New front men could give United an extra air of confidence
AS PART of a side that continues to struggle, Mark Duffy is still acclimatising to Scunthorpe United's plight.
Luck, form and confidence desert relegation threatened sides, with the 24-year-old more accustomed to finishing on the winning team after quitting a Morecambe squad who, when he played, had won four of their last five games prior to his departure.
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CHANGING FACES: New Iron winger Mark Duffy takes on United old boy Andy Dawson during Saturday's derby against Hull at Glanford Park. Picture: Carl Gac.
Duffy played a big part in the Shrimps' good form, with his silky skills unlocking defences across League Two.
But, in stark contrast, the tricky midfielder has had little chance to show off his talents in the relegation scrap his current club find themselves in.
It is a scenario that is unlikely to change this season, with the winger calling for his Iron team-mates to win ugly because, simply, any win will do.
"It is a bad run we are in but all the lads have got to stick together," Duffy told the Telegraph.
"We have just got to try and get three points no matter what.
"We need to fight, scrap and kick – we have got be a bit more nasty.
"I think we have got enough of a ruthless streak.
"We just need a bit of luck, a ball to break our way, end up in the back of the net, get a win and put ourselves on a bit of a run.
"Obviously the league doesn't lie, we are down there for a reason. We have just got to fight our way out of it."
Iron boss Ian Baraclough has been frustrated by a lack of striking options for most of the campaign.
But with Lee Miller and Joe Garner arriving on loan, Duffy believes a more vibrant attacking United side could emerge, and breathe new confidence into the club.
That though will only come after more time on the training ground.
"We need to know what type of game each other likes to play," added Duffy.
"It is just something we need to work on a bit more on the training ground which we have been doing anyway – we just need to take it on to the pitch.
"Football is football, no matter where you go.
"If you are top of the league, the flicks and tricks go for you.
"If you are down at the bottom it doesn't seem to come off.
"The gaffer has brought a lot of players in so I think the new ones have done well to adapt.
"It is just a few mistakes that are costing us goals. It is not that we are not creating and not playing well.
"If we cut out or errors I think we will be okay."
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by BRIAN, BARTON
Thursday, February 10 2011, 12:22AM
“1500club, Lincs
You are correct in everything that you have written.
We cannot blame the players, it is 100% a management problem, starting with Wharton and the so called Board.
This season, they have shown no interest whatsoever in helping the club to stay in the Championship, they have not spent a penny on the embarrasing ground we have, the guy with the mic is a joke, car parking would be ten times easier without those dudes controlling it, the scoreboard is 25 years out of date (see other grounds), we season ticket holders are still peering round support columns trying to see variouse parts of the ground, the bar could make more profit, kids are running the cafe, and obtaining tickets for non season ticket holders is a nightmare. The club is being run like a League Two outfit, and next season we will lose the League and TV money, but we shall still lose £450,000 at the end of the year, just like the past ten seasons, so like the Board are thinking, why bother.
Just a pointer, Mark Duffy is the one breath of fresh air that has arrived at the club, too good for our club.”
by Dan, Scunny
Wednesday, February 09 2011, 8:58PM
“Club 1500 I would just point out purely that if you think football is about any of those things then you are misguided. Footbal is purely about money now. Just look at the players who have withdrawn from the England squad- purely to protect their careers so they can have a longer professional career and therefore get more money. Tevez being the best example sent home from his club because his attitude wasn't right (see teletext for more info). Wayne Rooney and the contract dibacle. Numerous people who have left our club over the years for a bigger pay packet e.g. Andy Butler.”
by steve, birmingham
Wednesday, February 09 2011, 7:14PM
“Why not try and see if we could get Will Hoskins on loan with a possible full move at the end of the season ? i see he banged in 3 more goals in the last 2 games again and the rovers still loose.
Has Josh Wright withdrawn his request to leave so he can play so some one will take him at the end of the season because no one seems to want him or even on a loan and it wasn't for his dad plastering it all over the place, if he is that serious why not extend his contract to prove that he really wants to stay a iron player”
by Eddie Murphy, Beverley Hills
Wednesday, February 09 2011, 5:18PM
“He's supposedly off to Newcastle. Make of that what you will!”
by talking, sense
Wednesday, February 09 2011, 4:26PM
“Can someone tell me why out of contract big frontman Shefki Kuqi hasn't been brought to the club?”
by Mike, Scunthorpe
Wednesday, February 09 2011, 3:47PM
“1500.
Not so successful - yet - this season.”
by 1500club, Lincs
Wednesday, February 09 2011, 2:09PM
“Mike - we've had a successful side for five years...it's about time the club caught up.”
by Mike, Scunthorpe
Wednesday, February 09 2011, 1:34PM
“Money spent on a winning and successful team/club before a new ground.”
by 1500club, Lincs
Wednesday, February 09 2011, 12:35PM
“I cant think of another job in football whereby the manager not be under pressure...I like Baraclough and I believe he is his man etc but Saturdays tactics were farcical - to lose by four goals at home, when being the dominant team was shocking.
The worst is yet to come - for all you new fans, if you think it's poor being the smallest/cheapest/tin pot outfit in the NPC, wait till we are the smallest/cheapest/tin pot outfit in League two.
Despite falling lucky with Adkins, having the greatest team in living Iron history the board alone has ruined the club by not pushing us on, when in a position of stregnth...next year (whatever league we are in) we'll be on 2,000 season ticket holders and averaging 3,000 crowds because no one really wants to support a club that has no pride, belief, direction or SOUL.
Presiding over a small club, investing little and not having the charisma to draw flies to a dump is no way to progress...it may impress the local rotary club but at professional level there isnt a member of our board with any experience in football let alone business credentials of worth to SUFC - I've seen more life in a tramps vest than our directors since we started losing. PATHETIC - THE PLAYERS ARE LEFT TO TAKE THE PRESSURE IN THE PRESS.
The biggest leagacy left from our five year GOLDEN blip will be a club no one will touch - the ground, youth system and support base are the ROOT AND BRANCH of any club and ours are still stuck in 1988 and an era when a CASIO ELECTRONIC CALCULATOR SCOREBOARD was cutting edge. he only reason we are 'only' losing a few grand a week is down to not investing in the youth, ground and supoport base - if you dont build new stands, dont compete for youth talent and push to generate an atmosphere/free away busses/marketing/aggrerssive advertising etc then you/we WILL look like a steady club finiancially...a bit like going to Skeggy in a PLASTIC PIG when you have won the lottery....football is about silverware, glory, SOUL, ambition, style, the town, the supporters, atmosphere, passion etc...not 'this' we witness every other Saturday. We need to sort this club out starting with the GWS corner and returning to the 2D Iron fist badge, a proper ground via a few developments and push on and on and on some more and then on some more again - scunny bunny, the mic man all that TAT needs binning .. that rubbish isnt SUFC its GP and thats not even in S'thorpe.
ONE MARK DUFFY - BACK THE TEAM - GLORY GLORY SCUN UTD!
UP THE IRON!”
by mark, messingham
Wednesday, February 09 2011, 9:54AM
“I agree with you Kev, but Baraclot will remain as our manager for the rest of this season and probably next as well. It doesn't matter how dire it becomes Wharton will not replace him.”