Stephen Ireland Makes Himself Available Again

[greendeiseboy]

According to aertel stephen ireland has made himself "very" much available for selection again and is looking forward to working under Trap

This is great news and lets hope that we're all big enough to brush this under the carpet (pardon the pun) and welcome him back to the fold.

[RivaldoBabb]

Thats very considerate of him isnt it? 'Yeh, i think ill bother playing for Ireland again as they have a good manager, Sven says I should'

The more I hear from him the more I dislike him, where is his passion for the Irish jersey and commitment to the cause, he should want to play for Ireland regardless of who the manager is or how the team is doing.

He can come back, and sit on the bench because he is not good enough to get in midfield ahead of McGeady, A Reid, S Reid, Duff

[eirebhoy]

"I'm available for selection, very much available. We need someone like him (Trapattoni) hopefully to bring it out of us and get us playing.

When Sven heard that he was announced, he said it was a great opportunity for me to go back now because he is a very good coach and I will learn a lot.

This did have an effect on my decision to return. I trust Sven you know. Whatever he says is good advice and he means well.

I think there is a lot of talent in the squad and we can actually qualify for the big tournaments."

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2008/0217/irelands.html

[eirebhoy]

Thats very considerate of him isnt it? 'Yeh, i think ill bother playing for Ireland again as they have a good manager, Sven says I should'

The more I hear from him the more I dislike him, where is his passion for the Irish jersey and commitment to the cause, he should want to play for Ireland regardless of who the manager is or how the team is doing.
Here's more quotes from a few weeks ago:

"I have always enjoyed playing for my country and that has never been in doubt in my mind.

"I have always enjoyed my time playing for Ireland and trying to get us qualified for the big tournaments.

"Pulling on the green jersey is something that is very close to my heart. I want nothing more in my career than to go on and score more goals and perform to the best of my ability to make sure we do qualify for tournaments.

"Ever since I was a kid I have wanted to play for Ireland in big games."


On Givens:
"I was shocked to be honest, to hear the things Don Givens was saying about me, but you can't really do anything about it.

"I think it was harsh, because he knows from his position that I went through a hard time and he has used it to get personal.

"He doesn't like something about me as if I have an ego and want to be chased, but that could not be further from the truth, as anybody who knows me will tell you.

"It is disappointing because to me he is just on a power trip as the caretaker boss at the moment and he is using his personal feelings on something that was supposed to be resolved, against me.

"I have never got a call off him asking about my situation or given any indication that I wanted to be begged back, so why is he saying that?"

[boovidge]

I agree with Ireland, Givens is pathetic

[ramsfan]

delighted to hear steve is interested in playing again he will in my eyes be a player trappatoni will build his team around

[NeilMcD]

Obviously Ireland had no respect for Staunton or Givens or Kerr. Despite his name he obviously does not get on with Ireland managers.

[backstothewall]

Perhaps there is informaton i don't know about? On what do you base that he didn't get on with Staunton?? Given his age I wasn't aware he ever played with Kerr, unless at underage level.

[NeilMcD]

He refused to play for Kerr at underage level. I thought that was common knowledge. It was a game down in Cork. Also it seems obvious that he had no respect for Staunton. As the minute Trapattoni comes in Ireland says he wants to play. He refused to play for the last 4 matches for Ireland.

[tetsujin1979]

He refused to play for the last 4 matches for Ireland.
He wasn't called into the squad for 2 of those.

[Noelys Guitar]

I'm very happy he is back. A proven midfield goalscorer is priceless and Ireland is putting in top performances against the best teams in the premiership.

[stiffler]

Im taking this news for what it is for, great news for the Ireland team, as Stephen Ireland is a quality player and the more quality players we have the better.

What has gone on in the past should be left in the past in my opinion.

[Wangball]

In the News of the World (I know, I know....sorry) it says that Eriksson has invited Trap to Man City's next game to watch Ireland & Dunne

[tetsujin1979]

In the News of the World (I know, I know....sorry) it says that Eriksson has invited Trap to Man City's next game to watch Ireland & Dunne
Sounds plausible, Trapattoni has said several times that Eriksson is a friend of his and he will be speaking to him about Ireland.
City's next game is against Everton on the 25th, and will be on Setanta Sports 1 in Ireland - http://sports.setanta.com/en/TV-and-Entertainment/TV-Channels/Setanta-Sports-1-Ireland/?facets/tv-listings-space/ireland-locale/setanta-sports-1-ireland/

[Bondvillain]

Excellent news.

This is undoubtedly Stephen's last chance when one considers his actions under Kerr & Staunton, (I don't personally count Givens' apparent personal dislike of the player (& his willingness to discuss his failings in public) as a valid managerial opinion. Some do. That's their prerogative.) but we are a small, moderately talented nation with a small , moderately talented group of players, and can scant afford to waste such a Mercurial resource as an in-form Stephen Ireland.

I sincerely hope his issues are behind him, and he goes on to have a long and successful career in the Green.

[geysir]

"I'm available for selection, very much available. We need someone like him (Trapattoni) hopefully to bring it out of us and get us playing.
When Sven heard that he was announced, he said it was a great opportunity for me to go back now because he is a very good coach and I will learn a lot.
This did have an effect on my decision to return. I trust Sven you know. Whatever he says is good advice and he means well."

:confused:
He claimed that he was available to return for the Brazil game. Why then would Trapattoni´s appointment matter in the least?

It looks to me that Givens was spot on with this chancer. He did not make himself available to Givens. And then he had the audacity to claim that he did and tried to embarrass Givens.
And now from a position of saying he was available and willing to return for the Brazil game we have another bizzarre announcement from Ireland that Trapattoni's appointment has effected his decision to return.

[Rambler1]

Thats very considerate of him isnt it? 'Yeh, i think ill bother playing for Ireland again as they have a good manager, Sven says I should'

The more I hear from him the more I dislike him, where is his passion for the Irish jersey and commitment to the cause, he should want to play for Ireland regardless of who the manager is or how the team is doing.

He can come back, and sit on the bench because he is not good enough to get in midfield ahead of McGeady, A Reid, S Reid, Duff OK Trap

[Rambler1]

He refused to play for Kerr at underage level. I thought that was common knowledge. It was a game down in Cork. Also it seems obvious that he had no respect for Staunton. As the minute Trapattoni comes in Ireland says he wants to play. He refused to play for the last 4 matches for Ireland.
After having being dropped fot the first 2 games in front of his home fans...get a life

[Bondvillain]

:confused:
He claimed that he was available to return for the Brazil game. Why then would Trapattoni´s appointment matter in the least?

Perhaps I missed something in print between then and now (and apologies if I have) but wasn't that just speculation based on a half-heard radio report possibly suggesting Ireland wanted to face Brazil?

[co. down green]

I think we need to 'draw a line in the sand' over the Stephen Ireland Granny incident.

We've a top manager taking over, with a good backroom team & a great sense of hope for the future.

I welcome him back with open arms & as long as he's going to give a 100% in the Green shirt, that's good enough for me.

+ Trap won't take any nonsense from any player.

[AustinoAsprilla]

Now we just just need Finnan, O'Brien and Carr...

[jmurphyc]

Although I'm not happy with his behaviour in the past, what's done is done. Hopefully now he can just stay committed as if he ****s up again then he really isn't worth it. Happy he's back.

[viagogo]

Now we just just need Finnan, O'Brien and Carr...

Maybe not Carr, dont need to see his miserable face in an Irish jersey again.

[bellavistaman]

In the News of the World (I know, I know....sorry) it says that Eriksson has invited Trap to Man City's next game to watch Ireland & Dunne

Nothing more than a **** up and a strip club after id say!


Thats very considerate of him isnt it? 'Yeh, i think ill bother playing for Ireland again as they have a good manager, Sven says I should'

The more I hear from him the more I dislike him, where is his passion for the Irish jersey and commitment to the cause, he should want to play for Ireland regardless of who the manager is or how the team is doing.

He can come back, and sit on the bench because he is not good enough to get in midfield ahead of McGeady, A Reid, S Reid, Duff

McGeady, not a hope is he better than Ireland, S Reid simply whos playing better in the same the league, Ireland and that why he should be playing ahead of him, likewise for Duff, but duff is the opposite of Robbie unbelievable for us no matter what his club form is.


I think we need to 'draw a line in the sand' over the Stephen Ireland Granny incident.

We've a top manager taking over, with a good backroom team & a great sense of hope for the future.

I welcome him back with open arms & as long as he's going to give a 100% in the Green shirt, that's good enough for me.

+ Trap won't take any nonsense from any player.

Hear hear


Now we just just need Finnan, O'Brien and Carr...

also hear hear again.

[mypost]

Im taking this news for what it is for, great news for the Ireland team, as Stephen Ireland is a quality player and the more quality players we have the better.

What has gone on in the past should be left in the past in my opinion.

This is bad news.

Stephen Ireland walked out on his country last September in disgusting circumstances. He has no right to make himself available for selection, it's Trappattoni's job to decide whether he can play for us or not.

We won't ignore what's gone on in the past. 2 other players have recently retired from international football, by sulking. If he's selected, it condones Stephen Ireland's behaviour, and gives any other player in the squad the option to do the same. "Sure, he'll always be welcomed back". :rolleyes:

A tough line must be taken on this, and he must be made an example of. It's called management. There are other midfielders who would sweat blood to play in a green shirt. He can't be allowed to turn up when he feels like it.

[geysir]

Perhaps I missed something in print between then and now (and apologies if I have) but wasn't that just speculation based on a half-heard radio report possibly suggesting Ireland wanted to face Brazil?
If that was speculation then that means Ireland's nonsense about Don Givens was also speculation.
If Ireland was not available for the Brazil squad then there is no logical reason that Givens should have picked him. If Ireland did not make himself available then why all the nonsense when he could have simply said he was taking a short break but hoped to be in the new managers plans.

Dunne's comments look to be even more sharp now, when he had the opportunity to clear his teammates of bullying him, he didn't, he chose to let those rumors run.
I have to ignore this Stephen Ireland thread and anything written about him, where he has football intelligence in abundance the rest has been lobotomized.

[Docboy]

Football wise it's great for us that he's back. Won't have too much time for the lad, he needs to grow and start putting in a load of decent performances before he'll earn any respect back.

[Cymro]

I understand from reading this thread that right now some of you probably don't like Ireland. But I would encourage you to get behind him now he's decided to come back, because players of that calibre are priceless. You just have to put up with their personality deficiencies.

Koumas was the same a few years back, we always knew he had talent but his attendance record in friendlies, particluarly away ones, was awful. However annoyed you may be with that sort of attitude sometimes you just have to accept it because as Koumas' recent displays for us (8 goals in last 8 games for Wales) have shown, that sort of player can be invaluable as a matchwinner and someone who can change a game.

I still question Koumas's commitment but it seems Toshack is finally getting the best out of him through sheer persistence. Having watched Ireland play lately I would say he is a very similar type of talent and personality but if you can get the best out of him it will be well worth it.

[Stuttgart88]

Yeah, I'm glad he's available but I'll probably always think he's a tool and I doubt I'll ever actually like him.

[SkStu]

good news. who cares about what he did in the past - hes a quality player. and he's not the first player to withdraw his services for Ireland..

[bohsRap]

A tough line must be taken on this, and he must be made an example of. It's called management. There are other midfielders who would sweat blood to play in a green shirt. He can't be allowed to turn up when he feels like it.

Not entirely correct. Normally new managers bring a clean slate with all players. If S. Ireland does anything stupid whilst Trap is in charge, well then tell him where to go. I'd doubt Trap will make any rash decisions on players that have done something when he wasn't around.

[boovidge]

He has no right to make himself available for selection

So he has no right to accept a call up if picked? Which is essentially what 'making yourself available' is.

When Ireland didn't 'make himself available' he got slated by Don Givens and fans and now he has he's getting the same treatment when he does confirm he wants to play. :rolleyes:

[jmurphyc]

McGeady, not a hope is he better than Ireland, S Reid simply whos playing better in the same the league, Ireland and that why he should be playing ahead of him, likewise for Duff, but duff is the opposite of Robbie unbelievable for us no matter what his club form is.


Ireland is not as good as any of those players - yet - purely because of his inconsistency during games. When he's in the game and looking for the ball then he's a fantastic player, but the when he's played for Ireland in a 2 man central midfield he's a total liability, despite his goals. If we are going to get the best out of him, then he needs to play as the central player in the 3 of a 4-2-3-1 formation on possibly in the hole in a 4-4-1-1 formation. He should by no means be guaranteed a starting place until he proves that he can dominate the whole 90 minutes of a game otherwise there are better options.

[jmurphyc]

Ciaran, your post almost seems to be implying that he acted professionally. Whilst I empathise with him, his handling of multiple situations leaves a lot to be desired. It's not like he was a one time offender. He still has yet to apologise for essentially spending the fan's money for a private jet back to Ireland, amongst other things. He's still relatively young and we all make mistakes, so I can forgive him but he has not acted in a professional manner one bit.

[Superhoops]

.......He still has yet to apologise for essentially spending the fan's money for a private jet back to Ireland, amongst other things. .....
This is the key factor in the whole SI debate.

The arrogance of the little cnut when he slated Givens for not calling him to ask him about his situation is astounding. :mad:

[Guts&Glory]

Stating that he hates being a footballer and slagging his teamates and then manager on his Bebo site, getting all prissy beacause the irish lads take the Mickey out of his miraculous reagining of hair (imagine the Stick Stepehn Hunt gets!!), not wanting to play for several managers at under age and senior level, refusing to meet Stan when he went in person to the City training ground to talk to him and try and coax him back after Stan had stood by him in the whole Grannygate....

Stephen Ireland is not a one incident but a many incident clown.

Unfortunately for us he is a player we need due to his undoubted ability.

The only thing I would say for this immature idiot is he did apologise for the Grannygate and Jet home incident when he got back to Manchester but only after the papers got pics of him in a Cork nightclub.

[kingdomkerry]

Agreed


I think we need to 'draw a line in the sand' over the Stephen Ireland Granny incident.

We've a top manager taking over, with a good backroom team & a great sense of hope for the future.

I welcome him back with open arms & as long as he's going to give a 100% in the Green shirt, that's good enough for me.

+ Trap won't take any nonsense from any player.

Agreed.
The past is the past. This is a new era for irish football. Now all we need is to get Finnan to change his mind about retiring

[3 Heroes]

"Ever since I was a kid I have wanted to play for Ireland in big games."

Maybe he should send an old text whenever he feels a game is worthy of his appearance


"It is disappointing because to me he is just on a power trip as the caretaker boss at the moment and he is using his personal feelings on something that was supposed to be resolved, against me.

It would've been mostly resolved if he'd played for us since, not it's kind of just festering

[Paddy Garcia]

Agreed



Agreed.
The past is the past. This is a new era for irish football. Now all we need is to get Finnan to change his mind about retiring


Well you had better first delete a few dozen comments on this site!

[NeilMcD]

He lost his kid and has apparently been bullied by other Irish team members. It's not a matter of him having a could care less attitude, it's about him being mentally volatile at the moment and not wanting to be taken out of his comfort zone. Sounds like he's the victim of unprofessional management by the old staff, and not team management, man management.

If Ireland really was a lazy so-so he'd do what Andy O Brien has been doing for the past year, pulling out of every squad with a minor "injury" then playing for his club days later, not having the balls to admit the truth that he really just doesn't give a damn about Ireland. Instead he's been open and honest about what has happened to him, he's retaliated to Givens, spoken countless times with Sven and Dunne and accepted an FAI reward. He's far more in the loop of the Irish setup than some players who have actually been ON the squad.



Who said he was bullied. Hunt has denied this and so did Dunne. In fact Richard Dunne said that Ireland could easily killed that rumour but refused to do so. There is no proof that he was bullied and I dont think he himself has gone on record and said he was bullied.

[Bondvillain]

Who said he was bullied. Hunt has denied this and so did Dunne. In fact Richard Dunne said that Ireland could easily killed that rumour but refused to do so. There is no proof that he was bullied and I dont think he himself has gone on record and said he was bullied.

I know that Dunne probably has the best interests of his national team at heart (I personally suspect he does at all times) , but to be honest, I'd much rather have Stephen Ireland's opinon on the Stephen Ireland situation than Stephen Hunt's or Richard Dunne's.

Let Ireland openly present himself for selection and appraisal at the next given opportunity. Hopefully, he'll make his case with a substantial performance in the shirt. Should he not, and should there need to be a press Q&A with him after his next appearance (or , god forbid, a press post mortem on his non-appearance), then so be it. Then we'll find out.

[mypost]

He lost his kid and has apparently been bullied by other Irish team members. It's not a matter of him having a could care less attitude, it's about him being mentally volatile at the moment and not wanting to be taken out of his comfort zone. Sounds like he's the victim of unprofessional management by the old staff, and not team management, man management.

Instead he's been open and honest about what has happened to him.

Open?? Honest?? :D

This is the bloke who walked out on his teammates, and our fans, by fabricating stories of his relatives. This is the bloke who wouldn't hop over to Prague to play for us in a vital qualifier, but has no problem playing for his club the length and breath of England. As for being a victim of the management, this is the kind of management him and his teammates want, over the professional, hardline Trapattoni version. He made no contact with the FAI for the rest of the qualifiers, nor with the caretaker boss in charge either. Suddenly, we get a new boss, we might be competitive in the next campaign, and then he wants to climb aboard, without even apologising to the people he's betrayed. :confused: :rolleyes:

He shamed himself and his country, and he should be banned from playing for us again.

[RivaldoBabb]

Here's more quotes from a few weeks ago:

"I have always enjoyed playing for my country and that has never been in doubt in my mind.

"I have always enjoyed my time playing for Ireland and trying to get us qualified for the big tournaments.

"Pulling on the green jersey is something that is very close to my heart. I want nothing more in my career than to go on and score more goals and perform to the best of my ability to make sure we do qualify for tournaments.

"Ever since I was a kid I have wanted to play for Ireland in big games."


On Givens:
"I was shocked to be honest, to hear the things Don Givens was saying about me, but you can't really do anything about it.

"I think it was harsh, because he knows from his position that I went through a hard time and he has used it to get personal.

"He doesn't like something about me as if I have an ego and want to be chased, but that could not be further from the truth, as anybody who knows me will tell you.

"It is disappointing because to me he is just on a power trip as the caretaker boss at the moment and he is using his personal feelings on something that was supposed to be resolved, against me.

"I have never got a call off him asking about my situation or given any indication that I wanted to be begged back, so why is he saying that?"

Ireland seems to say a lot Eirebhoy, a lot of which is rubbish and I take with a pinch of salt. I really dont want to hear any more from him, what id like to see is how he goes in the next qualifying campaign, lets see if he makes himself available for the away games in montenegro, georgia or bulgaria and if he plays any of these lets see how he performs.

[tomred23]

I am sure there will be plently more dramas from Ireland under Trap. What kind of abuse will he get a croke park or will he get any, if he does will he be able to handle it?

[amaccann]

Now we just just need Finnan, O'Brien and Carr...
Not Carr thanks. I've never seen a man look so *miserable* playing for Ireland in all my life.

[tetsujin1979]

Open?? Honest?? :D

This is the bloke who walked out on his teammates, and our fans, by fabricating stories of his relatives.Because his girlfriend had a miscarriage and he panicked

This is the bloke who wouldn't hop over to Prague to play for us in a vital qualifier, but has no problem playing for his club the length and breath of England.Do you have a problem with your employers when they need you to work for them?

As for being a victim of the management, this is the kind of management him and his teammates want, over the professional, hardline Trapattoni version.If he didn't want the Trapattoni version of management, why is Ireland coming back to play under him?

He made no contact with the FAI for the rest of the qualifiers, nor with the caretaker boss in charge either.They didn't contact him either, and chose to deal with it through the media. Fault on both sides IMO

Suddenly, we get a new boss, we might be competitive in the next campaign, and then he wants to climb aboard, without even apologising to the people he's betrayed. :confused: :rolleyes:There's been one statement, plenty of time for apologies when he's actually in a press conference

He shamed himself and his country, and he should be banned from playing for us again.Personally, I think that's more shaming than anything Ireland has done

[BigmanCas]

"I'm available for selection, very much available. We need someone like him (Trapattoni) hopefully to bring it out of us and get us playing.
When Sven heard that he was announced, he said it was a great opportunity for me to go back now because he is a very good coach and I will learn a lot.
This did have an effect on my decision to return. I trust Sven you know. Whatever he says is good advice and he means well."

:confused:
He claimed that he was available to return for the Brazil game. Why then would Trapattoni´s appointment matter in the least?

It looks to me that Givens was spot on with this chancer. He did not make himself available to Givens. And then he had the audacity to claim that he did and tried to embarrass Givens.
And now from a position of saying he was available and willing to return for the Brazil game we have another bizzarre announcement from Ireland that Trapattoni's appointment has effected his decision to return.
I agree. Be gone with him. He has a bad attitude and he latest remarks confirm this. He is not good enough to start anyhow.

[Newryrep]

He has made himself available, its up to Trapattoni to deal with it, i suspect he would/will not tolerate any messing.

Probably last chance saloon for his Ireland career both in a playing sense and the fans opinion of him - if he doesnt want to play for us I dont want him anywhere near us.

[youngirish]

Do we really need this sulking, childish, whinger in the heart of our midfield when we are desperately trying to get some points away from home in places like Tbilisi or Sofia with a hostile crowd on our back?

He decided to come back because we now have a good manager. What an ar*e. He thinks he's as good as Roy Keane.

In my opinion he's too slow with no bite. Very overrated irrespective of him playing for high flying city. I wouldn't let him back into the team. Stick him on the bench where he belongs at present and see whether he goes home again after a few games if he doesn't get into the starting 11 (as with the Kerr incident).

[amjl]

If we're going to have any chance of making it to the World Cup, we're going to need players with Stephen Ireland's ability to get there, so I'd be glad to see him back playing for Ireland again. Isuses in the past should now stay in the past.