SHANE DUFFY

BRENTFORD away in March seems a long time ago. Back then Shane Duffy’s standing among supporters could not be higher.

After a good season for his club there was then reflected pride in his performances for his country at Euro 2016.

But, providing he remains at Ewood Park beyond the weekend, Duffy will have it all to do to regain the affection of the fans after producing one of the most catastrophic individual displays witnessed in a Rovers shirt.

His second and third own goals in the space of 47 minutes of football were bad enough.

But, frustrated with his own performance and his own situation or not, there was no excusing his ridiculous and reckless decision to kick the ball at a Cardiff player and earn himself a second yellow card. It was a shameful way to end an already ignominious night.
 

THE PERFORMANCE

MANAGERS and players attempt to pick out positives from any game and, after seeing his side slump to a third straight Championship loss, Owen Coyle pointed to the fact that Rovers did show a bit of fight in the second half and that they did set up a late rally.

Both were valid assertions but, for the third league match running, their first-half showing was nowhere near the required standard.

Yes for 14 minutes they were compact and got men behind the ball but from the moment Duffy started his one-man demolition job on his own team Rovers were dreadful until their manager sent them out early for the start of the second half.

Cardiff, who incredibly have still yet to score a goal via one of their own players this season, were nothing special and did not look a patch on Norwich City or even Wigan Athletic.

But they had the chances to put the outcome beyond doubt long before Danny Graham grabbed his first goal of the campaign.

Lancashire Telegraph:

PICK PLAYERS WHO WANT TO BE HERE

DUFFY and Ben Marshall clearly do not want to be at Rovers and, if they do, they are going a funny way about showing it. Other players look unhappy too with Anthony Stokes, like Graham at Wigan, heading straight down the tunnel after being substituted.

Coyle has inherited a myriad of problems but, as he admitted afterwards, it is his job to sift through them and it is job to put out a team that can do the Rovers supporters proud. That has not happened so far.

Unless a new signing is made before 12noon tomorrow Scott Wharton will make his debut against Burton Albion. Why not throw Connor Mahoney in too? The only way we will discover if they are ready for this level is by giving them a go and, at the very least, as Rovers supporters who grew up in the area, they will give their all.

Damningly the same cannot be said about some of their more experienced team-mates at this moment in time.