Oliver Wilson took a trip to Craven Cottage to check on the form of Damien Duff.
A star at Blackburn, Newcastle and Chelsea, Damien Duff has always met the high standards demanded of a Premier League winger. His pace and skill have left defenders flailing in his wake, but has age caught up with the 31 year old. On Wednesday I watched Duff show Newcastle that he still has some juice left in his tank.
Time has forced Duff to adapt his game to the one he played in his early 20s. Despite his top speed being clipped, manager Mark Hughes has still found a role for the veteran in his starting eleven. Moving Duff onto the right side of the attack allows him to play slightly deeper supporting role, and takes the pressure off Duff to keep trying to get to the byeline. His quick feet and close control remain as good as ever and he can still make weaving runs inside, slipping between defenders and utilising his skill rather then raw pace to beat his markers.
Skill like this will always lead to goals, and Wednesday saw him finally grab his first of the 2010/11 campaign, latching onto Danny Murphy's long through ball and firing past Steve Harper in the Newcastle goal.
Fulham's right side pairing looks strong and in sync, with John Pantsil's defensive security allowing Duff to push forward without fear yet Duff's deeper role in the attack means support is always close for Pantsil when needed.
With 3 points, a goal to his name and a solid performance, Duff has continued the form that has prompted another international call up and forced Mark Hughes to issue a hands off warning to potential suitors back in January. Duff has the intelligence and adaptability to compensate for his ageing body and right now, he doesn't look like a man who will hanging up his boots any time soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment