Get a sense of humour buddy.Quote:
Originally Posted by richieos
Printable View
Get a sense of humour buddy.Quote:
Originally Posted by richieos
I left the country at 3 and moved to the same place as he did. Am I something special because I would still give anything to play for Ireland? I don't think so.Quote:
Originally Posted by irishultra
I wish people would stop making excuses for this liar (not libellous, a fact). I couldn't give a damn how talented he is - he has shown his country means nothing to him, and so deserves nothing from his country's fans in return.
The main problem I have with SI is that he has, for whatever reason, been unwilling to give a definite answer on whether he wants to play or not. This has served to focus attention on Stephen Ireland and not on the team.
I also think it touches on arrogance that SI believes he can come back whenever he wants.
I agree, if he did not want to play and said that ages ago fair enough but its the hamfisted way he has dealt with it and to be honest I hope he gets hamfisted by a Mexican pig.
In that BBC interview (skip the tripe banalities and go to the end of it), he appears to have backed a step or so away from blame, away from claiming Trap did not invite him back, away from that Trap did meet him in a hotel but no proper respect was shown, to stating that he did not enjoy being a part of the set up even before his bizarre departure from Bratislava.
Still a very confused lad, but somewhere in there, is a part recognition that it was down to himself to leave, down to himself not to return and the reasons for not returning predate Slovakia.
Which would bring you to the next (unasked) question, what was it about the set up that put him in such state of panic anxiety.
I'd say a large part of it we already know, from his earlier pompous attitudes to Kerr and the underage set up.
To be honest even if we went over & begged him back, there's no guaranteeing he won't just up sticks again next time he feels like it, unsettling everyone again and guaranteeing another year of media mania. Closure.
I think Trap is very focused on the relationship dynamics within the squad and if he feels that A. Reid, Stephen Ireland and others just aren't worth it, I'd support his opinion.
Just as an aside, I think a lot of the "punts" Trap took on some unfancied players are beginning to look a lot more justifiable based on club form, though I hope Sledge & Lawrence feature prominently soon.
Yeah maybe he does know more about football that some of us on this board.
He's a li'l bitch, is what he is....
Guarantee ye he'll be sniffing around for the play offs...
I doubt that. He's won one European Cup in his whole career. His record is admirable, but some of us have won far more on Football Manager.Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilMcD
I say it's to do with his club situation. Man City have probably love-bombed him too much in an attempt to protect their investment.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
I think Ireland was expecting that the national set-up would also seek to buy his "loyalty" - so to speak. He realised quickly enough that he wasn't going to get any special treatment and invented granny-gate to get back to the pampered lifestyle he had grown accustomed to - pink cars, hair transplants and superman jocks etc etc.
For feck sake the boy only played 6 times for his country, under a completely different setup to the one we have now, he can't go and say he wasn't really enjoying it, and use that as an excuse.
He's in love with himself, unfortunately, and if he were to come back now, or at any point, without making an apology, he would be a dressing-room disruption on the same scale as Roy Keane
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colbert Report
you were making a joke?
......good one
I agree. plus the fact we have still not been given an exact reason as to why he decided to retire himself. The reasons for him not playing for us are still very unclear. Im losing more respect for the guy every passing month.Quote:
Originally Posted by ifk101
Considering where your levels of respect for him were 6 months ago, they must be down to way below zero by now.
Get over yourself lad, the silence from bella is deafening, two days i wasnt on it.Quote:
Originally Posted by SUB of the day
FTR i see nothing wrong with the interview hes said the same thing bout ireland that he always has done. Like others i think he comes across very well in interviews.
You see nothing wrong with a player having no interest in playing for his country:rolleyes:
I do, but circumstances and all that.Quote:
Originally Posted by SUB of the day
What circumstances ???????????????
He couldnt give a flying f**k about his country let him go .
As roy keane says nobody knows the circumstaqnces, i dont but i wouldnt be apart of the bandwagon of hating the lad, too much talent to not want him to play.
Yeah, completely unrelated to him being from Cobh I'm sure:rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by bellavistaman
Yeah were all related in cobh sure.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jicked
I love the misunderstandings on this site sometimes.
How anyone can still defend Stephen Ireland's actions at this stage is honestly far beyond my comprehension. Not only has he refused to play for his country for over a year and a half now without giving any valid reason whatsoever but he seems content from the sidelines to disrupt the current regime at every opportunity by giving statements in interviews about his omission full of contradictions and in some cases downright lies.Quote:
Originally Posted by bellavistaman
The truth is this behaviour is sickening from any professional sportsman and as I've said before its only in Ireland that you would find people making excuses for him in what is in any sane individuals eyes inexcusible. If Ireland was from any other country he'd have long since been crucified by the media and the fans alike for his attitude and deservedly so.
Now hopefully the idiots in the Irish media will stop hassling Trapatonni and the players about the latest news on Stephen Ireland in every interview. I get the impression Ireland revels in the attention he receives on the subject. I hope never, ever to see him in a green shirt again unless he gets a move to Plymouth Argyle.
Good comeback. Why do you feel the need to have a dig at someone?Quote:
Originally Posted by richieos
you made the dig, you mentioned how you think stephen ireland is as relevant to this forum as david connolly, and all i did was explain why i think the situations are different, and you told me to 'get a sense of humour' which is quite strange because i consider you to be one of the best posters on this site.Quote:
Originally Posted by Colbert Report
anyway im not one for getting into arguments so im gonna draw a line under it.
Fair enough, sorry for the misunderstanding.
Hear hear.Quote:
Originally Posted by youngirish
At this stage I don't really know what to think of him, but if you actually watch/listen to that interview, all he is doing is answering a question.
He doesn't go out of his way to talk about Ireland, and he doesn't say anything negative about the team apart from the fact that "it never felt right," or something to that effect.
Although he says he doesn't see a way back, he also says he doesn't want to say "never."
No clue what the issue is, but after watching it on the BBC site there, this interview is hardly the definitive "never play for Ireland again" comment it's being made out to be.
Im not really surprised with that interview, what i suspected all along. Disappointing, I fail to understand it but with an attitude towards the shirt like that I am happy that he is not in the team. Maybe in a few years he might change his mind but he would need to go a long way to prove he deserves the shirt now. It will be interesting to see if there is any change in his attitude if Ireland qualify for the WC.
For now, see ya later, and anyways even if he became available now i dont think it would be appropriate for him to be part of the squad at the moment.
Look, the dude clearly feels he doesn't need International football at this stage... Everythings Rosey in the camp now for him at City. I'm telling ye that's going to change. Dip in form, Change in Manager, change in expecations. Any number of possible things. If anything has emerged out of the last couple of years it's that he has very little strength of charachter and I guarantee he'll be worse off in the long run for not playing for Ireland.
I'm not too bothered now. He's no different to any other good premiership player that's not availible to us in my eyes. I'm actually more mildly irritated at the like of Bellavista and the molly coddling of him. I understand he's trying to be objective and non judgemental. But it's counter productive and I'd say he's surrounded by that kind of persistent appeasement, thus hampering his ability to grow and deal with issues . Be it baldness, banter with team mates, booing fans, dead grannies and women trouble.
Yeah, I'd agree with that. He said it had nothing to do with the players or staff previously but I think there must have been something that turned him off. I don't buy this "doesn't give a sh!t about Ireland" stuff* as he would have never bothered to go to Cyrpus, San Marino, Slovakia etc. If it was for personal glory he would have been back like a light as he would have been perceived as a saviour by the media, return of the prodigal son etc. If he didn't care about Ireland would have drawn the line in the sand completely rather than saying there could be some chance of him playing for Ireland again.Quote:
Originally Posted by irishfan86
* "I would love to play for Ireland, absolutely love it," said Ireland in the official Manchester City magazine.
"If I got a cap this season then it would make my year. There is a friendly in the spring and I would love to get in that squad under the new manager, whoever that might be.
"I don't know whether I am good enough, but there is only one way to really find out, and I suppose if I can hold down a place in City's side until then it will go in my favour."
...
"I recently had a chat with him, and he has told me how desperate he is to play for Ireland, and I'm willing to do what I can to help him achieve that aim."
http://www.rte.ie/sport/2005/1220/irelands.html
That's from 2005. Sure his Grannies were only young ones back then and, alive and kicking. Oh wait...Quote:
Originally Posted by DmanDmythDledge
yeah I think its pretty clear that he is a self indulgent young fella who wants to be cherished and spoilt and when someone does spoil him he throws a huff or makes up some lies.Quote:
Originally Posted by DmanDmythDledge
It was in response to the claims that he doesn't give a **** about Ireland, a point which is not true.Quote:
Originally Posted by strangeirish
That may have been the case back then, but at this point in time, I believe he doesn't give a rats ass about playing for Ireland.Quote:
Originally Posted by DmanDmythDledge
I believe that to be incorrect, for reasons I've already stated.Quote:
Originally Posted by strangeirish
Maybe his girlfriend won't let him :)
The only slither of straw that you can grasp onto from that interview is that he says "never say never".Quote:
Originally Posted by DmanDmythDledge
ATM he doesn't give a rats ass, he can't see a return anywhere on the horizon.
"Never say never" is not in the least bit an indicater of any positive feelings towards the national team.
We are known by our actions. Every one of his actions have contradicted his fine sounding words in the past.
That interview has just brought him a bit closer to being more in harmony with his actions.
It's actually difficult to even be critical of him because he is so patently immature.
Actually I said that as a joke, but thinking about it a little more it may actually be the real reason as it kind of fits the frame as he has not really given a reason and it is the sort of reason you could not give isn't it?Quote:
Originally Posted by tricky_colour
You could not really come out with "My girlfriend won't let me" at a press conference could you?