BOYD DEFENDS MANAGER’S HARSH TRUTHS DUFF BUT FAIR
SEAN BOYD insists Damien Duff’s tough love is what Shelbourne’s players want.
The Shels boss is often blunt in his assessment of his team’s performances — both publicly and privately.
But striker Boyd does not mind being told some harsh truths as it gets the best out of both him and his teammates.
Last Friday Boyd (inset) was on the receiving end of a rollocking and on Monday it was Shane Farrell’s turn, when the sub got dismissed within 12 minutes of coming on against Shamrock Rovers.
Afterwards Duff questioned Farrell’s lifestyle and consistency.
Yet Boyd reacted to that criticism by pointing out honesty is always the best policy with players.
The 25-year-old said: “The gaffer is as honest as they come. He told me I was sh*t on Friday and said I was okay on Monday night. That’s the way he is and it’s fine. I know that myself.”
Not every player can cope with this level of candidness from managers but Boyd feels Shelbourne’s players are benefitting from the way Duff speaks to them. He said: “You don’t want managers to string you along
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and take sh**e. Excuse my language but he is exactly what you want in a manager.
“I’ve been around. I’ve heard stories. I know players. You don’t want to strung, told you’re great, this and that and they then f**k you out.
“Honesty is exactly what us players want 100 per cent. If you can’t live up to or deal with his [demands] you’ll struggle because it is tough and at times, they’re tough on me but that’s what
I want. I don’t want someone who is going to talk sh**e and tell me
I’m great when I’m not.”
Standards
Twice this season Boyd has been told when his standards have slipped — after the opening night draw with Waterford and then after last week’s defeat to Galway.
Boyd said: “There have also been times after a training session when I have been in the doghouse. But I don’t want to be left float along and just be at nothing. They want the best for me and I know they care, they want the best for Shane (Farrell), so it comes from a place of love.
“The bottom line is that if you’re training properly and willing to work hard for the team, he will be with you 100 per cent. It’s as simple as that.
“Shane will be in trouble now (following Monday’s red card) and it is disappointing. We probably had a chance to win the game and he let us down.
“But I’ve been there myself, it is tough. After Waterford, I was hurting. We could have won that game, we should have won the game that night. I know how that feels. It’s just something where you need to knuckle down and listen to what the manager says because he only wants the best for him.”
Meanwhile, Jamie Lennon says it’s time for St Patrick’s Athletic to stop leaving valuable
points behind.
Potential
The Saints created plenty of chances last Monday night against Derry City, but came out on the wrong side of a 3-1 scoreline.
And after showing their potential in 2-1 win over Shamrock Rovers earlier this month, points were dropped in stalemates against Dundalk and Waterford, and now Derry. “We have left a lot of points behind, I think there is no denying it,” said Lennon. “We obviously had a really poor week early on in the season where we lost three in a week. That has kind of killed us a little bit and we have been chasing our tail since then.
“We have picked up some good performances, I think, our performance levels have been getting better as the season has gone on. But we just have to start picking up more points than we have, and turning those tight games into wins.”