Damien Duff reckons he will have to calm down to avoid the wrath of the FAI’s disciplinary arm.
The former Ireland international picked up a yellow card towards the end of Shelbourne’s 1-1 draw with Dundalk last Friday night.
It came as confusion reigned over whether referee Derek Tomney had awarded the Reds a penalty for goalkeeper Nathan Sheppard’s bodycheck on Sean Boyd.
The spot-kick was given, but only after Tomney consulted with assistant referee Michelle O’Neill.
By then, however, Duff had remonstrated too much for the fourth official’s liking - and he called over the man in the middle, who showed the 100-cap star the first caution of his senior managerial career.
“I didn't know what the confusion was over, that's why I got emotional and animated,” said Duff.
“Going forward I probably need to change, but listen, I'm emotional, it's who I am. I don't want to change, but I might have to look at it.”
The former Chelsea winger added that he wouldn’t fine himself for the booking - but acknowledged that he would have to fork over some cash to the FAI.
“I think that's more money to the FAI,” he said. “Is that a fine, a yellow card?
“I don't think we got a lot tonight, thankfully we did get the peno.”
He added: “Will I fine myself? Absolutely not. Not when I'm doing the fine lists.
“You can see Joey [O'Brien - assistant manager] reining me back in, Joey's probably the calm in my life and around the football club.
“He's been brilliant along with many others.
“Ah listen, it's probably me needing to calm down but, like I said, it’s who I am.”
If Duff is looking to turn down the temperature, a sold out derby tonight against Bohemians probably isn’t the place for level heads.
He played his last ever game in senior football at Dalymount Park, before bringing the curtain down on his brief spell as a Shamrock Rovers player.
The ground does hold happy memories, however, from his time as an underage international.
Ireland qualified for the 1997 European Under-18 Championships in unusual circumstances at the Phibsborough venue - and went on to finish fourth in the finals in Iceland.
“Yeah, that wasn't a great watch. I wasn't moving too well that night,” he said of his last game before hanging up his boots.
“My fond memories are not going there with Shamrock Rovers, so to speak. It was going there playing for Brian Kerr.
“I think we qualified… by the flip of a coin. It was a three-team tournament [involving Ireland, Denmark and Portugal] and we all drew 1-1.
“One game was 2-2 [between Ireland and Denmark].
“Anyway, I've fond memories of the Brian Kerr days and winning the flip of a coin, qualifying for a European Championships.
“So it's a historic place, I'm looking forward to going there. We sold our away section.
“It's a game that I wouldn't say you have to be up for, but if you're not up for that, you might as well go home.”
Duff, meanwhile, gave his assessment of Shelbourne’s progress five games into the new campaign.
So far they have picked up five points - level with tonight’s opponents, but with a game extra played.
“I'm more than happy,” he said. “Of course, I'm a dreamer. 'We've got a chance of doing this and that.'
“All I've said all along is, 'We have to stay up'. That's the grand plan.
“Ideally, you do it in a nice sophisticated way of playing football, but as you've seen from the goal tonight, it's a bit more industrial.
“But I'm more than happy. I think the lads have been amazing. I just think they're going to get stronger and stronger and feel their way into the league more.”
Meanwhile, Keith Long wants his Bohs players to keep taking risks but admits their game management could be better.
The Gypsies host Shels tonight and are looking to bounce back after losing 1-0 to arch rivals Shamrock Rovers on Friday.
Suspended striker Promise Omochere was a big loss on the night but he returns for this Dalymount Park clash.
But Long was encouraged by the second-half performance in Tallaght and is demanding a response tonight.
The Bohs boss said: “We're a good team with some good players and I'm very confident in the capabilities of this team.
“We can take lots into the Shels game. Shels will play a similar formation, so that was good prep for us in a real game against Shamrock Rovers.
“We were beaten on Friday and will have to lick our wounds a little bit, but not for too long as we have to get ready again.”
And Long has identified the areas for improvement as sixth-placed Bohs look to keep tabs on city slickers Rovers and St Pat’s at the head of affairs.
“We gave the ball away a little too easily in the first-half on Friday, where we could have built and maintained more possession and composure,” he said.
“But there were some positive signs in the first-half, when we got the ball down and passed it with Jordan Flores, Dawson Devoy and Ali Coote.
“They're good technicians and good on the ball but we didn't get Stephen Mallon into the game enough.”
Long added: “We’ve told them to attack the game, take risks, be more positive, take control, pass the ball, be calm in possession and trust their ability to play.
“That final pass, that execution, decision making and game management - that's where we need to improve.
“We need to manage moments in the games better to give us that measure of control.”
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