[Albion] "What the hell have we signed Duffy for?"

Bozza · Oct 31, 2016

A running theme of both pre- and post-match conversations on Saturday concerned the signing of Shane Duffy.

Almost exclusively people confessed that when we signed him, there was a fair amount of "WTF?" thoughts.

We had Lewis Dunk, Connor Goldson and the BFG. Sure, we needed a fourth centre-back but a relatively junior back-up was what most thought we'd be aiming for. Then, out of the blue, we break our transfer record to bring in a largely well-regarded international. What was that all about?

Fifteen games in, it's become abundantly clear. Duffy is an absolute monster and the Albion have the best defence in the Football League (Premier League clubs have only played 10 games to date) and we have more clean sheets than anyone else anywhere.

Well played Messrs Hughton, Winstanley et al.

Medwayseagull · Oct 31, 2016

Particularly funny that a number of Blackburn fans thought we had been mugged on the transfer fee and offered to drive him down themselves.

Buzzer · Oct 31, 2016

I'm not suggesting it for a minute but if we sold him now for double what we bought him for I'd think that was below his value. He's 24 and a full international, he can also score goals and is unbeatable in the air.

Giraffe · Oct 31, 2016

Was saying the very same just now. Must be the best centre back pairing we have had for a very long time. I am struggling to remember a better one. Foster/Stevens (when he played there). Foster/Lawrenson? Was that ever a thing?

Duffy is worth every penny we spent on him and Dunk must be the best up and coming centre half England has. If he was playing in the Premier League he would have been called into the England squad by now.

casbom · Oct 31, 2016

I think peoples judgement was clouded by what was happening with him at Blackburn. Luckily our scouting dept didn't take much notice of that and looked at what he did in the Euros and also last season.

He has some brilliant attributes as well which leads to me think he might take over from Bruno as captain next year.

DFL JCL · Oct 31, 2016

strengthen from a position of strength. Obviously Murray was always going to get MoM on Saturday, but Duffy was absolutely outstanding.

spence · Oct 31, 2016

Not me. It was plainly obvious we needed another CB after Greer left and yet many on here couldn't see it

Easy 10 · Oct 31, 2016

Buzzer said:
I'm not suggesting it for a minute but if we sold him now for double what we bought him for I'd think that was below his value. He's 24 and a full international, he can also score goals and is unbeatable in the air.

*cough* Preston *cough

Agree with the OP though, he has been an immense signing for us. He looked a little shaky the first couple of games, but now he's settled in and has adapted to our system, he has been absolutely outstanding next to Dunk. I very much doubt there is a better CB pairing in the division, and with Goldson / Hunemeir as backup, we have an embarrassment of riches now in that most vital of positions.

Withdean11 · Oct 31, 2016

Superb signing. Along with Dunk who has seemed to now be rid of the head fart moments, we probably have the two best centre backs in the league who compliment each other so well. Duffy wins EVERYTHING in the air.

And lets not forget Goldson and Uwe who are both more than capable of slotting it. Exciting times.

spence · Oct 31, 2016

What worries me and still does is only having 3 strikers at the club. We have been lucky so far with injuries and suspensions. This really needs addressing in Jan. Can't afford to take another 20 or so games gamble on just 3

Normski1989 · Oct 31, 2016

Completely agree. I didn't see the need to spend so much on an established CB at the time. But Duffy and Dunk have become a formidable partnership and are both unbeatable in the air. He's looking like an absolute bargain based on the way he's been performing.

Thunder Bolt · Oct 31, 2016

spence said:
Not me. It was plainly obvious we needed another CB after Greer left and yet many on here couldn't see it

I agree. I said that our defence cost us promotion, as we'd scored as many, if not more goals than Boro or Burnley. I know Goldson did well when Greer was injured, but we still needed 4 CBs.

stss30 · Oct 31, 2016

I never argued with the decision unlike many. You need strength in depth in all positions. Yes it was quite a steep price but it was our defence that let us down last season ultimately. Especially our defending of set pieces that Duffy has improved no end.

Ernest · Oct 31, 2016

I said at the time he was a GOOD signing and you could see he just needed training time to get up to speed, others though felt the need to MOAN and criticise. The same with Glenn Murray and MOCKING his goal scoring record, look at the top scorer chart. The FACTS never LIE

GT49er · Oct 31, 2016

spence said:
Not me. It was plainly obvious we needed another CB after Greer left and yet many on here couldn't see it

I think we all knew we needed a replacement for Greer. However, with Dunk and Goldson imperious, and the BFG excellent back-up, most of us were expecting the club to go for a reliable fourth CB, not to splash a club record on a defender (who was playing shockingly at Blackburn!) who would be a first choice. The doubts felt about the price paid were exacerbated by the feeling that we were blowing money that should have been spent on that elusive second striker/number 10.

spence · Oct 31, 2016

GT49er said:
I think we all knew we needed a replacement for Greer. However, with Dunk and Goldson imperious, and the BFG excellent back-up, most of us were expecting the club to go for a reliable fourth CB, not to splash a club record on a defender (who was playing shockingly at Blackburn!) who would be a first choice. The doubts felt about the price paid were exacerbated by the feeling that we were blowing money that should have been spent on that elusive second striker/number 10.

Trust me there were plenty on here said we didn't need another CB. Can't be arsed to look for that thread

Triggaaar · Oct 31, 2016

Medwayseagull said:
Particularly funny that a number of Blackburn fans thought we had been mugged on the transfer fee and offered to drive him down themselves.

Just like some of our fans offered to drive Dunk to Fulham. Yet these fans still claim to know about football.

Thunder Bolt · Oct 31, 2016

stss30 said:
I never argued with the decision unlike many. You need strength in depth in all positions. Yes it was quite a steep price but it was our defence that let us down last season ultimately. Especially our defending of set pieces that Duffy has improved no end.

That's the key. As good as Greer was for us whilst he was here, he rarely won anything in the air. It's no coincidence that Dunk doesn't feel the need to dive in with last ditch reckless tackles now the back 4 are reliable (hoping that isn't famous last words for the Bristol game).

Iggle Piggle · Oct 31, 2016

The Newcastle away game I got a sinking feeling that we'd signed a dud. Very nice to be proved completely wrong and a ringing endorsement of the training methods in use to get so much out so quickly. Whilst we had a pretty good defence last year, we went through a phase around Christmas of conceding numerous headed goals especially from set pieces. The end of the Burnley game was another example where we effectively conceded 2 (including the goal that never was) as Burnley turned on the hoof ball. The addition of Duffy as well Murray (his role in the air defensively has always been superb) seems to have tighten up an already solid defence.

Compare our transfer policy to Villa. McCormack £11M, Elphick 3M, James Chester 8M and Kodjia (15m). Sure it helps to have Parachute money behind you but it just goes to show money isn't everything. None of those players will be sold for more money than they paid and Elphick and Chester would be 5th and 6th choice CB's if they came here. The club has received a lot of stick in years gone by on transfers (Burke etc). I was one of the people slagging them off when we signed some Spanish nobody on the last day of the window under Garcia. We've moved on light years since then.

Triggaaar · Oct 31, 2016

spence said:
We have been lucky so far with injuries and suspensions.

Eh? I guess you must be just taking about strikers, but I don't see how we've been lucky with suspensions - why should any of them have been suspended?

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[Albion] "What the hell have we signed Duffy for?"

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