Michael Duff

[WxmJax]

I got 66/1 at the beginning of September, probably could have got 100/1 a few weeks ago. I just liked the way we played that day from 2-0 down. It's just getting the last 2 seasons style of play out of the system. It wasn't all bad though. Onwards and upwards.

 

[magicdaps10]

Listen, I was one who had a go at Duff and let's be fair.....the football and everything else was the worse we seen for 20 years or so.
I said early on that I thought he was putting his thoughts on us defensively and was working from that base, I started questioning that and ultimately thought that he was out of his depth.....it seems that my original view was spot on.

It's down to individuals now, once people make a choice then they rarely go against that, worried that they are admitting they are/were wrong.....i put my hand up and admit that I had it wrong in a spell of a couple of weeks.

Lets make no bones about it, going to a back 4 that so many were calling for has helped but that's just part of it, Duff has also got on board the players wishes to play more football and that needs to be applauded.

The Martin legacy will have a massive part to play but we need that person to tweak it and take things on......Duff is showing that he is capable of that.

 

[Vetchonian]

Listen, I was one who had a go at Duff and let's be fair.....the football and everything else was the worse we seen for 20 years or so.
I said early on that I thought he was putting his thoughts on us defensively and was working from that base, I started questioning that and ultimately thought that he was out of his depth.....it seems that my original view was spot on.

It's down to individuals now, once people make a choice then they rarely go against that, worried that they are admitting they are/were wrong.....i put my hand up and admit that I had it wrong in a spell of a couple of weeks.

Lets make no bones about it, going to a back 4 that so many were calling for has helped but that's just part of it, Duff has also got on board the players wishes to play more football and that needs to be applauded.

The Martin legacy will have a massive part to play but we need that person to tweak it and take things on......Duff is showing that he is capable of that.

Amazing this theory that Duff has conceded to the players wishes about playing more football. His Barnsley side played football too but more directly much as the Southampton fans are currently calling for them to play.
Duff as a manager has made a step up he has shown he is learning and prepared to adapt. Much has been said that things are "his way or no way",how the players were not with him yet the last 5 games have shown different.
He has stepped up a division lost the teams best scorer of the last two seasons admittedly had a real poor start to the season but now seems to be getting things on track.

I recall another new manager of ours talking about putting the defense right then working from that two seasons on we saw no signs of this....after 11 games we are just 3 points off the play offs not bad given the woeful start and have the joint 5th best goal difference.

The football is good to watch and we are scoring goals and creating lots more opportunities.

Its amazing as fans many of us think we know better than the manager, history shows us too many of those who become opinionated about managers are often very poor judges of what good managers are....many here berated Cooper then lauded Martin look how thats worked out....

Its still early days but it seems Duff may be getting things sorted time will tell...what amazes me is many were happy for his predecessor to be given two seasons and possibly a third yet wanted Duff gone after 6 games...

 

[magicdaps10]

Amazing this theory that Duff has conceded to the players wishes about playing more football. His Barnsley side played football too but more directly much as the Southampton fans are currently calling for them to play.
Duff as a manager has made a step up he has shown he is learning and prepared to adapt. Much has been said that things are "his way or no way",how the players were not with him yet the last 5 games have shown different.
He has stepped up a division lost the teams best scorer of the last two seasons admittedly had a real poor start to the season but now seems to be getting things on track.

I recall another new manager of ours talking about putting the defense right then working from that two seasons on we saw no signs of this....after 11 games we are just 3 points off the play offs not bad given the woeful start and have the joint 5th best goal difference.

The football is good to watch and we are scoring goals and creating lots more opportunities.

Its amazing as fans many of us think we know better than the manager, history shows us too many of those who become opinionated about managers are often very poor judges of what good managers are....many here berated Cooper then lauded Martin look how thats worked out....

Its still early days but it seems Duff may be getting things sorted time will tell...what amazes me is many were happy for his predecessor to be given two seasons and possibly a third yet wanted Duff gone after 6 games...

Some wanted Martin gone after 3 games in his first season and unrealistic targets were put in place especially towards the end of last season.
As I say, it's down to the individual and a lot can be learned from someone not putting their hand up and saying they were wrong.

Currently we are mirroring the improvement that we seen after a poor start in our previous 2 seasons, it's funny how ones who highlighted caution then are now going in the opposite direction now.
Fans are fickle.......some will try to mask that but the decent and honest ones will be just that, decent and honest.

 

[Dr. Winston]

Amazing this theory that Duff has conceded to the players wishes about playing more football. His Barnsley side played football too but more directly much as the Southampton fans are currently calling for them to play.

There is a desperate need to believe from some quarters that Duff somehow had to be "educated" in how to play football by senior players (ie Matt Grimes). If that is the case then as you say, it's quite a stunning coincidence that the football he was taught to play so closely resembles the football played by Barnsley last season.

 

[Swanjaxs]

For me one of the biggest improvements is our threat from corners and free kicks, we actually look decent from set pieces, Darling especially.

 

[monmouth]

There is a desperate need to believe from some quarters that Duff somehow had to be "educated" in how to play football by senior players (ie Matt Grimes). If that is the case then as you say, it's quite a stunning coincidence that the football he was taught to play so closely resembles the football played by Barnsley last season.

Grimes is playing differently, so how do these morons square that away?

 

[magicdaps10]

Grimes is playing differently, so how do these morons square that away?

Don't forget a formation change, a change that he didn't play for 12 months at Barnsley.

He needs to be applauded for it.

 

[Dr. Winston]

Grimes is playing differently, so how do these morons square that away?

They won't even try to. They'll pretend that Grimes has always played this way and claim that those of us who were critical of him just didn't get it.

 

[jed]

There is a desperate need to believe from some quarters that Duff somehow had to be "educated" in how to play football by senior players (ie Matt Grimes). If that is the case then as you say, it's quite a stunning coincidence that the football he was taught to play so closely resembles the football played by Barnsley last season.

It's just a coping mechanism from people, afraid to admit when they get things wrong IMO.

 

[Dr. Winston]

It's just a coping mechanism from people, afraid to admit when they get things wrong IMO.

Don't misunderstand me, quite a lot of the criticism was justified. We were pretty terrible to watch for most of August and September. Doubts would have been natural, even if the calls for a sacking were a bit premature.

There does seem to be a small but vocal minority however desperately keen to deny that Duff bears anything like as much responsibility for our current success as he apparently did for our struggles. I mean, this story about players marching into his office and demanding that he change his plans as if they were Dai Penney telling Kevin Cullis to sit down and shut up is a prime example.

 

[jed]

Don't misunderstand me, quite a lot of the criticism was justified. We were pretty terrible to watch for most of August and September. Doubts would have been natural, even if the calls for a sacking were a bit premature.

There does seem to be a small but vocal minority however desperately keen to deny that Duff bears anything like as much responsibility for our current success as he apparently did for our struggles. I mean, this story about players marching into his office and demanding that he change his plans as if they were Dai Penney telling Kevin Cullis to sit down and shut up is a prime example.

I get what you mean but I'm not referring to the critisism from the first few games as I agree that was justified in the main. September was however I think a bit early to be going balls deep.
My point is about the people trying to deflect, now that we seem to have hopefully turned the corner.