Stephen Ireland

[eekers]

an alternative view on this whole thing perhaps:

Staunton's Irish squads had no discipline. This led to bullying in the work place - Stephen Ireland could probably make a claim for this in any other profession. Instead he made his bull**** excuses and left. And he hasn't been back since.
The new Trapattoni regime needs to be professional and disciplined (in much the same way capello has set about with his rules and regulations for england). There needs to be an end to the jock culture that led to Stephen Ireland getting his hair raped.

[boovidge]

theres always going to be banter whoever the coach is. What does he expect getting a hair transplant and driving a pink car?

[eekers]

You know rightly if it would of happened in the adult working world, there would be disciplinary action over it. Whereas footballers seem to never grow out of secondary school behaviour.
Its the same reasons that every gay footballer is afraid to come out.

[livehead1]

Its the same reasons that every gay footballer is afraid to come out.

Don't strictly agree. 40,000 fans taking the mick every week is probably more important.

[tricky_colour]

I think they should have sorted out whether he wanted to play before including him in the squad. If he doesn't want to play there is going to be a lot of
unhelpfull 'crap' bandied about that could easilly have been avoided, which
is not going to be very good for Ireland, or indeed Ireland.
I do hope it has been sorted out, but it does not look as if it has.

[jmurphyc]

I remember there about 2/3 years ago when all of Frances retired stars started to come out of retirement, sometime maybe last year i remembered hearing Makelele saying that he did'nt want to play, but there he was in the squads.
My first impression was ''stop talking **** why would you be there then'' it emerged then that if he did'nt turn up he'd recieve a domestic ban, i found this shocking to say the least that he was been forced against his own will to play since Domenech woud'nt take his retirement wish and leave him be!. A stupid rule, but 99% of managers won't force it upon players and accept there wishes

If he did decide to retire i think he should be called up anyway but never played, just made go with the team, that would really get up his nose!!

Actually I don't remember exactly what went on with Makelele but from what I heard he wanted to return and Domenech wanted him to return but Mourinho didn't and Domenech and himself decided that he should just be called up so that he couldn't refuse. That's not exactly what happened but it's something along those lines. I certainly wouldn't liken Ireland's case to Makelele's, especially considering Makelele only retired the once and there have been multiple mishaps concerning Ireland.

[dr_peepee]

No problem with Trap talking to him when he shows up to join the squad. What Trap or Brady must not do is go to Manchester chasing after him. Ireland has been picked for the squad to travel to Portugal. Either he turns up, travels and stays with the squad until the Columbia game is played or he fu*ks off with himself for good. Last chance saloon.

Exactly my sentiments....

He did mention on MOTD after scoring a screamer for city a few months ago about it being one of the many highs in his including playing for his country. That plus his spat with Givens indicates he wants to play... I think it's tabloid rubbish to be honest.

But he's named. Either he shows or he doesn't. Doesn't get any more black or white...

[Superhoops]

You know rightly if it would of happened in the adult working world, there would be disciplinary action over it.....

I would love to see Ireland taking his case to an Employment Tribunal.I am sure he would be laughed out of it.

[back of the net]

Emmet Malone in the Irish Times isn't normally the type to write stories without substance and his take on it is:

Ireland's return to Irish squad in doubt

EMMET MALONE, Soccer Correspondent

STEPHEN IRELAND'S anticipated return to the Republic of Ireland set-up for the training camp in Portugal next month and the friendly internationals against Serbia and Colombia is in serious doubt with the 21-year-old player said to be considering retiring from international football on a permanent basis.

The midfielder is said to have reacted coolly to the news he had been included in Giovanni Trapattoni's preliminary squad of 40 and Liam Brady's comments last week that he would be amongst the travelling party of 28 players unless he indicated he did not want to travel.

Sources close to the player have indicated he will meet Trapattoni in order to discuss the situation when the Italian formally takes on the job in May. However, the feeling amongst those around him is the most likely outcome of the talks at this stage is an announcement that the Manchester City player - who has scored four goals in six appearances for his country - will not be returning to the squad.

Such a decision would provide another remarkable twist to his colourful international career. Back in October 2002 he was told by Brian Kerr, the then Irish Youths manager, he would never call him up again after he reacted to being omitted from two European Championship qualifiers by requesting to be allowed return to his club rather than stay in Cork for the mini-tournament's third game.

Ireland subsequently vowed never to play again for Kerr and, sure enough, it was under Steve Staunton he graduated to the senior Irish squad. After his debut against Sweden he made quite an impact, scoring a number of very important goals. But he subsequently secured his release from the squad before last September's game against the Czech Republic in Prague by first claiming his maternal grandmother had died, then that his paternal grandmother had, and finally that these stories had been concocted so he could travel back to his girlfriend who, he said, had had a miscarriage.

It subsequently emerged Ireland was unhappy at the reaction of some other squad members to what appeared to have been a hair transplant. On the night before the Slovakia game a small number of players had apparently held him down and tugged at the hair, severely upsetting Ireland in the process.

It is this incident some team officials have privately admitted to believing is behind his reluctance to return to the squad. Nevertheless, when Don Givens derided him for his attitude when announcing his squad for the Brazil game in January, Ireland described the caretaker manager's comments as "childish" and suggested he would happily to return to the squad when a permanent successor to Staunton was appointed.

Now, it seems, despite constant support and encouragement from Sven-Goran Eriksson, who has said many times he believes Ireland's development as a player would be helped by being involved with the international set-up, he is far less certain about what he wants and one of Trapattoni's first tasks is likely to be talking the midfielder out of giving his temporary exile a far more permanent air.

© 2008 The Irish Times

i think this thread shouold be put on hold till the potugal training camp and forthcoming games- we are all debating on arguments with no substance - newspaper articles that have no input from the actual player himself and just seem to be unjustified assertions by journalists

lets all all hold off on the judgements till the training camp and serbia/columbia games - if ireland turns up , he should be welcomed back with open arms , and if not then he can stay in manchester and never wear the republic jersey again(unless there is a valid reason - injury etc etc). - simple as that

i will be shocked if we dont see him in a republic jersey again come may 24th

[Greenforever]

i think this thread shouold be put on hold till the potugal training camp and forthcoming games- we are all debating on arguments with no substance - newspaper articles that have no input from the actual player himself and just seem to be unjustified assertions by journalists

lets all all hold off on the judgements till the training camp and serbia/columbia games - if ireland turns up , he should be welcomed back with open arms , and if not then he can stay in manchester and never wear the republic jersey again(unless there is a valid reason - injury etc etc). - simple as that

i will be shocked if we dont see him in a republic jersey again come may 24th

Prepare to be shocked

[kingdomkerry]

This has been blown out off all proportion with people jumping to abuse him again.Until we actually hear from Steven Ireland himself or Trapattoni we are not going to know either way and all speculation before we hear for certain is a waste of time. If he does decide to retire from international football at the age of 21 then by all means he deserves every bit of slating he gets but if he does come back then let him get on with it and let everyone start under the new management team with a clean slate

Your right but if he turns his back on his country at 21 I for one will go to town on him. He would deserve a few email gags about him forwarded around.

[Razors left peg]

Your right but if he turns his back on his country at 21 I for one will go to town on him. He would deserve a few email gags about him forwarded around.

I would go to town on him too. I hate to see player retiring in their early 30s never mind 20s.... but we should wait and see before anyone starts abusing him

[gilberto_eire]

Actually I don't remember exactly what went on with Makelele but from what I heard he wanted to return and Domenech wanted him to return but Mourinho didn't and Domenech and himself decided that he should just be called up so that he couldn't refuse. That's not exactly what happened but it's something along those lines. I certainly wouldn't liken Ireland's case to Makelele's, especially considering Makelele only retired the once and there have been multiple mishaps concerning Ireland.

Mourinho, speaking on Sky television, the British satellite network, immediately after Chelsea had won an English league match at Blackburn,continued: "He played in the biggest game you can, the World Cup final, and he wrote a letter to their federation and told the manager he doesn't want to play more for France."

Mourinho went on, saying thatDomenech "has been very objective - very objective - and said you have to play Georgia and you have to play Italy. Makelele wants to retire but the national coach won't allow him to retire.

"The law is clear. If he misses one game in the national team, he misses two games for Chelsea. If he misses two, he gets suspended for four matches for Chelsea. He has to go."

This interpretation is Mourinho's own. FIFA, the governing body of world soccer, confirmed Monday that while a club that fails to release a player for national team duty is indeed barred from using the player for two matches (a rule intended to prevent the cynical ploy of clubs pretending players are injured), there is nothing to stop a player retiring from his national team, or stating that he does not wish to play for it.

I found a write up on it here. See Ireland can be called up whether he likes it or not. Should make him come anyway and sit in the stands!!

[eekers]

gilberto read the end of your quoted piece - "there is nothing to stop a player retiring from his national team, or stating that he does not wish to play for it."

I think everyone should leave stephen ireland alone, or i'll make a youtube video about it

[co. down green]

Fanning in today's indo.

"But the man who christened himself 'Daddy Dick' and drives a Range Rover with pink trappings, may not be ready for stability just yet. In some ways, Ireland's inconsistency is now the most encouraging sign for Trapattoni. But it promises to be a saga that never ends."

[eirebhoy]

Its on the back of all the papers today lads, there must be a bit of truth in it. If he even cared a little bit about playing for his country then he would have come out after the squad was named, say how delighted he was to be called up for his country, and ask the fans to try to understand the situation he was in and ask for a good reception. Trap shouldnt have to talk to him. Either he goes to Portugal and wants to play for us, or not. Its quite simple Stevie boy

I had a glance of the Star in the shop on Saturday and there was quotes from Ireland saying he can't wait to meet Trap. I didn't have a chance to read the whole thing though.

[ifk101]

There's been so much paper talk about Stephen Ireland in the last half year that it's hard to know what to believe. But in the next month or so we'll know what the truth is and if he makes himself unavailable for the get-together and the forthcoming internationals I think the team would be best served by closing the door on Stephen Ireland's international career and focus on planning for the WC qualifiers without him.

[Kingdom]

he doesnt want to play for us, which i believe its obvious his heart isnt in it.
Personally i think its a big deal hes cracked

There carloz thats better lookin.

[Deckydee]

Do we have to go through this song and dance each and every time Stephen Ireland is selected for Ireland. This is ridiculous

[lionelhutz]

I would go to town on him too. I hate to see player retiring in their early 30s never mind 20s.... but we should wait and see before anyone starts abusing him

Go to town on him? Get a grip lads - he didn't murder a family member. I don't understand what all this fuss is about - he's an average player with decent passing ability.

I'd like to see him part of the Irish squad if he wants to be - if he doesn't, so buttons. I watched the Sunderland - Man City game on Saturday and Andy Reid - even though it wasn't his best game - completely outshone Ireland who was practically anonymous.

And Stephen Reid had a decent game against Liverpool yesterday so there's no doubt the two Reids should be certain starters in CM with Ireland an impact sub if needed. I'm not too bothered if he quits - leave him off