Duff working on the little big things to give Shels a fresh edge

Radical change was undertaken during the off-season at Shelbourne's training ground in Clonshaugh.

Manager Damien Duff poses for a portrait during the Shelbourne FC Away Jersey 2025 launch media event at Tolka Park in Dublin. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile

Spring has arrived and so have the improvements that are gradually making Shelbourne’s facilities worthy of champions.

Damien Duff brands them the 'little big things' and Mossy Quinn will escalate them once the former Dublin All-Ireland winner arrives as new chief executive in April.

Ahead of the season curtain-raiser, and next Friday’s televised title defence opener against Derry City, a fresh lick of paint has been applied and guard rails installed at Tolka Park.

More radical change was undertaken during the off-season four miles away at their training ground in Clonshaugh.

Duff wasn’t complaining at his broom cupboard office morphing into a one-stop shop as the epicentre of team operations.

Yet Neil Doyle didn’t just bring €1m of investment when he and his brother Cathal bought into Shels during the season a first league crown in 18 years was secured by the men’s team and their women lifted the FAI Cup.

“Neil and everyone upstairs are brilliant, brilliant people,” stressed Duff.

“There’s a lot of talkers in football but I’m surrounded by doers now.

“Neil felt a bit sorry for us in the last year he’s been in. He, borderline, wouldn’t come into our office.

“Our shipping container is a bedsit, canteen, storage room, physio room, meeting room and many, many other things.

“A kip of a thing but one of the most productive rooms in the world.

“You’re all looking at me, ‘Duffer demands’... the only demands I put is on footballers on the pitch whereas Neil and Luke Byrne (director of football) said: ‘no. we want to make you more productive’.

“So they’ve gutted the shipping container and I’ve a lovely office now. Our meeting room too was gutted – turning it into a very welcoming, inspiring room.

“I go home and work a lot whereas now I want to hang around the AUL more as it’s a welcoming environment to work, as in our office. Little things are big things.” 

Doyle is combining his tech work with deputising while Quinn works out his notice period as Dublin GAA’s commercial manager. Winners drive standards.

“I met Mossy last week and what a brilliant guy,” explained Duff.

“I’m a very simple fella; for me it’s just football and tactics.

There will be of stuff upstairs which Mossy is doing that I won’t understand and have no interest in understanding - contracts and the like.

“But Mossy has more to offer than what he does upstairs. I was picking his brains the other day about players - the great Dublin team and Jim Gavin - how they managed success repeatedly.

“Will I be asking him about deals and commercial stuff? No. Will I be asking him about team management and dressing rooms? Absolutely. I think he’s an immense appointment and a brilliant appointment.” 

On the pitch, their prospects of repeating their title triumph may hinge on how much of Mipo Odubeko’s potential Duff extrapolates.

Main rivals Shamrock Rovers are still in the market for an experienced frontman, Bohemians have taken a punt on offering £10m flop Lys Mousset the responsibility of leading their line, while the Reds are banking on Odubeko to complement Seán Boyd in attack.

Since David Moyes granted Odubeko two West Ham United appearances as an 18-year-old, it’s been a story of frustration.

From Port Vale to Maritimo in Portugal and back to Fleetwood Town, no club has witnessed the firepower which had him bracketed with Troy Parrott from his age group as the pair to watch.

“All I know is that us as staff, one of our main strengths is getting the best out of people, prodding people, figuring them out,” explained Duff about his latest project player.

“You can go on all the Pro Licence courses but they don’t teach you how to get underneath the bonnet.

“I think we’re one of the best, if not the best around, at doing that.

"I could hit you with a list as long as my arm. One who jumps to mind, because he’s a strange cat, is Will Jarvis.

“Mipo is a bit different but I love it.

“He could be an amazing player in this league. It’s not as simple as bring Mipo in and throw him out on the pitch or bring Mipo in and coach him.

“It’s bring Mipo in, coach him but get to the bottom of him. And I’ll sure do that.” 

Another trophy, albeit the President’s Cup, is up for grabs when they host FAI Cup winners Drogheda United tonight.

“I think it's down as a friendly but there is silverware at stake,” noted Duff. “I heard it being called the Super Cup, which sounds a bit sexier. But it's absolutely not a friendly and I'm sure Kevin Doherty won't be treating it as a friendly.

“Drogheda have gone to a full-time set-up and have a top-class coaching staff in Kevin and Daire Doyle. It's a tough, tough game – same as it’s been against them over the last three seasons.”