WITH my clumsy phrasing of the question, I had kind of proven Damien Duff’s point.
But, deep down, there is nothing grudging about the admiration for what he has done at Shelbourne and the over-riding sense among rival fans, if they are honest, is envy.
Who would not want one of the best footballers the country has produced throwing himself into guiding their team as though his life depended on it and getting results?
In the aftermath of his side’s 2-0 win in Tallaght, Duff was asked if Shels having a smaller budget than Shamrock Rovers and Derry City might be a factor in the title run-in.
And Duff said: “The budget thing doesn’t really bother me. We take great pride in our coaching and organising our team.
“We are probably the one team in world football who gets criticised for being organised. It’s like a negative in this country.
“‘Aw, against Damien Duff’s team if you go 1-0 down they just defend’.
“It’s a big f***ing part of football but it’s seen as a negative here which I find incredible.”
I followed up by asking was it not a ‘grudging admiration’ rather than a criticism that people viewed his side as well-coached and difficult to break down.
Understandably, he jumped on the word ‘grudging’ because it indicates an unwillingness to give due credit and there should be no reluctance to acknowledge the job he has done or his team’s progress to date.
It seems a lifetime ago since there was a huge degree of sympathy when, having led Shels to promotion in 2021, Ian Morris was cast aside with Duff brought in to replace him.
It did not take long for the former winger to repay the faith shown in him, with a run to the FAI Cup final in his first season, European qualification in his second and, now, a title challenge in his third.
They are full value for their six-point lead at the top of the table even if they do not put teams away in the way others might, albeit with considerable less consistency than Shels have displayed.
But they have steadily added quality at the top end of the pitch through Matty Smith, Will Jarvis and Liam Burt, alongside getting the best out of Seán Boyd.
They have provided the flair to unlock opponents at key moments while retaining the defensive solidity which has been a hallmark of the team built by Duff and Joey O’Brien.
Are they the most thrilling and swashbuckling side to have ever graced the League of Ireland? No.
But the measure of any coach is to make a team greater than the sum of the parts and there is no question that is what has been done at Tolka Park.
With all due respect — a horrible phrase, I know — to the players, if you asked any neutral which of the current top three squads you would like to have at your disposal, few would plump for Shels over Rovers or Derry.
But, not unlike Stephen Kenny in his previous clubs, Duff has brought in recruits who might not have even crossed the radar of rivals and raised their games to a level the players themselves might not have thought possible.
LEAVE OPPONENTS BULLIN’
Watching Shels in action this season is like watching a skilled matador expertly sidestepping any damage before going in for the kill.
After Galway United, they have the second-best defensive record.
Three teams — Rovers, Derry and Waterford — have scored more.
Friday was only the second time in their ten wins that their margin of victory was more than one goal.
The first — another 2-0 win, against Bohemians— featured one penalty.
The latest featured two. All taken by Jarvis.
Duff said: “There’s a reason why he’s on penalties.
“If he’s any more laid back, he’d be on the deck. I couldn’t think of anyone better to take it.”
EMBRACES THE CHALLENGE
Tolka chief Duff, it is fair to say, is not laid back.
Based on what we see during and in the immediate aftermath of matches, it is not difficult to imagine what he must be like on the training ground.
His playing career commanded respect but that is easily lost and how often have we seen a fine CV such as his accompanied by a sense of entitlement when it comes to the next phase of a career in football?
Tales abound of illustrious former players who find it hard to conceal their disdain at working with players with inferior ability than they once had.
Duff, in contrast, has relished the challenge of trying to improve them and the buy-in he gets in response is clear.
Which player would not want someone with his career showing an interest in you and a clear capacity to improve you?
When there are shortcomings on that front, the response is savage.
After Shane Farrell was sent off after coming on as a substitute in the previous meeting against Rovers, another manager might have muttered something along the lines about the yellow cards being harsh or the difficulty in getting up to the pace of the game after coming off.
Instead, Farrell was dressed down on live TV for his lifestyle which Duff maintained contributed to the poorly timed tackles.
In case anyone was in any doubt as to what he was getting at, Duff referred to chicken fillet rolls in follow-up interviews.
Boyd — who had been on the receiving end of a similar reprimand on the opening night of the season — spoke of how Farrell would have to take it on the chin and they all knew his criticism came from a place of love.
Almost immediately, a line was drawn under it, with Duff subtly shifting from hands around the throat to an arm around the shoulder but the point was made and, presumably, Farrell thinks twice about approaching the deli counter.
EUROPEAN COMPLICATION
There is no sign of them fading, although Europe — particularly if they progress — will be a test.
They may not have a patch as rough as the recent run of one win, six draws and two defeats in nine games.
But they maintained their lead at the top of the table despite that and have since stretched it out again on the back of three straight wins.
Right now, they are on course for the most unlikely title win since Dundalk — under Duff’s old schoolteacher Dermot Keely — in 1995.
Shels, and the League of Ireland in general, should enjoy him while he lasts because the indications are that, as was the case during his playing career, he is destined to operate on a bigger stage.
If the recruitment process for a new Ireland manager really is still open, as FAI interim CEO David Courell said last week, then there is little point in scouring the world if the answer is already on the association’s doorstep.
Clearly, he would need some convincing because the average bar-room cynic has a higher opinion of the association than Duff has.
And working with someone whose demands leave no room for diplomacy might ruffle some feathers in Abbotstown.
But his statement that he has no interest in filling the vacancy should be put to the test because there should be nothing grudging about the admiration for his body of work to date.