Quotelaughable laugh sentance. indeed.Originally Posted by Reality Bites
A reasonable thread till laughable laugh sentance, pure pub talk after 8 pints.
laughable laugh sentance. indeed.
Neither contructive or helpful.-
In Trap we trust
haha brilliant!!!!!
Havin a weekend away is quite frankly,lettin ur team mates down!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 too
Allegedly he said as long as Hunt and Keane are in the squad he is not going to return.
Last edited by NeilMcD; 22/09/2008 at 1:39 PM.
In Trap we trust
Where did you hear/see this Neil??
It is not in print but like Marvin Gaye I heard it through the Grapevine, and grape being the opperative word.
Last edited by NeilMcD; 22/09/2008 at 1:48 PM.
In Trap we trust
Reliable source then...
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.
In Trap we trust
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!!
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.
Last edited by Lionel Ritchie; 22/09/2008 at 2:36 PM.
" I wish to God that someone would be able to block out the voices in my head for five minutes, the voices that scream, over and over again: "Why do they come to me to die?"
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