league he was struggling at stoke and then went to the Dutch league on loan. A year later wasn't exactly doing much in league one. Wilder got it spot on.

Better players than Duffy were struggling at Stoke that season it doesn't make Duffy a bad player, like I said probably not a starter but good to have on the bench as he was always capable of making something happen very harsh by Wilder when you consider how he pandered to Lundstram and others.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

Better players than Duffy were struggling at Stoke that season it doesn't make Duffy a bad player, like I said probably not a starter but good to have on the bench as he was always capable of making something happen very harsh by Wilder when you consider how he pandered to Lundstram and others.

He's just been let go by a league two side doing well. He was let go in the summer from a league one side. I loved Duffy but let's be sensible!

 

[Bert]

He's just been let go by a league two side doing well. He was let go in the summer from a league one side. I loved Duffy but let's be sensible!

Towards the end he was either on the bench or subbed after an hour.
His consequent career demonstrated that on this one occasion Wilder was right.

 

[Edgar Allan Poo]

Towards the end he was either on the bench or subbed after an hour.
His consequent career demonstrated that on this one occasion Wilder was right.

It could be that he peaked with us. Club legend - a joy to watch play.

 

[Bert]

It could be that he peaked with us. Club legend - a joy to watch play.

He did peak with us, but he was on the way down when he left.
It wasn't hard to see, even Wilder managed to spot it.

 

[Dongivensmademecry]

Two magical moments

 

[Alan Birchenall's hair]

Not as good as TC obviously, but along with Michael Browne, the next most entertaining midfielder we've had at The Lane. May have been superb or shite in the Prem, but thanks to Wilder's poor man management in this case, we'll never know. Fitted our style of play like a glove, often being further forward than the strikers. Always available for the ball. Could do the unexpected. I think Duffy and JOC were the biggest factors in the run from L1 to the Prem. And to think Wilder preferred to keep Lundstram......

 

[metalblade]

He's just been let go by a league two side doing well. He was let go in the summer from a league one side. I loved Duffy but let's be sensible!

We let him go two and a half years ago not just last week, I still maintain he could have done a job coming off the bench in the Premier league at 34 year old but yeah Wilder preferred such players as Rodwell, Ricky Holmes and of course a can't be arsed Lundstram. If we think Wilder got it spot on think of these names again Rodwell, Holmes and Lundstram

 

[Berkshire Blade]

We let him go two and a half years ago not just last week, I still maintain he could have done a job coming off the bench in the Premier league at 34 year old but yeah Wilder preferred such players as Rodwell, Ricky Holmes and of course a can't be arsed Lundstram. If we think Wilder got it spot on think of these names again Rodwell, Holmes and Lundstram

Getting shot of Duffy was right. Throwing in other names to muddy the water won't change that.

 

[Panini]

Duffy update:

He's just signed a 1-year extension at Macclesfield so has delayed full retirement for at least another season while he does his coaching badges.

He's made 13 appearances since joining in January, not registering any goals or assists but picking up a couple of MOMs.

Macclesfield have just won the North West Counties Premier Division, so they'll be in the 8th tier Northern Premier League Division One West next season where they'll face the likes of Glossop, Ramsbottom United and, if they stay up, his old club Prescot Cables.

 

[blade too long]

Duffy enjoyed. some limelight with us late in his career. He had 2 excellent seasons with us at championship level but Wilder knew that was his peak level
A lot of players never experience what Duffy achieved he was in the right place at the right time for him and us
He's not shown that level since he left so his departure was justified
But he did a Bob Booker in his own right

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

"6th year in Northern Premier League Division One West, Mark Duffy came along..." doesn't have quite the same ring to it, does it?

 

[Sheffsteel]

Always been a journeyman player for lots of clubs except seemingly his spell for us

One of the biggest mysteries in local football.
One of your greatest entertainers and hardly anyone (apart from Blades) has heard of him ha ha.

I've been watching United since the mid 70's.
If I had a chat about football with a stranger.....you can imagine them asking me
"In all the time you've watched Sheff United....who is the most entertaining player you''ve seen"

My answer would be "obviously Tony Currie"
"Then it would be either Alex Sabella or Mark Duffy".
I rate Duffy that highly.

Yesterday against Barnsley several times Osborn cut in on the inside and tried a shot from just outside the area.
Norwood and Hourahane try the odd long shot too....they always go over the bar.
I said to those around me, we hardly ever score long shots, curled into the top corner.
I said that the last player we had who could score top quality goals was Mark Duffy.
He scored some top quality goals for us..similar style (but no where near as good) to Hakim Ziyech at Chelsea.

I once sat next to a Chinese student in the BLUT and got chatting to him. He told me he supports Beiging Guoan back in China and since he's been studying in Sheffield he comes to Bramall Lane because he loves football. He said his favourite player is Mark Duffy and he's one of the reasons he comes to watch us so often.

Note: I used to occasionally bring outsiders (non Sheff United fans) to our matches in league 1
They all used to make comments like "I like the look of that small ginger lad you've got"
or "your number 14 (what ever Duffy's number was....is your best player".