In a league which has been nothing but unpredictable, Damien Duff's resignation as Shelbourne manager still managed to land like a sledgehammer.
The news arrived without warning and with an abruptness that caught even the most plugged-in League of Ireland watchers off guard.
It wasn’t just the exit itself, but the timing - sudden, mid-season, mid-project – that left us all surprised and speculation swirling.
For me, it was a shock. A complete one. And while some point toward his post-match comments after the 1-0 defeat to Derry City last Friday as the moment of reckoning, I don’t quite buy that narrative.
Yes, he questioned the team’s preparation. Yes, he lamented a lack of leadership. But there was no finger-pointing, no throwing of individuals under the bus.
Duff has said stronger things in past interviews. In this instance, it read more as frustration from a manager who sets exceptionally high standards, rather than the final mutterings of a man preparing to walk away.
It’s worth remembering just how far Duff brought Shelbourne. Progression was clear year-on-year. He inherited a club scraping along and left them as Champions and on the brink of something more.
This season they were no longer labelled as simply hard to beat, they were evolving.
Especially at times earlier in this campaign, they looked their most complete iteration under his watch, compact when needed, but also braver in possession, less reliant on second balls and set-pieces.
The 2-2 draw in Tallaght against Shamrock Rovers stands out. They didn’t just cling on, they played. They mixed it up. They took it to them and, for spells, controlled the game.
Of course, the progression wasn’t mirrored by results in recent weeks.
Like a lot of teams, they fell victim to injuries to key men.
Paddy Barrett’s absence robbed them of leadership. Gannon too. Boyd has been far from full tilt. Daniel Kelly, another who could stretch teams, has barely featured.
Even Mark Coyle, so pivotal to Duff’s side, found himself drafted into an unfamiliar centre-back role due to a lack of options. Tyreke Wilson also missed crucial periods early on. These aren’t excuses – they’re the context Duff was managing within.
From a tactical point of view, the shift to a more possession-based approach this season was bold. The problem? The timing coincided with a tough injury crisis.
The right idea was there, but the rewards weren’t. For all the frustration, it felt like they were only two or three smart signings away from being a real force in the league.
That’s why, more than anything, the resignation felt like the plug being pulled just as the kettle was beginning to boil.
But perhaps that’s the point.
Being "all in", as Duff always has been, takes its toll.
Football management, in any league, is not a job you can compartmentalise. And Duff never did.
He wore his passion for Shelbourne like a badge, often visibly pained on the touchline, unfiltered in interviews, deeply invested in the smallest of details of club and player development. This wasn’t a hobby for him. This was life.
That kind of intensity, when sustained, is draining. During my own playing days, I remember my wife sitting me down during a frustrating spell and making me realise how much I was bringing home with me.
I had to adjust. Duff, perhaps, has reached that very same junction, not just a professional tipping point, but a personal one.
And it’s that human element I keep circling back to. We’re hearing all sorts of theories this week, emotional burnout, something lined up abroad amongst other rumours but until Duff himself speaks, it’s all speculation.
What we do know is that Shelbourne, the league, and Irish football as a whole were better with him in it.
His presence wasn’t just felt in Tolka Park. It echoed across the league. His demands forced standards to rise.
His voice carried when he called for academy investment and on matters of importance.
He brought attention to the league from people who might never have looked twice. He cared - fiercely.
And that, above all, is why this feels like a loss.
There’s part of me that hopes he comes back soon, perhaps even to Shelbourne.
But a bigger part of me hopes he’s OK. That he’s taken this step not because of defeat or disillusionment but because he recognised something in himself that needed protecting.
The League of Ireland has lost one of its most compelling characters – for now at least.
And if it truly is the end of the road, not just a pitstop, then all that’s left is to say thank you.
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