Duff: 'Since Stephen got invited to the Dáil, he seems to think he can comment on everything'
SHELBOURNE BOSS DAMIEN Duff saw his champions' winless run extend to five after an early Pádraig Amond header helped Waterford take all three points from Tolka Park on Monday, and the frustrated 46-year-old was at a loss to explain just what was missing from his side in recent weeks.
But events on the pitch were overshadowed by another back-and-forth between Duff and Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley.
In the lead up to the game, and across town, the embers of another heated Dublin derby still hadn't been extinguished. In the programme notes ahead of their clash with Sligo Rovers, Hoops boss Bradley accused Duff of a 'lack of respect' for not shaking his hand after a bad tempered ending to the recent 2-2 draw in Tallaght.
When pressed on his thoughts, Irish centurion Duff fired back.
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'Listen, I think since Stephen got invited down to the Dáil, he seems to think he can comment on everything at the minute,' Duff said.
'I didn't shake his hand after the game, I didn't shake any of the staffs' hands after the game because I didn't think they deserved it. I wasn't even going to shake their hands before the game because if it was a lack of respect for how he spoke about me before the game, it was a lack of respect criticising my character was the way I took it but the game was nearly two weeks ago. So if he is still going on about it, that's all I have to say about it.'
Duff was frustrated with his side's performance against Waterford.
'I think it's there for everyone to see. The story of our season, near on every game is a mirror image of the next one, dominating, giving away poor goals, lots of chances and crosses but losing the game or taking a point,' he said.
'Is there an edge, a nerviness around the guys, I don't know, there's a nerviness in defence with the goals we are giving away. We had chances in the first half and second half to get back and win the game, they have done a job on us, tried to frustrate us for the whole game, slow it down, as I have said many times it's something the guys will have to get used to.'
Adding: 'Is it nerves, is it doubt, is it fatigue? I don't know. Listen, it's my job, but there was certainly a flatness floating around the team in the first-half. Anyone who knows our team, who knows Shelbourne, we have more gears, we have more energy. I just love creating a team from scratch, with a buzz and an energy, because I absolutely believe that energy never lies. If you don't have energy in your teams you'll get punished. Of course there was energy to a point, but I think it was there for everybody to see, certainly in the first-half, that there wasn't enough.'
Despite a number of chances to equalise, Duff was clearly unhappy at what his side produced and pulled a page from the playbook of his old manager, José Mourinho, opting for a double substitution just after the half hour mark – with JJ Lunney and Ellis Chapman being replaced by Ali Coote and John Martin.
'We were on top but I still didn't like the energy and intent of the team, as I said to the guys at half time, someone had to go,' he explained. 'I'd have done the whole lot of them if I could, putting two strikers up was the right change to make, bringing a bit more dynamism in the top pockets but we had a lack of energy and dynamism about us, the two lads who went off can't take it personally and on reflection now we still lost the game but I'd still make the same changes again.'
The big games continue to roll in with another tasty looking Dublin derby against Stephen Kenny's title contenders on Friday night, and having mentioned a 'flatness' around and making the early changes, Duff was pressed on whether more were changes to come in a few days time and what might he need to do in the lead up.
'Here, basics, world-class basics, simplicity always wins. The goals we've given away are the basics of football and you'll never win any game of football giving teams a head start, certainly teams that are going to come and sit in here.
'Changes? Here, we've ended up playing a certain formation because certain personnel are missing. I do think it suits us. Yes we are dominating games, dominating games like no Shelbourne team has done certainly in recent history but it's taking care of the basics.'
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