A reasonable thread till laughable laugh sentance, pure pub talk after 8 pints.Quote:
Originally Posted by ruben_sosa
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A reasonable thread till laughable laugh sentance, pure pub talk after 8 pints.Quote:
Originally Posted by ruben_sosa
laughable laugh sentance. indeed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Reality Bites
Neither contructive or helpful.:)-Quote:
Originally Posted by Reality Bites
haha brilliant!!!!! :D:D:DQuote:
Originally Posted by NeilMcD
I think this "he doesn't want to play for us so f**k him attitude" is a bit glib and a ridiculous over-simplifaction of what must be a very complex and sensitive set of personal circumstances. Ireland is a complex personality and, these very complexities are in all probably intrinsically connected to his unique footballing gifts (a la Best, Gascoigne and numerous other talented enigmas).
Clearly he does want to play international football or he would not have turned out for us in the past, but for a whole host of "reasons" which we cannot quite fathom he does not feel able to play for us at the moment. It seems to me that the one way that we can ensure that he will never return is to criticise and villify him in the terms that are all too common on this site. I am pretty much convinced that it is by making a return easier, and convincing him that he is both needed and wanted that he will ultimately change his mind. This is probably a task for a diplomat or a psychologist rather than a football coach with limited grasp of the English language. It clearly wont happen if we take the view that its purely up to him to get in touch when he's come to his senses. The longer he remains out of the set-up the harder and harder it will become for Ireland to make that move. If the FAI cannot deliver the olive branch in an appropiate and sensitive way (which I doubt), or find the right mediator then they are probably as much to blame as Ireland. He is not a sporting automaton with an absolute duty to put on a green shirt to order. He is a human being with flaws and frailties (maybe more than his fair share) who needs to be understood, motivated and hopefuly persuaded.
Yes - Stephen Ireland does have a very complex and special personality.Quote:
Originally Posted by third policeman
Why did he fall-out with Kerr and state that he would never play for Ireland if Kerr was in charge? Simple - the lad's ego needs to be the centre of attention or otherwise he'll storm off in a huff.
Again forward on a few years, his ego gets hurt and he invents all sorts of stories to massage his bruised ego.
I think the FAI have already bent over backwards more than enough for this little sploit brat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ifk101
This rudimentary analysis of the situation doesn't quite explain why Ireland is such a seemingly content and productive conributor to Man City's on field successes. Maybe he has got a big ego and a flawed temperament, but such are the challenges of management. Man City seem capable of managing Ireland and we quite obviously cant.
Going by what EVERY pundit/journalist etc. said yesterday he was outstanding...only seen the highlights but he's top quality
Man City pay him.Quote:
Originally Posted by third policeman
I also think he's a very talented footballer but he doesn't want to play for us so it's pretty much irrelevant what he does in Man City's colours.Quote:
Originally Posted by Seagull-4-life
Ye but he probably will eventually come back and I know he won't he reading this but people bashing him is prob why he's reluctant
People should start being against him, for him to turn down playing for Ireland, is a disgrace and I do not care if he was the best player in the world, players like that should not decide when they are ready to play for the country, The Irish National Team is far more important than that.
I think he'll come back tooQuote:
Originally Posted by Seagull-4-life
Allegedly he said as long as Hunt and Keane are in the squad he is not going to return.
Where did you hear/see this Neil??Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilMcD
It is not in print but like Marvin Gaye I heard it through the Grapevine, and grape being the opperative word.
Reliable source then...Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilMcD
Quote:
Originally Posted by Seagull-4-life
Totally agree. It's easy for people on this forum to say that "playing for your country is a duty and an honour etc etc" when they will never know what its actually like. Ireland was slated for pulling out of the squad over the "granny" affair when he was clearly dealing with a massively difficult and sensitive personal issue. I am preyty certain that its not the shirt (or the absence of a large pay cheque) that is ultimately at the root of Ireland's thinking, its the media, teamates, relationships, the public, the crowd, the history and all the other pressures and stresses that playing for Man City does not heep on his shoulders. And every time he reads the kind of sentiments expressed on this site, the more convinced he will be that he does not need or want this kind of pressure and hostility.
Contrary to what we might imagine Stephen Ireland is under no obligation or duty to play for Ireland. It would be great if he did becasue he is a wonderfully gifted player who would make a real difference to our qualification prospects. I hope that someone in the FAI can persuade him that it would be good for him, his career and his sens of well-being and fulfillment if he did.
Have you thought of the impact it may have on the other players in the squad and the impact it may have on team morale. Compare Stephen Ireland to Kevin Kilbane and their attitude. I think the supporters know the difference.
Brillant scouting work! I was curious for a long time who had slagged Ireland and offended his delicate temperment, at last I have the image to satisfy the curiousity - Picture it now if you can Robbie Keane the older kid with his Knee on Irelands Back pinning him to the ground while hairy hunt in his waterford twang mockingly pulls at Ireland hair piece! therein is the crux of the matter!!Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilMcD
I'd like to see a happily reconciled Stephen Ireland back in a green shirt but I only see 3 sets of circumstances in which it'd happen and only one of those would show true character on his part.
Scenario one- Your country needs you: A midfield injury crisis during the current campaign blights the squad and Trap is forced to go back and beg him ...but can at least assure him he'll get a game. Christ, there was I thinking this was the meritorious route back. Well it's as close as it gets with this wee knob anyway.
Scenario two -You need your country: We qualify for South Africa and at some point in the next seven months between qualifiers and finals Stiofán realises he wants to play for his country after all. I'd nearly get a fiver on the spineless little so and so for this route now.
Scenario three -You really, really need your country: A dip in form for Man City, compounded by Middle Eastlands buying someone younger, faster and more exotically monikered who doesn't get blown off the ball by windswept tayto bags gets him thinking. When some one of the conspiratorial bast@rds he has to share the world with programme directions to Turf Moor on the sat nav in his pink-hubcapped knobwagon he knows the game is up and he'd better do something to raise his profile again.
because in an democracy people are allowed to make their own choicesQuote:
Originally Posted by TheBoss
how do you know he doesn't love his country?
Stephen Ireland's personality is as complex as the plot of a typical episode of Baywatch.Quote:
Originally Posted by third policeman
Pol Pot had a complex personality. If you want to feel sympathy for anyone show it towards this misunderstood enigma of the late twentieth century. If he hadn't been subjected to such a traumatic childhood maybe the Khmer Rouge would have wiped out only 10% of the population of Cambodia and not the 30% we are all familiar with.
Stalin had webbed feet - which meant he couldn't cross a ball to save his live and a leo burdock sized chip on his shoulder that led to the Gulags and deaths to slaughter to millions of Russians - Anyway where were we oh Stevie Ireland and R.Keane and S.Hunt subjecting him to a school boy taunting over his wig and here we are 900 + threads later!Quote:
Originally Posted by youngirish
As far as I am aware Ireland is not guilty of genocide. His "crime" (for that is how some of you seem to view it) is declining to turn up to play in the odd football match. I think if we kept things in proportion there would be a much greater chance of him changing his mind.Quote:
Originally Posted by youngirish
Clearly he does want to play international football or he would not have turned out for us in the past, but for a whole host of "reasons" which we cannot quite fathom he does not feel able to play for us at the moment.
Reminds me of the Simpsons episode where the social worker tells Homer he's a bad father and an alcoholic, Homer replies "And that's societies fault because......"
Just imagine the sweet poetic justice when Ireland beat Greece in a playoff to make it to the World Cup and "Stevie" Ireland declares his desire to represent the land of his fathers, and is promptly told to "F$$K OFF" by Trapp.
Look, has he said, definitively, that he doesn't want to play for Ireland again?Quote:
Originally Posted by OwlsFan
I, for one, would love to see him playing for us. He is sheer class.
Then the sensible thing would be for them to apologise.Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilMcD
The flag outside Cafe Trendy in Podgorcia before the match says it all
Stephen Manchester
He has no hair
He has no honour
He has no heart
Stephen Manchester
And this thread should be binned or moved to world football because he has no interest in playing for Ireland.
The guys is hands down, our best performer thus far this season. If we drop points against Cyprus just watch the public call for him to return...
He's Irish though, according to the English, Brazilians and whoever else that watch him every week. I'd be proud if we could produce a footballer of the standard he has been showing so far this season because he's certainly not your typical Irish or even British type footballer.Quote:
Originally Posted by Greenforever
I think he will be back before christmas!
I hope this isn't in here already (i can't be arsed to read through all 40+ pages), but a City supporting pal tells me the Man City fans have come up with a song dedicated to our Stevie's Hare Krishna hair-do. It goes to the tune of Yellow Submarine "We all love Stevie Irelands swimming cap, Ireland's swimming cap, Ireland's swimming cap." Hilarious. I wonder if he'll need some time off from City to recover from this...
However he is sod all use to us at the moment as he is refusing to play for us. Have we not learnt anything over the last few years that it takes more than talent to make a good footballing team. It is imperative that you have team spirit as well as talent. Stephen Manchester clearly does not have the team spirt to play in an international set up as he has a history of this long before Grannygate and Hairgate and Bebogate, and pimpmyjeepgate, and Superpantsgate.
I was proud of the Irish teams performances and for the first time in a long time we had the team spirit and unity and passion and concentration back in the squad. I think Stephen Manchester would take away from the team spirit of the squad so to me his talen is irrelevant at the moment.
I was proud of the Irish teams performances and for the first time in a long time we had the team spirit and unity and passion and concentration back in the squad. I think Stephen Manchester would take away from the team spirit of the squad so to me his talen is irrelevant at the moment.[/quote]
Team spirit will not get us past Italy or Bulgaria (or possibly even Cyrprus). Ireland's guile and vision would add a vast amount to the team and provide Keane and Doyle with the service that they are not getting from the likes of Steven Hunt or Glen Whelan. It's total bo**ocks to imagine that Ireland's presence would damage the team spirit of the squad. Why should it? If he comes back then I would expect Ireland and his team mates to do what experienced professionals should do, move on and concentrate on playing football. If he turned in a performance for us like he did for City at the weekend I think the squad morale would be significantly improved.
Quote:
Originally Posted by third policeman
Team spirit will not get us past Italy or Bulgaria (or possibly even Cyrprus). Ireland's guile and vision would add a vast amount to the team and provide Keane and Doyle with the service that they are not getting from the likes of Steven Hunt or Glen Whelan. It's total bo**ocks to imagine that Ireland's presence would damage the team spirit of the squad. Why should it? If he comes back then I would expect Ireland and his team mates to do what experienced professionals should do, move on and concentrate on playing football. If he turned in a performance for us like he did for City at the weekend I think the squad morale would be significantly improved.[/QUOTE]
So you are expecting the Irish players to do the very thing that we are all slagging Stephen Manchester for. Why is it ok for Manchester not to be have like a professional and move on and concentrate on playing football.
So you are expecting the Irish players to do the very thing that we are all slagging Stephen Manchester for. Why is it ok for Manchester not to be have like a professional and move on and concentrate on playing football.[/QUOTE]Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilMcD
I take your point, but I also believe that with Ireland in the Side we would be far more potent, I thought for all or organisation against Macedonia the missing ingredient was someone of Ireland vision
Nobody is doubting that aspect of it. What I am saying and I think a few others is that there is more to team football than the ability to spot a pass etc. He has dirtied his bib big time and it will take a lot of crawling from him for him to fit back into the set. As my signature says, In Trap we trust and I will trst Il Trap on this one.
Now im sure this probably was an exaggeration and i havent seen the game, but newstalk last night called Irelands performance against Pompey as the best all round performance by an Irish player in an EPL game. True??
I think the biggest problem here is the limbo we're all left in. If SI came out and said I dont want to play for Ireland anymore, i have no interest etc i would have more respect for him (thou not much). But at the moment its i want to play but not yet - like what exactly does that mean. Its like telling a young one that nah i dont want to go out with you now but if you loose a bit of weight and get better looking in a few years then maybe ill give you a go then.
In other words i think he needs to be more clear in his intentions, his personal "issues" cant be so disruptive to him judging by his performances for Man C. I think for his own sake he needs to be clear about his intentions and reasons as we are only hearing from Trap and Bradys point of view, SI hasnt said a whole lot.
Motenegro?? I agree to a certain extent though. But I just think Ireland's too arrogant to be a benefit to the current Irish set up. If he came back and didn't get a run for the following two or three games, I've no doubt he'd quit again because he couldn't be bothered fighting for a place in the team cause he thinks he's above that.Quote:
I take your point, but I also believe that with Ireland in the Side we would be far more potent, I thought for all or organisation against Macedonia the missing ingredient was someone of Ireland vision