Duff starts as he means to continue ... with a bang

BANG. Things are worst than we thought. Damien Duff, the player a nation expects to stroll through the best defences in the world, can’t even evade the large FAI hoarding that decorated every press conference in Izumo.

Duff took his seat sheepishly, trying to suppress a giggle as FAI officials worked furiously to repair the damage done to their advert. What would they do? Whenever Duffer answered a question telly-land wouldn’t be reminded of the Euro 2008 bid.