THE ATHLETIC’S BRIGHTON REPORTER ANDY NAYLOR GIVES US HIS THOUGHTS ON WHAT SORT OF PLAYER, AND PERSON, WE CAN EXPECT FROM SHANE DUFFY.
What were your initial thoughts when you heard about Shane joining Fulham?
I wasn’t hugely surprised as there had been some talk about it earlier in the summer. You look at his international background and he’s still a very key figure for the Republic of Ireland, so I can’t say I was altogether surprised that one of the teams that have come up have moved for Shane, given his pedigree and his experience at this level.
How would you describe him as a defender?
First and foremost, that’s what Shane is – a defender. If the ball comes into the box, particularly in the air, he’s very strong in that area. That also makes him a threat at the other end as he’s very dangerous at set-plays.
Graham Potter provided a classy statement on Shane when the move was announced – there seems to be a lot of respect there?
Huge respect. He’s never had a bad word to say about Shane. I know from dealing with Shane, and speaking to people around the camp, that he’s a really popular figure. When he wasn’t in the side he never sulked, quite the opposite, he was really supportive of the players who were playing. He’s just a really good character as well, a really strong character to have in the dressing room. You would struggle to hear a bad word said about him. He’s a lovely guy, great to deal with, always friendly, approachable. Really good from a media perspective, he never shied away from speaking, he’d always walk through the mixed zone. He’s not just a big central defender, he’s a big character as well.
How will he fit in at Fulham?
If you look at Shane in terms of position, he’s comfortable on the right side, or sometimes the central one in a three. In a four he’d usually be on the right, with Lewis Dunk left. I think for a side coming up into the division, he ticks a lot of boxes.
What does a good season look like for Shane and for Fulham?
For Shane, it’s minutes, game time. At this stage of his career, particularly with the international situation – like I say, he’s an important figure for the Republic of Ireland, and he’ll want to remain so – and it’s going to help if he’s playing regularly at club level. So the more minutes he’s on the pitch, the better.
For Fulham, I would say 17th! The reason I say that is I believe the gap is growing year on year between the Championship and the Premier League. Financially it’s getting more difficult for Championship clubs to be able to compete once they come up, so sadly – and reluctantly – I predicted all three to go straight back down. But I will say this – I think Fulham have got the best chance. I’m not just saying that because of the [Liverpool] result. I like Marco Silva, and they’ve got Mitrović. They have got a striker who is a big goal threat. So I would give them a chance, but when you’re coming up from the Championship, just staying up in that first season has to be the priority.
