Stephen Ireland

**Morbo** · 09/05/2008, 12:08 PM

Didn't realize that City were scheduled to play MU and Chelsea on those dates. If he doesn't want to play friendlies then he can f*ck off, Charlton banished O'Leary(a far better player) for thinking he was too good to play friendlies and I seriously doubt Trap is going to pander to this idiot, I can understand if some older players nearing the end of their career don't want to play friendlies as it is tougher on them physically to play so many games a year but there is no excuse for young upstarts snubbing friendlies

**jbyrne** · 09/05/2008, 2:00 PM

Originally Posted by Ciaran

Yes because playing teams like Serbia and Colombia is a much higher level than Chelsea and Man Utd.

so thats our last two ever matches is it?

what about the chance to play italy home and away in a world cup qualifier? surely the ambition of any even half ambitious footballer

**FarBeag** · 09/05/2008, 9:24 PM

Originally Posted by Ciaran

Yes because playing teams like Serbia and Colombia is a much higher level than Chelsea and Man Utd.

Another excellent post by the ever so insight less Ciaran. The fact that this idiot has to be begged to play for his country says it all. It does not matter who we play be it a friendly or otherwise he should be privileged to wear the green jersey. I don�t know of any player in any other country where this would happen. To be honest he can crawl under a stone and rot for all I care.

**Emmet** · 09/05/2008, 10:41 PM

Originally Posted by Ciaran

Yes because playing teams like Serbia and Colombia is a much higher level than Chelsea and Man Utd.

International football is a very different challenge to club football and besides Man City don't play those two sides every week! Last week against Liverpool he was very poor.

If Stephen Ireland wanted to represent his country he would have made that clear by now. He hasn't done that which says it all really. He's overrated and quite frankly we are better off without him. I'd rather have players with little skill but 100% commitment than have players with half-decent skill and 10% commitment. Hopefully Trappetoni will see through it all and rule him out altogether; that way we can move forward and focus on the players who are proud to be Irish and who actually want to represent their country and who don't see a green jersey as an embarrassing inconvenience.

**stiffler** · 10/05/2008, 9:58 AM

I was fully supportive of Stephen Ireland joining the fold, and I hoped that all would look over his previous misdemeanours and give him a fresh start, but if this is true about him not wanting to play in this to friendlies then I dont want to see him in an Ireland shirt ever again.

There is no room for primadonnas under this new regime, if we want it to be successful.

**Greenforever** · 10/05/2008, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by Emmet

International football is a very different challenge to club football and besides Man City don't play those two sides every week! Last week against Liverpool he was very poor.

If Stephen Ireland wanted to represent his country he would have made that clear by now. He hasn't done that which says it all really. He's overrated and quite frankly we are better off without him. I'd rather have players with little skill but 100% commitment than have players with half-decent skill and 10% commitment. Hopefully Trappetoni will see through it all and rule him out altogether; that way we can move forward and focus on the players who are proud to be Irish and who actually want to represent their country and who don't see a green jersey as an embarrassing inconvenience.

Excellent post, agree completely

**superfrank** · 10/05/2008, 12:20 PM

A bit OT I know, but what do people on here think of Ryan Giggs?

**Paddy Garcia** · 10/05/2008, 7:57 PM

If ever a player less deserved 515 posts! s**t 516 now.

**Paddy Garcia** · 10/05/2008, 7:58 PM

Originally Posted by superfrank

A bit OT I know, but what do people on here think of Ryan Giggs?

I'd rather talk about Giggs to be honest. I think he is a very good footballer. What do you think of him ?

**superfrank** · 11/05/2008, 2:22 PM

Originally Posted by Paddy Garcia

I'd rather talk about Giggs to be honest. I think he is a very good footballer. What do you think of him ?

I think he's a very good player but his attitude is very similar to Ireland's. Giggs has been one of the top wingers in the Premiership for 10-15 years. He's made 64 appearances for Wales in that time.

Who knows how many he would have made if he was "available" for every Wales game?

Ireland's not the only player like this.

**mypost** · 11/05/2008, 5:21 PM

How did he get on against the might of Middlesbrough?? Heard there was 9 goals in the game....

**Razors left peg** · 11/05/2008, 5:34 PM

Originally Posted by mypost

How did he get on against the might of Middlesbrough?? Heard there was 9 goals in the game....

yeah and they were all Steven Irelands fault of course

**Emmet** · 11/05/2008, 11:32 PM

Originally Posted by superfrank

I think he's a very good player but his attitude is very similar to Ireland's. Giggs has been one of the top wingers in the Premiership for 10-15 years. He's made 64 appearances for Wales in that time.

Who knows how many he would have made if he was "available" for every Wales game?

Ireland's not the only player like this.

Ryan Giggs is world class; Stephen Ireland isn't. Giggs will play in a lot more matches over the course of a season for his club side because they compete in more competitions and are way more successful: Giggs was winning the League today and will be competing in the CL Final in nine days' time. Ireland's side lost 8-1 in a meaningless end-of-season kickabout to Middlesbrough today. I don't know too much about the circumstances behind his availability, or lack of, but I don't recall ever hearing about Giggs' Grans dying.

I would agree with you comparing Giggs to someone like Roy Keane but not to Stephen Ireland.

**SilkCut** · 12/05/2008, 1:44 AM

Well said Emmet. Giggs has proved himself at every level of football, Ireland has not yet established himself as anything more than a decent premiership player with the potential to grow. Giggs at the same stage of his career had proved himself as an outstanding prospect. Midfielders like Ireland are abundant, we have much better players than him - S. Reid, A. Reid, Hunt, Carsley even Glen Whelan is looking like a better option now that he is Premiership bound. Ireland reminds me of Liam Miller who was supposed to be the next Irish superstar!!! Millers attitude has ruined his career (cos he undoubtedly has talent) and Ireland is heading the same way. If a top class performer doesnt want to play friendlies thats fine - they have nothing to prove - but any young up and coming player should want to play in every game in order to break into the team for WC EC games. This is what friendlies are for FFS.

**Dr. Ogba** · 12/05/2008, 8:39 AM

Originally Posted by SilkCut

Ireland reminds me of Liam Miller who was supposed to be the next Irish superstar!!! Millers attitude has ruined his career (cos he undoubtedly has talent) and Ireland is heading the same way. .

you may be on to something there...

**bellavistaman** · 12/05/2008, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by mypost

How did he get on against the might of Middlesbrough?? Heard there was 9 goals in the game....

[QUOTE=www.manchestereveningnews.com]IRELAND: Always looks stylish on the ball and ran tirelessly in a hopeless cause 5.

Elano got 6 for his goal, Petrov got 5 all the rest were under 5.

**superfrank** · 12/05/2008, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by mypost

How did he get on against the might of Middlesbrough?? Heard there was 9 goals in the game....

He's an attacking midfielder. Defence isn't his priority and if you'd actually watched the game, you'd know he set up Elano for the goal but, hey, don't let sense get in the way of your hate for Stephen Ireland.

Originally Posted by Emmet

Ryan Giggs is world class; Stephen Ireland isn't. Giggs will play in a lot more matches over the course of a season for his club side because they compete in more competitions and are way more successful: Giggs was winning the League today and will be competing in the CL Final in nine days' time. Ireland's side lost 8-1 in a meaningless end-of-season kickabout to Middlesbrough today. I don't know too much about the circumstances behind his availability, or lack of, but I don't recall ever hearing about Giggs' Grans dying.

I never compared Ireland and Giggs ability-wise.

My point was that Giggs' international career has suffered because of his commitment to a successful club career i.e. the post-match "injuries" on a Saturday that rule him out for Wales on a Wednesday but seem him magnficcently recover for Man U's match on the following Saturday.

Why does Giggs do this?

Clearly, Ireland's not the only one who puts club over country.

**galwayhoop** · 12/05/2008, 1:24 PM

Originally Posted by superfrank

Why does Giggs do this?

Clearly, Ireland's not the only one who puts club over country.

I could be wrong but I thought that Giggs only stopped turning up for Welsh games when he was an established player. Ireland is a relative spring chicken in that he is only on the scene for a season or so. Also while Giggs didn't do friendlies he did turn up for competitive games.

Stephen Ireland has opted out of competitive games by inventing the death of close relatives, apparantely because the lads were slagging him about getting hair transplants!! What a tosser. Good riddance. He deserves no respect at all from Irish supporters. He can stay in Manchester and have a very successful career but I don't want him to appear in an Irish jersey again or at least until he grows up and realizes it is an honour to represent your country.

**superfrank** · 12/05/2008, 1:30 PM

Originally Posted by galwayhoop

Stephen Ireland has opted out of competitive games by inventing the death of close relatives, apparantely because the lads were slagging him about getting hair transplants!! What a tosser. Good riddance. He deserves no respect at all from Irish supporters.

You don't even know what you are talking about.