Stephen Ireland

[carloz]

Apparently it was a stunning volley

[Maroon 7]

He may be a fruit loop but we could definitely do with him back in the squad at some point.

[Noelys Guitar]

The looper society threw him out for being an extremist. We still need him mind. Interesting comment from Sven on playing Ireland up front "He was like a second striker near the end. Maybe that is his best position. Stephen is young, talented and has a long career in front of him."

[Stuttgart88]

I have it on good authority that Venables has said he'd make Stephen Ireland shave his head in front of the lads whereas Hodgson & Jol have said they'd make sure he's a happy camper.

[eekers]

I have it on good authority that Venables has said he'd make Stephen Ireland shave his head in front of the lads whereas Hodgson & Jol have said they'd make sure he's a happy camper.

well in that case Venables is man for the job
the shaving to be done in a dentists chair

[backstothewall]

My opinion on this one is that he has been through a very traumatic experience, and had every right to make a few mistakes for a while. And I really couldn't care less about his hair plugs either, it never harmed Mihaylov in goal for Bulgaria. What i do know is that he is getting back to what he does best, and scored a cracking winner against reading today. Lay off the kid. If Venables has said that he should never be managing staff in any capacity, much less our national side

[cheifo]

Cracking volley it has to be said.Good that he mentioned Ireland(erm...our national team) in his MOTD interview and made the interviewer laugh with his cheeky reference to Man Yoo losing.

[osarusan]

I think efforts should be made to be made to get him back into the ROI setup, as he clearly has something to offer in terms of skill.

However, he needs to want to be there also. If he's not sure about it, he'll be too much of a liability.

[Stuttgart88]

Exactly Ciaran, I was thinking similarly. With the players we have how do we accomodate him? His goals were valuable for us but in other games - notably Cyprus away - he left the pitch wide open for the opposition midfield.

One thing's for sure though, he's ten times the player Liam Miller is.

I don't know the answer (I can think of suggestions) but I'm not sure if this was something Stan even identified as a problem. A manager worth his salt ought to be able to solve this puzzle.

Duff, Hunt, McGeady (great goal again y'day), Ireland, A. Reid, S. Reid., Carsley (dominated midfield against Sunderland), plus emerging players like Garvan, O'Toole, McCarthy, Joey O'Brien. Surely someone with a footballing brain can make a bunch like this into a competitive midfield?

[dr_peepee]

Probbly reading too much into it, but was delighted to hear him mention Ireland in his MOTD interview... Seemed like a bit of an olive branch/ice breaker to irish fans!!!! (to me it did anyway)

[eekers]

But the issue with Stephen is. Can you play him if you're NOT playing 5 in midfield?

He's a great talent but he won't accept midfield responsibility which really means he'd need to be added in alongside Carsley and A.Reid for him to work at the expense of Doyle as opposed to replacing one of the midfield two.

exactly i see him as a lampard style player
i dont think he can boss the game or control the tempo but is amazing arriving from deep into the box

[kingdomkerry]

Why cant he play on the right in a 4-4-2

[Stuttgart88]

No reason, as long as Finnan is fit behind him I'd say. The problem is that the midfield is seriously vertically challenged - but it's not as if Ireland's alternatives are any more imposing.

[danonion]

Probbly reading too much into it, but was delighted to hear him mention Ireland in his MOTD interview... Seemed like a bit of an olive branch/ice breaker to irish fans!!!! (to me it did anyway)

My sentiments exactly.

a midfield of Ireland__Carsley___Reid___Duff is exciting - 100% premiership.

[DmanDmythDledge]

exactly i see him as a lampard style player
i dont think he can boss the game or control the tempo but is amazing arriving from deep into the box
I think his main attribute is his vision. Him and Andy Reid together in centre midfield would be mouthwatering.


Why cant he play on the right in a 4-4-2
I would like to see a 4-3-3/4-5-1 with Carsley/S Reid, A Reid and Ireland, with Keane and Duff/McGeady supporting Doyle.

[macdermesser]

Probbly reading too much into it, but was delighted to hear him mention Ireland in his MOTD interview... Seemed like a bit of an olive branch/ice breaker to irish fans!!!! (to me it did anyway)

What did he say exactly?

[Kingdom]

What did he say exactly?

I thought he was talking about himself in 3rd party mode...
"...I've scored a few for Ireland and obviously City..."

[antrimgreen]

First thing the new manager should do is get Ireland back involved and comfortable again. Maybe stan didn't let him wear his Superman trunks and that really f**ked him off. Get him back he is proving to be very useful.

[dr_peepee]

What did he say exactly?

Something along the lines of "I've had some great times.... for IRELAND and for Manchester City, and today was up there.... Plus united got beaten"

[bellavistaman]

What a goal, the lads absolute class IMO, a unreal player, with top class passing. We need him so bad. Had a big part in first goal too.

[Kingdom]

What a goal, the lads absolute class IMO, a unreal player, with top class passing. We need him so bad. Had a big part in first goal too.

I don't understand this cobh thing. So what the boy is from your area, but you're not condoning his behavour surely. Everybody agrees that he's a talent and would be a useful addition to the team, but if he's got issues with himself and, seemingly, with the rest of the squad, what use is that to us?

[Bondvillain]

He has talent to burn, and we, sadly, as a nation, do not.
I can't wait to see him back in a green shirt, but only on the day he is mentally fit to do so, and not a second before.

[Bottle of Tonic]

Agree with that Bondvillain.

I don't think we can afford to have a 'stuff him' attitude to Stephen Ireland. From what I've seen of him he has more football in his boots than many a man to wear the green in recent years. Importantly, he appears to be a fairly consitent goal threat from midfield, something we havent seen from our midfielders since.......eh.........:confused:

He's one of our countries top performers in club football at the moment ( I certainly didnt expect him to be a regular in citys' side, given Svens rep) and one of the first players whose performance I find myself checking out these last few weekends.

I'm excited by the lad and look forward to supporting him when he finally gets back in an Irish shirt. :ball:

[Superhoops]

....I can't wait to see him back in a green shirt, but only on the day he is mentally fit to do so, and not a second before.
The decision as to whether he is mentally fit or not has to be his own. There should be no pressure put on him to return. If and when he is ready he should pick up the phone to whoever is in charge and ask to come back on board.

[eirebhoy]

I don't understand this cobh thing.
They absolutely worship him and they all seem to rate him a few notches higher than the rest. :) As long as they're Irish I couldn't care. It doesn't matter to me which players are from Dublin.

[bellavistaman]

They absolutely worship him and they all seem to rate him a few notches higher than the rest. :) As long as they're Irish I couldn't care. It doesn't matter to me which players are from Dublin.

He's far from worshipped in Cobh. But your saying Dublin which has a massive pop, Cobh has 12,000 people like and we have two players who won senior caps in the last year. And of course our link with Roy. But stephen ireland is class, IMO only.

[jmurphyc]

yeah as much as I was annoyed at some of his decisions lately and seeming lack of interest in playing for us I think he should be given the benefit of the doubt and be allowed to return to the squad when he feels ready. Although I think he's far from the finished product and IMO is arguably a bit too raw to be an automatic first choice for us yet he has a massive amount of potential and I look forward to seeing him in an Ireland shirt again. FFS if he was English I can't imagine how much he'd be raved about as being the next Rooney or even Maradona :D. There seem to be a fair few young Irish midfielders who have bags of potential at the moment. Let's hope some of them can fulfill it.

[billybunter]

I think we would all agree that there are 3 things you need to have in order to play international football.
1. Be good enough
2. Be available for selection
3. Want to represent your country.

right now, Stephen Ireland has one of those.

[bellavistaman]

is there such thing as wanting to play but not being available.its complicated but so is he

[kingdom hoop]

The decision as to whether he is mentally fit or not has to be his own. There should be no pressure put on him to return. If and when he is ready he should pick up the phone to whoever is in charge and ask to come back on board.

I don't think it should entirely be left to him. A comforting arm around the shoulder and ruffle of the hair (well, maybe not the hair) by the new manager is what needs to happen.

[Fergie's Son]

is there such thing as wanting to play but not being available.its complicated but so is he

No, it really isn't. He either wants to play or he doesn't. If he does not then he is no longer part of the Irish set-up. As such, I personally wish him no harm but I could care less about him or his career.

[Superhoops]

I don't think it should entirely be left to him. A comforting arm around the shoulder and ruffle of the hair (well, maybe not the hair) by the new manager is what needs to happen.
Ireland is such a complex character that even a simple well meaning gesture like that that might be considered as pressure. Don't make a fuss of him, let him work it out himself.

[SuperDave]

Agree with that Bondvillain.

I don't think we can afford to have a 'stuff him' attitude to Stephen Ireland. From what I've seen of him he has more football in his boots than many a man to wear the green in recent years. Importantly, he appears to be a fairly consitent goal threat from midfield, something we havent seen from our midfielders since.......eh.........:confused:

He's one of our countries top performers in club football at the moment ( I certainly didnt expect him to be a regular in citys' side, given Svens rep) and one of the first players whose performance I find myself checking out these last few weekends.

I'm excited by the lad and look forward to supporting him when he finally gets back in an Irish shirt. :ball:

ray houghton?

[drinkfeckarse]

They absolutely worship him and they all seem to rate him a few notches higher than the rest. :) As long as they're Irish I couldn't care. It doesn't matter to me which players are from Dublin.

It's a kinda community thing with Cobh and then Cork which Dublin doesn't really have due to size etc. It's a bit like the Keane saying..."Irish by birth, Cork by the grace of God" :):D

[lionelhutz]

The looper society threw him out for being an extremist. We still need him mind. Interesting comment from Sven on playing Ireland up front "He was like a second striker near the end. Maybe that is his best position. Stephen is young, talented and has a long career in front of him."

I've thought this all along. He's an excellent and always gets in great positions to score. I don't think he'll ever be a complete midfielder as he drifts in and out of games. But his touch, vision and shooting are sublime

[lionelhutz]

exactly i see him as a lampard style playeri dont think he can boss the game or control the tempo but is amazing arriving from deep into the box

Oh god no!

Please don't compare to that arrogant, self serving, fat lump

[lionelhutz]

yeah as much as I was annoyed at some of his decisions lately and seeming lack of interest in playing for us I think he should be given the benefit of the doubt and be allowed to return to the squad when he feels ready. Although I think he's far from the finished product and IMO is arguably a bit too raw to be an automatic first choice for us yet he has a massive amount of potential and I look forward to seeing him in an Ireland shirt again. FFS if he was English I can't imagine how much he'd be raved about as being the next Rooney or even Maradona :D. There seem to be a fair few young Irish midfielders who have bags of potential at the moment. Let's hope some of them can fulfill it.

Ya because the likes of Kilbane, O'Shea, McGeady, Keogh - these are all the finished article.......

[Stuttgart88]

exactly i see him as a lampard style player
I've called him Lampard-lite in the past. Agree with you completely in the context you proposed. Can't influence midfield without support but his timing arriving into the box is excellent and he has the execution to match.

[Flawless]

Ya because the likes of Kilbane, O'Shea, McGeady, Keogh - these are all the finished article.......

Beat me to it!

However i do have alot of time for McGeady!

[eekers]

we almost need to play a 5 man midfield to fit him in then

[drinkfeckarse]

At the moment that is true although he is an option on the right hand side. I'm sure as his game develops he'll be more than capable of playing centre midfield in a 4 at international level.

[as_i_say]

lads theres nothing wrong with Irelands mental state. a miscarriage (sad, yes) and a few lies, and then chickened out of the next squad. I would have him back and let bygones be bygones because he is turning into a top player, but this mental stuff is just cr ap.

Look at what he does for city. he just needs to cop on.

He would not have mentioned his great moments for ireland in his interview for BBC if he was not interested in coming back.

[tricky_colour]

Stephen ireland just got sent off aganst Spurs.
Definately a red card :D
Worth seeing again.

[eirebhoy]

http://letsprove.tv/video/Sports_jvs3cmdgyr1197218708

[shakermaker1982]

God what was he thinking??!!

[Adrianovic]

To be fair to the lad, he didn't complain and apologised as he went off.

Not his finest hour, but by no means deliberate.

[Paddy Garcia]

To be fair to the lad, he didn't complain and apologised as he went off.

Not his finest hour, but by no means deliberate.

Very lucky he did not break his leg. Appalling tackle.

[bellavistaman]

no where near bad as hunt two weeks ago, one more and the irish will get a terrible name over there:eek:

[Paddy Garcia]

Well Keane's was pretty innocuous. The other two could have broken a leg very easily, shameful.

[carloz]

Foolish tackle but i think it was over eager than venemus. At least he appologised to the player and took the refs decision. He didnt bitch about in the refs face like so many do nowadays