[Official Site] MICHAEL DUFF JOINS SWANSEA CITY

Not in the Duff is God camp and dint feel as tho he was "Ours" .
maybe another season would have brought him into our family...
In saying that I don't appreciate being lied to or the " Im here for the long term" bull sh*te which suckered a lot of fans into the belief things have changed in the club..they haven't, they won't and there not going to so unless one if wins the Euromillions and subs the club..

 

This is as close to my feelings as anything I've seen written so far. I treated his post-season statements with some scepticism as there would always be an offer that would be 'the one' he wanted to take. Perhaps we expected it to be something 'bigger' than Swansea.

This is the business in which we operate. We expect loyalty, but the fact that we put a release clause in contracts states up front that there is a value at which someone becomes expendable. This one, by all accounts, is less than we got for Struber or Ismael but perhaps that's what was needed to recruit him in the first place.

I also think the level of success we achieved last season contributed to his decision. He'd have been expected to improve upon an 86 point season / 4th place finish / last gasp play-off defeat with a squad that will likely start the season weaker than the one we ended it with. That's a big ask, and perhaps he didn't fancy the challenge. Assuming so, let's get someone in who does.

The problem I have now is that, unlike the last few managerial searches, I think there is one outstanding candidate in Darren Moore who I'm already emotionally invested in hoping we recruit. I kind of preferred it when none of us had a clue which unknown name we'd ultimately bring in. Ex-player, excellent track record as a manager, especially at this level and already established in the local area. A perfect candidate for me, and one that I think isn't an unachievable appointment. I think I'll ultimately feel more disappointed about not recruiting Moore than I would about Duff leaving.

More generally, the club really needs to figure out a way to retain coaches beyond 12 months, although I'm not sure how they achieve it. We've got into a vicious cycle of them either being too successful to retain, or too awful to last that long. Even the successful ones who've stayed post-promotion in recent seasons have become disillusioned with things soon afterwards. Personally, this is why I'm less surprised/disappointed about Duff leaving than many are, as I felt there was a good chance of this cycle continuing.

 

Absolutely spot on , his backroom staff went also apart from some.
Norman was amazing ,let's hope someone takes us forward from here .

 

Spot on young man.

 

If we are data driven how can you argue with the above stats

 

I've just asked my wife what she would have done in Duff's position. Her response...."I would have stayed if I had a connection wi Given that Duff has said money wasn't the motivating factor (but can we believe anything he now says?) I think my non footballing wife has hit the nail on the head. He really had no connection with us. He grew to love Cheltenham and Burnley but didn't give himself time to love what we're about.
Curt...release clauses ......I would imagine 80 /90% of managers have then in their contracts. The very presence of a release clause gives them a way out. Any ambitious manager would insist on a release clause. Stupid not to.
He didn't fancy the challenge?? Think he did. Dont think that has anything to do with his departure. He just saw the bigger pay cheque, closer to home and a higher league. Had he stayed he could have mastered the challenge. That's one of the sad thing about him going.
Darren Moore? No and thrice no. Lovely lovely guy but tactically he's prehistoric. Duff out tacticked him in every game we played against them last season. Darren would be a backward step in my opinion. Indecisive and not innovative enough.
Next man up? No idea, but I do trust Khaled and the board to make the right decision.
Personally I'd love Wilder to join.

 

One thing we cannot do is mess around. As JAQ says, town is of the essence. It really is. We were on the back foot last season.
Someone out of a job may be the best bet. Darren Moore on a 12 month contract would make sense in lots of ways although as quite a few have said, not 100% convinced of managerial ability.

 

Totally agree with your point about not faulting the club. They get enough stick as it is. This is not of their doing.

 

...and he's right. Our club is bigger and better than Michael Duff.

 

Completely agree. 100% Duff. I sense that we name every effort to keep him but he must have been adamant to leave. By leaving without any perceived/ real regret I would have to conclude that his heart wasn't in the club and we were just a stepping stone.
So disappointing as I thought he was the perfect fit for us. Just got to hope he doesn't look to taking some of our best players.
Fraudster.

 

Very disappointed with the whole state of affairs as it now transpires that Duff is a charlatan who's words really mean nothing. He effectively lied at the time of his appointment by implying he was in it for the long haul. Further diminishes my love of all things football. He went to Swansea because he's 'ambitious' did he? Yeah ok. Why not show some ambition by continuing to develop things at Barnsley and get the club to progress to the premier league?
The guy has let himself down by chasing the money. He has let the club down. He's let the fans down after saying what he did in his initial statement. He's yet another 'no loyalty' person just like all the rest. His glib 'You Reds!' comment smacks of insincerity and false affection.The guy can bollux.

 

In terms of playing style Barnsley and Swansea were chalk and cheese last season.
Can't see Duff having the patience with all the tippy tappy nonsense, surely there were other managers available that suited Swanseas playing philosophy.

 

As far as I can work out there were, but Duff was just the one they ended up with. It'll be an interesting watch next season for sure.

 

I realise for you this is an emotive issue, so hope you don't mind if I use it to pick up a thread. Hopefully that's kinda why you posted it.

Eric is a Barnsley legend, and loved by us all. Had he gone to Wednesday with Wilson, I'm sure he'd still be incredibly fondly remembered, but I suspect it would have been tarnished to an extent. Such is football and tribal loyalties, there would be some who felt he'd done the dirty on Barnsley even after all he'd put in.

Which strikes at the heart of the discussion about Duff. For some people, money and perceive progression really isn't what motivates them. The public sector and medical professions for example are full of people who could earn a lot more and gain more prestige from moving jobs, but they remain committed to what they do. Some things are more important than money and prestige.

Duff made a big play of being of this kind of nature. He's played at a high level during an unprecedented period of wealth, so while never reaching the top of his profession, it's reasonable to assume he's tremendously comfortable financially by the standards you or I, or your Dad would ever consider. If he truly were a man of his word, committed to a project rather than your run of the mill football manager, he'd still be here. That he's not tells you all you need to know.

History will record that Eric Winstanley is 1000 times the man that Michael Duff is. If I were you, I'd take far more value from that than any pay rise that Sheffield Wednesday or Swansea can ever offer.

 

"There were lots of reasons I wanted to come to Swansea; the step up in level, but also the infrastructure that’s already at the football club, and speaking to the owners and the ambition they’ve got for the club it matches my own ambition.

“My immediate aims are to get a helicopter view of the landscape and the players, physically and mentally. What do they look like? What is their attitude like? And that’s the same for all the staff too.

"Ultimately, we want to walk out of pre-season with a fit group of players who are fresh.

“Hopefully the supporters are as excited as I am. Hopefully we’re going to see some really good football which is a little bit more on the front foot.



"We need the supporters as much as they need us and if we both turn up every week, then hopefully we’ll get more wins than losses.”

I'm sure he's used that supporters quote on us too.

 

You don’t get behind individuals, you get behind Barnsley Football Club, that’s the point. I’m not some old timer that you probably think I am, I’m 29.