THE JOKE during his three-and-a-half-year reign was that the club had been renamed Damien Duff’s Shelbourne.
But the effort to move on at Tolka Park is well underway ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League clash against Linfield.
In a 20-minute Press conference during which they were asked about Duff several times, his replacement Joey O’Brien and captain Mark Coyle did not refer to him by name once.
And Coyle spoke of a ‘recharge’ since Duff’s former assistant O’Brien stepped up to take charge following Duff’s shock resignation 16 days ago.
Coyle said: “Look, it’s obviously a new era. Our new gaffer is sitting beside me. And I just think that’s what we’re focused on, making new memories.
“And that’s basically what we’re excited for. And there’s definitely been a recharge, you could say, or a change. And we’re just looking forward to it now.”
Asked about the morale in the camp since O’Brien took the reins, the Donegal man added: “It’s been very good. Obviously, it’s been addressed that we obviously have huge respect and love for the ex-manager.
“But as I said now, we’re excited for the new era, the gaffer here. It’s been great. He’s put his own stamp on things. And you can see that around the ground.”
O’Brien has a fully fit squad to choose from in what is the first All-Ireland Champions League clash since Shels easily defeated Glentoran in 2004.
And the ex-Ireland international insisted not that much was different despite his promotion.
He said: “To be honest, a lot has changed but a lot hasn’t changed, really. It’s still the same sort of thing; I’m coaching everyday, I’m out on the pitch everyday.
“I had a great relationship with the manager before, I would have had a lot of say in a lot of meetings, I would have taken a lot of meetings.
“So in a way a lot has changed, but in a strange way nothing really has changed, if you know what I mean.
“I pick the team now, I suppose, but again I’m picking the team with the staff and previously I was helping the manager pick the team.
“I’ve obviously got a personal relationship with the manager, he’s a friend of mine, so as I said before, I think we’ll be friends forever.”
