It’s just not happening for us at the moment
AN EXASPERATED Shane Duffy released some of his feelings of frustration and anger which have built up over the last 12 months following the dismal 0-0 draw with Northern Ireland on Thursday.
Ahead of tomorrow’s Nations League dead rubber against Denmark in Aarhus, the defender demanded that teammates – regardless of experience – perform on this stage or risk getting kicked off altogether.
He insisted that it takes character to make it at the highest level and that no one within the current squad will become one of the great Irish players unless they prove they possess it.
Duffy, 27 on New Years’ Day and with 24 caps to his name, admitted that playing for Ireland has a completely different feeling than turning out for Brighton in the Premier League, and is a more nerve wrecking experience because of the emotion involved.
The centre-back confirmed that there is a negative feeling within the squad because of their current plight – one win in 10 games dating back to the World Cup play-offs a year ago – and that the biggest frustration of all is that the players feel like they can give so much more but are simply unable to replicate the form they show for their clubs when they pull on an Ireland jersey.
Despite all that, Duffy is adamant that Martin O’Neill is still the right manager to lead Ireland into the Euro 2020 qualifiers in March, for which they will be third seeds following the Danes’ 2-1 win over Wales in the Nations League on Friday.
That result condemned Ireland to relegation from League B but Duffy feels a positive performance – and result – tomorrow can act as the catalyst for a revival.
‘It is a different step up, it is international football and you are playing the highest quality. For me, I still get nervous going out to play for Ireland, it’s a different feeling. It is a game of football and if you want to be on the stage, you’ve got to perform,’ he began.
‘It takes time, it takes character if you want to go to the next level and stay there for a long time like the great Irish players have. It’s one of them, it is through patience. Sometimes you don’t get it and it is taking your chance at the right time.
‘We have good players here, it is just about getting the right team,’ Duffy continued. ‘We have the right man there to guide us. A year ago we were one game away from the World Cup so it is just about getting the right team, letting them do it and get his team right and I am sure we will be back with good times.
‘It is up to us to make that good feeling for the country again. As a changing room we all want to stick together. It is a bit negative from everyone around the place and it up to us as players to get that winning feeling before the game and we said this week, “let’s get the winning feeling back”.
We have not won in a while and it is down to us now,’ Duffy added, insisting no one can afford to keep feeling sorry for themselves after the manner in which they succumbed 5-1 against Denmark last year.
‘We are footballers and you’ve got to move on, if it is hanging over [anyone] it shouldn’t be and we have to put it to bed. Listen, it will hurt for a long time but it is a year ago now, a lot has happened since then, it’s a different team.
‘We always going on about it being transition and this and that but as players we have to be better and we are better than what we are showing at the minute. We will put it right, hopefully, and I know we always seem to being talking about it but it is down to the players out there to show and be braver on the ball and do what lads do at club level.
‘That is where we are not clicking at the moment. We have to dust ourselves down and be positive, simple as, go again. Everyone gets setbacks and that is what we are going through at the minute.
‘Every team and every footballer goes through patches where it is not clicking. It is not like the effort is not there, we are trying, it is just not happening and that is the most frustrating thing. We know we are better and as players we know, we have had a chat, and it is up to us to stick together and it is only us who can turn it round.’
On Thursday, Duffy was the central figure of a back three with Blackburn Rovers’ Darragh Lenihan on his right and John Egan of Sheffield United starting to the left. It was the first time the trio featured together and it showed, as all three were culpable for lapses in concentration which almost led to goals for their opponents.
Egan has returned to his club for treatment on a calf injury while Manchester United’s Lee O’Conner, who trained with the senior side last week after earning a call-up from the Under-19s, has been drafted in for the Danish assignment.
Reflecting on the mistakes against the North, Duffy stressed the need for patience.
‘It was just a weird game because we were a bit edgy as a team but the lads, John and Darragh did well and did some good things. Obviously Darren Randolph had to pull off a save when Darragh got caught but it is a learning curve. I remember my first caps, Moldova, I made mistakes, France, I made mistakes and I was better for it.
‘They are good players and there is good competition now among the centre halves and hopefully we can kick on and by the Euros they will have more caps and more experience and everyone will benefit,’ Duffy said, turning attention to the meeting with the League B, Group 4 winners.
‘We want to sign off with every game with that positivity. It is one of those things, we have to keep believing in ourselves and we do. We have got good players in that changing room and good staff, good manager who believes in the players.
‘It is up to us to go out and perform. It has been a tough year but it not through the lack of effort or trying or trying to get results. It is just that little bit we need and the manager will keep drilling it into us until we get it right and hopefully with a bit of luck which we haven’t had this year, you never know, a couple of results go our way.
‘Hopefully we can sign off the year with a positive and then come back in March and we will know who we are playing [in the Euro qualifiers] and can kick off with a bit of positivity and go for it again.’
‘WE HAVE GOOD PLAYERS... IT’S ONLY US WHO CAN TURN IT AROUND’