Stephen Ireland

**Closed Account** · 05/03/2011, 2:40 PM

What's becoming apparent is that Stephen is very naive. I don't have a lot of time for him.

Pardew, who only knows him about a month puts it very well,

I wouldn't say he's complicated, I would say he's emotional, he perhaps wears his heart on his sleeve more than most players.

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/spo...rt_is_on_hold/

**TrapAPony** · 05/03/2011, 2:44 PM

What did Stephen say re playing for Ireland as a matter of interest? Is he standing by his words that Trapattoni is arrogant?

**AlaskaFox** · 05/03/2011, 2:47 PM

Originally Posted by TrapAPony

What did Stephen say re playing for Ireland as a matter of interest?

He wouldn't rule it out down the line, as football is a funny old game or somesuch nonsense.

**Closed Account** · 05/03/2011, 2:49 PM

Originally Posted by TrapAPony

What did Stephen say re playing for Ireland as a matter of interest? Is he standing by his words that Trapattoni is arrogant?

Dodged it a little, said it was a few weeks after Trap got the job and that Trap seemed more preoccupied than interested. The way Stevie saw it was that Trap was only meeting him as lip service and might not of even seen Stephen ever play. Its believable but at the same time, why should Trapattoni have to go meet a player to
convince them to play for your country. Grow up.

When the podcast up is up, it's worth a listen, you might interpret it differently.

**EastTerracer** · 05/03/2011, 2:50 PM

Originally Posted by TrapAPony

What did Stephen say re playing for Ireland as a matter of interest? Is he standing by his words that Trapattoni is arrogant?

Very contradictory to be honest. He seems to think Trap was only going through the motions and didn't really want him. Then he says that Trap is a vey busy man so maybe he was just distracted. He said he spoke to Brady quite a lot.

He said he'd never rule anything out and that when he gets himself fit he'd see what happens. He is friends with McShane and Keogh and says every Irish player he knows would welcome him back. He did sound more defensive about the Cork quotes than the Ireland ones. Neil O'Riordan and Daniel McDonnell both suggesting that his family may have pushed him to do the interview to tone down the Cork comments.

**tetsujin1979** · 05/03/2011, 2:51 PM

just that he'd never say never about coming back, and that he almost did come back under Staunton after he met him a lot

**Yard of Pace** · 05/03/2011, 3:04 PM

As Joe says above, the fact that he sees it as acceptable behaviour to have a series of meetings with a manager to discuss possibly going back playing football for his country is just ridiculous. I don't think he'll ever come back and we're better off, sure you'd never know what he might do, not turn up for games or walk out at crucial moments etc.

**Closed Account** · 05/03/2011, 3:09 PM

Incidentally
http://media.newstalk.ie/podcast/22934/

**Colbert Report** · 05/03/2011, 3:20 PM

Originally Posted by joe_denilson

Incidentally
http://media.newstalk.ie/podcast/22934/

You guys should listen to this before judging him. The poor guy is almost crying in the interview. I feel sorry for him.

**AlaskaFox** · 05/03/2011, 4:11 PM

Originally Posted by Colbert Report

You guys should listen to this before judging him. The poor guy is almost crying in the interview. I feel sorry for him.

**back of the net** · 05/03/2011, 8:29 PM

Thanks Joe for posting the link

Just listened to it there - dont believe a word that comes out of his mouth

How can a french journalist misquote " Id sooner shoot myself"

According to him - he was misquoted on everything!!!

Think the only reason he is not ruling out a return to the international career is to revive his rapidly failing club career

If he comes back I will support him of course as I would of any man that represents me and my country but I dont want him back

**CraftyToePoke** · 05/03/2011, 8:34 PM

Originally Posted by back of the net

If he comes back I will support him of course as I would of any man that represents me and my country but I dont want him back

Very noble of you B.O.T.N. I would be hard pushed not to boo him hard in the hope he might go away again. Hopefully I wont ever have to face this choice.

**paul_oshea** · 05/03/2011, 9:42 PM

Stephen, hello? is that you son?
ya, Mam its me!
do you remember so and so
oh ya down near ....
well he's dead
ok thanks thats great news mam, thanks.

the average immigrant call from the mammy, save the thanks at the end from stephen.

**Thunderblaster** · 05/03/2011, 11:11 PM

Pity Michael Collins, De Valera, the 1916 Leaders, etc weren't still alive to read that interview. They would have banged him up in jail if he set foot back in Ireland. The interview must be bordering on sedition against the State. His Irish passport, in my opinion, should be revoked. The only acceptable apology would be for Stephen Ireland to read out the Easter Proclaimation, recite the Irish Constitution, pledge that he represents his country when asked and swear the Oath of Allegiance to the State. Other than that, check out our sedition laws to see whether he caused an offence against the state, though it would be hard to prosecute given the interview was outside the jurisdiction.

**Colbert Report** · 05/03/2011, 11:46 PM

Originally Posted by Thunderblaster

Pity Michael Collins, De Valera, the 1916 Leaders, etc weren't still alive to read that interview. They would have banged him up in jail if he set foot back in Ireland. The interview must be bordering on sedition against the State. His Irish passport, in my opinion, should be revoked. The only acceptable apology would be for Stephen Ireland to read out the Easter Proclaimation, recite the Irish Constitution, pledge that he represents his country when asked and swear the Oath of Allegiance to the State. Other than that, check out our sedition laws to see whether he caused an offence against the state, though it would be hard to prosecute given the interview was outside the jurisdiction.

wtf? the lad clearly has mental issues, cut him a break

**Charlie Darwin** · 06/03/2011, 12:32 AM

Holy ****, Thunderblaster just single-handedly broke my hyperbole metre! Where am I going to find another one of those?

**SwanVsDalton** · 06/03/2011, 2:01 AM

Thunderblaster is clearly a Norse God of some sort so he's just demanding justice the only way he knows how.

**Closed Account** · 06/03/2011, 2:29 AM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Holy ****, Thunderblaster just single-handedly broke my hyperbole metre! Where am I going to find another one of those?

Where did you buy the first one? The greatest shop in the world I imagine.

**DannyInvincible** · 06/03/2011, 2:34 AM

Obviously, as we all know, newspapers, magazines and such can very often stretch or put a spin on the meaning of quotes or latch onto careless statements outside of their context in order to build a story to suit their own agenda, but they don't make the bloody things up. Otherwise, they'd leave themselves open to a libel action. It would be interesting if the full interview - including questions posed - was published from start to finish so we could better gauge the context, but I still fear that what Ireland says would read as very distasteful, disrespectful and arrogant. Without getting too carried away by the weasel, I reckon the Newstalk interview is an agent/family-advised clean-up operation. I can't quite tell for sure if he's a truly repugnant individual, a lunatic with emotional issues or just an extremely naïve idiot who is prone to rather crass hyperbole. I originally found myself in the 'maybe have him back after an apology' camp, having faith in people's ability to learn from their mistakes, but my sympathy for this mouthpiece has seriously waned over time to the point where it is now virtually non-existent. I think I'd find it difficult to watch him in an Ireland jersey ever again. A re-run of the poll would be interesting indeed.