Damien Duff Hangs Up His Boots

[Pedro]

1 hour ago, bluebruce said:

Shearer being positive about us is a (relatively) recent thing. For many years he seemed, to me, to act like we hadn't happened. That hurt me, as he was pretty much my hero. It seemed like he changed his attitude to us around about the time he had the street named after him.

I think the reasoning is that he was hurt by the way some fans turned on him after he left. Which I can understand, though I also know why fans were hurt in the first place given his misleading comments prior to leaving. The street thing probably showed him that he was still very highly thought of here.

For quite some time, the Rovers fans were horrible towards Shearer after he left. I think it was a cup game when he first returned and he was almost in tears during his interview post match - it may have been through anger but he was visibly shaken. I really regretted giving him stick that evening and it was only due to pure jealousy.  I have nothing but respect for him now I've grown up.

[Mattyblue]

2 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

At least 7 of them were well past their best when Duff played with them. 

I don't think he has anything against rovers. He's just kind of a subdued guy. He doesn't really get excited about anything. He never mentions Chelsea either and he won the league there. 

Where they hell.

Cole and Yorke at a push. He made his debut for us in 1997 remember.

[bazza]

1 hour ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Dougie thought Fred Pickering was better.

Dougie didn't play with Shearer?

[tomphil]

4 hours ago, blueboy3333 said:

I think the boos he got when he returned to Ewood for the 1st time upset him. He said 'That's me done with Blackburn' after that. I suppose time's a great healer. 

Tony Parkes testimonial healed the rift I think both sides had got over it by then and where ready to embrace each other again. He was visibly moved by the reception he got that night.

[Oldgregg86]

2 hours ago, bazza said:

Dougie didn't play with Shearer?

he wasn't better than shearer and I can say that confidently without ever seeing so much as a picture of fred pickering

[bluebruce]

2 minutes ago, Oldgregg86 said:

he wasn't better than shearer and I can say that confidently without ever seeing so much as a picture of fred pickering

Haha same! I'm sure Pickering was a fantastic player, but was he ever considered the third best player in the whole of world football? Because Big Al was.

[Bigdoggsteel]

4 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Where they hell.

Cole and Yorke at a push. He made his debut for us in 1997 remember.

Who wasn't past their best? 

[AllRoverAsia]

7 hours ago, Oldgregg86 said:

he wasn't better than shearer and I can say that confidently without ever seeing so much as a picture of fred pickering

Just for you.

Sorry its not in colour to show the best blue and white we have ever had.

He was a great CF and so was Big Al

[AllRoverAsia]

posted in error

Edited April 14, 2019 by AllRoverAsia

[arbitro]

7 hours ago, tomphil said:

Tony Parkes testimonial healed the rift I think both sides had got over it by then and where ready to embrace each other again. He was visibly moved by the reception he got that night.

I refereed Tony's testimonial and you are correct. I was stood next to him as the Blackburn End sang the Shearer Wonderland song and he was overwhelmed (well as overwhelmed as somebody as good as him can be ?).

[Mattyblue]

6 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Who wasn't past their best? 

All of them probably bar Yorke, Cole and Hughes.

And even Hughes was still dominating games like the League Cup final and Cole was still a far superior player than Bobby fecking Zamora!

All about opinions obviously, but for him to mention 30 odd players and not to acknowledge a single one from Rovers, but a load from bloody Fulham was just very strange to me.

 

[Bigdoggsteel]

5 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

All of them probably bar Yorke, Cole and Hughes.

And even Hughes was still dominating games like the League Cup final and Cole was still a far superior player than Bobby fecking Zamora!

All about opinions obviously, but for him to mention 30 odd players and not to acknowledge a single one from Rovers, but a load from bloody Fulham was just very strange to me.

 

That Fulham team got to the uefa Cup final. 

It would have been good if he mentioned a rovers player for sure, but he played with a lot of world class players. At least he didn't name Danny Murphy

[Mattyblue]

His players, so he knows best. I just found it very strange that not a single Rovers player even had a mention in passing.

He played in some fantastic sides here.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, Mattyblue said:

His players, so he knows best. I just found it very strange that not a single Rovers player even had a mention in passing.

He played in some fantastic sides here.

He did, but they weren't league winning sides, so I'm yet to see  Friedel aside, a player who he definitely should have put in. 

[Mattyblue]

Neither were the Ireland players or Fulham ones world beaters. Which makes it subjective, so he’s made his choice not to consider a Rovers player.

Edited April 14, 2019 by Mattyblue

[Oldgregg86]

34 minutes ago, AllRoverAsia said:

Just for you.

Sorry its not in colour to show the best blue and white we have ever had.

He was a great CF and so was Big Al

Out of interest who would you say was the better and how close where they in talent.

Is anyone going to come on and say he was better than shearer out of interest .

The fact this is even being mentioned means he was some player

[tomphil]

1 hour ago, arbitro said:

I refereed Tony's testimonial and you are correct. I was stood next to him as the Blackburn End sang the Shearer Wonderland song and he was overwhelmed (well as overwhelmed as somebody as good as him can be ?).

It was an emotional night all around that was as a fan it's not often you remember testimonials but that'll always stick in the memory. A night for true Rovers and one only diehards of clubs understand, nearly 14k on ?   and no actual opposition !

[Bigdoggsteel]

47 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Neither were the Ireland players or Fulham ones world beaters. Which makes it subjective, so he’s made his choice not to consider a Rovers player.

Well there is the team.

2 Fulham players who have had top level Premier league careers. All the Irish players had top Premier league careers. Dunne probably is the most controversial, but he was immense for Ireland. 

You tell me the rovers players he played with that make that team. 

I think you have the blue and white tinted spectacles on

[Mattyblue]

Henning Berg or Colin Hendry over Dunne. 

He briefly played with Le Saux, who was a far better left back than Ian Harte!

Andy Cole as his ‘sub’ over Bobby Zamora.

Tugay over Dembele

Friedel over Schwarzer.

By the way, I wasn’t particularly arsed about the team itself, sure there was some close calls, he’s played with some top players and as I said It’s all subjective.

More that he rattled through numerous names for every position before choosing one and not a single Rovers player was even mentioned. Not about ‘Rovers glasses’, just a very stark omission.

Edited April 14, 2019 by Mattyblue

[Stuart]

Just now, Mattyblue said:

Henning Berg or Colin Hendry over Dunne. 

He briefly played with Le Saux, who was a far better left back than Harte!

Andy Cole as his ‘sub’ over Bobby Zamora.

Tugay over Dembele

Friedel over Schwarzer.

By the way, I wasn’t particularly arsed about the team itself, sure there was some close calls, he’s played with some top players. More that he rattled through numerous names for every position before choosing one and not a single Rovers player was even mentioned. Not about ‘Rovers glasses’, just a very stark omission.

? 

Friedel was one of the all-time best goalkeepers in the top flight. Holds the record for most consecutive matches, 310. Would have been more but he was randomly and politically dropped for Lloris for one match at Spurs by Villas-Boas. Numpty.

[Reedy You're A Star]

Surely David Dunn, Matt Jansen or Tugay should've had a mention? Bobby Zamora.. Jansen had more talent in his big toe.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

2 hours ago, Oldgregg86 said:

Out of interest who would you say was the better and how close where they in talent.

Is anyone going to come on and say he was better than shearer out of interest .

The fact this is even being mentioned means he was some player

Speaking from the lofty position of someone who actually saw both of them play in their prime -

Fred had a fantastic shot in both feet and he was also a very good header of the ball. He was very nimble for a big man with good close control, he could go past players on either side with clever ball skills as well as sheer strength. On the down side he had off days when he wasn't as effective for whatever reason. I think some players in those days didn't take the game as seriously as they do today. You could earn as much if you had a decent job in industry in those days. Also you've got to remember that Fred had Andy McEvoy playing along side him and Bryan Douglas providing the ammunition from midfield and two top class wingers putting over a stream of crosses. 

People forget that when we sold him to Everton he went for a record fee between two English clubs. He was that good.

Alan wasn't as nimble as Fred, he could run past people and sometimes run through people but he wasn't noted for his dribbling skills. He was strong and aggressive at all times.  He had a terrific right foot shot but his left foot wasn't a strong point. He was one of the best crossers of a ball off that right foot I've ever seen.  For someone who wasn't as tall as Fred he was just as good a header of the ball. Where Alan has it over Fred is he never went missing in a game. You knew that we might be under the cosh and he hadn't had much of the ball for ages but just give him one good ball and he would make something of it.

Ability wise there isn't a lot to chose between the two, it's the mental toughness side of Shearers game that would lead me to say, much as I loved Fred, Shearer would be my No 1 choice as a striker for Rovers. I've often wondered how many goals Alan would have got in the forward line that Fred played in !

Edited April 14, 2019 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[tomphil]

10 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Who wasn't past their best? 

You mean you don't think Yorke peaked at Rovers ?  ?

[Bigdoggsteel]

3 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Henning Berg or Colin Hendry over Dunne. 

He briefly played with Le Saux, who was a far better left back than Ian Harte!

Andy Cole as his ‘sub’ over Bobby Zamora.

Tugay over Dembele

Friedel over Schwarzer.

By the way, I wasn’t particularly arsed about the team itself, sure there was some close calls, he’s played with some top players and as I said It’s all subjective.

More that he rattled through numerous names for every position before choosing one and not a single Rovers player was even mentioned. Not about ‘Rovers glasses’, just a very stark omission.

You could make the case for Berg, but Hendry was well past his best when Duff played with him. 

Le saux, sure, but as you say he barely played with him(if he did at all). Harte did start left back in a team that almost won the premier league and also got to a champions league semi. He was a good left back, savage set piece delivery, he was just a bit slow. 

Andy Cole, ya, you could make that case but zamora did play well when Duff was there and they did make a uefa cup final. I'm surprised Cole didn't get a mention. It looked like they linked up really well together. 

Tugay over Demebele, absolutely , although I'm sure many would disagree. Literally completely opposite types of player. 

Friedel over Schawrzer, deffo. 

It is disappointing he didn't mention rovers players, but some of the better ones he either played with very little or were past his best when he did. 

I actually think he could and should have stuck Jansen in there over Villa. Jansen was in his prime when Duff played with him, at a much better standard than he played with Villa. 

I would like to hear him speak in more detail about his time at Rovers. It's where he made his name and got the move of his life from. 

Edited April 14, 2019 by Bigdoggsteel

[AllRoverAsia]

1 hour ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Speaking from the lofty position of someone who actually saw both of them play in their prime -

Fred had a fantastic shot in both feet and he was also a very good header of the ball. He was very nimble for a big man with good close control, he could go past players on either side with clever ball skills as well as sheer strength. On the down side he had off days when he wasn't as effective for whatever reason. I think some players in those days didn't take the game as seriously as they do today. You could earn as much if you had a decent job in industry in those days. Also you've got to remember that Fred had Andy McEvoy playing along side him and Bryan Douglas providing the ammunition from midfield and two top class wingers putting over a stream of crosses. 

People forget that when we sold him to Everton he went for a record fee between two English clubs. He was that good.

Alan wasn't as nimble as Fred, he could run past people and sometimes run through people but he wasn't noted for his dribbling skills. He was strong and aggressive at all times.  He had a terrific right foot shot but his left foot wasn't a strong point. He was one of the best crossers of a ball off that right foot I've ever seen.  For someone who wasn't as tall as Fred he was just as good a header of the ball. Where Alan has it over Fred is he never went missing in a game. You knew that we might be under the cosh and he hadn't had much of the ball for ages but just give him one good ball and he would make something of it.

Ability wise there isn't a lot to chose between the two, it's the mental toughness side of Shearers game that would lead me to say, much as I loved Fred, Shearer would be my No 1 choice as a striker for Rovers. I've often wondered how many goals Alan would have got in the forward line that Fred played in !

I was hoping for your informed opinion. I saw Fred play live but nowhere near as much as you must have, living as I did quite a distance from Blackburn and just a kid with no brass. In my mind I had gone for Big Al.

Good you gave a mention to Andy McEvoy, a particular favourite of mine.