Over promised. Under delivered.

Why did Duff speak about being here for the long term etc. I think it's probably what Khaled told him to say- he probably said to Duff - "we had a crap season and need to rebuild - on the field and off the field - we need to rebuild the bond between club and fans and the town". Duff repeated this all through the season - and after the playoffs. Both of them probably expected it to take more than a season (expectations were probably - flirt with the playoffs, get a few big crowds, sell a few flatbreads and a decent amount of STs- and then progress next season) - but Duff scuppered that by almost getting us promoted. He could probably say I was brought in to win some games and help rebuild the bond between fans and the club and I've done that and overachieved - I'd be happy to stay but I've had a good offer from elsewhere that suits me and my ambitions - so good luck etc. It's really down to Khaled to pick up that baton now whilst he has it - players, managers, CEOs and board members come and go - only the club remains.

 

Not about travel time to do well you have to have a good backroom staff, Martin Devaney takes a huge applause for how well we've done .left Wembley feeling we still could achieve a brilliant season .
Wait and see till the smoke clears where we are as a squad and management .
Need some positives from the club.

 

Money talks.

 

Khaled didn't put the words in Duff's mouth. Duff spoke them, he's accountable for them. This is Grove Street, not Palermo.

 

Perhaps Swansea have made him an offer he can't refuse!

 

No chance did Khaled put those words in Duffs mouth, no one would put up with that. He said it, end of.

 

Footballers and managers are much like self employed.
Short contracts ,got to earn when you can.
Me as self employed ,I have always looked at the amount of money being paid plus distance travelled.
I never had any loyalty to service providers.
I'm just a number in their pay role.
Managers always know at some point they are going to get the boot,players too can I get a career ending injury.
It's a short career and I'm absolutely certain Duffy is just like any other.
The likes of Rimmo when he was asked to jump ship with Alan Clarke to go to Leeds unlike some , refused to go and chose to stay with his beloved BFC have gone. Bless him.
He was a true legend.
If and when Duffy leaves ,crack on good luck ,he will be replaced just like all the others which have moved on.

 

Just for clarity (lol) all I was suggesting was that there would be an agreement of what progress would look like between Khaled and Duff. Duff talked about what 'we' are trying to do - and that included building relationships. I'm not saying that Duff was instructed to say those exact words.

Duff could realistically be thinking; I came here to do a job - I was expected to achieve a certain league position and to help improve relationships between club and fans - and I've done that and more and it took one season not 3 - so I can be true to what I said and I've had a good offer - so I'm off.

 

'If you don't do this thing that I ask of you Mikey, you won't be eating my gourmet flatbreads for tea, you'll be waking up with a chicken's head in your bed, you hear me? You hear me Mikey? Say the words! Say the words!'

 

Yes, but its not like a single player, the manager/coach effects the whole team, its ok saying well someone knew will be along in the minute, fine, unless its another Marcus Schopp - in which case its an utter disaster, and there's an equal chance of that happening as to getting someone as good as Duff.

 

Except he's not doing it 5 times a week from Barnsley, he stays here duriing the week.

 

I think that Duff has done an excellent job, getting the team unified, confident, and organised; and instilling high expectations and a professional mindset across the club.

I'd much rather we keep him and that he continue our improvement than that he leave; but I've always understood that working away from his family was likely be a temporary arrangement for him, perhaps even more so than is the case for any manager or player relationship in football is these days.

 

Duff was brought in to get us promoted , maybe not in his first season but definitely during his tenure. If he leaves he's failed.

 

You have to laugh. Probably Mr Asbaghi would have stayed, given the choice. Then we'd have had a loyal manager!

 

Reading the posts about loyalty of players and managers I wonder if the older posters who remember the time when managers and players stayed at the club for years expect more loyalty from them then do the younger posters on this site ?

 

Bit like Bobby Hassel and Barry Murphy .
One went one stayed .

 

But he said he wasn't just here for 5 minutes. He gave the clear impression that he would be here for longer than one season. Whichever way you look at it he's not a man of his word.

 

That's assuming he travelled every day. I got the impression he stayed over most days. ?
If it's only once a week that's 88 miles difference. Hardly a reason to ponder. But admitted he may decide to travel daily to Swansea. Which would mean more time in bed with his mrs. .

 

If Duff was true to his convictions in 'the project', I'm confident in saying he wouldn’t consider a loss in the play-offs and remaining in league one as 'job done.' His project is/was only getting started. As for helping to improve relationships between club and fans, he's undoubtedly done that, but he's not an idiot, surely he could see that coming in for less than 12 months and then quickly leaving the following summer would disrupt that bond again, which is what's happening now - Barnsley fans aren't stupid, the project is far from finished.

 

He did stay over. That was mentioned in an interview.