Stephen Ireland

**musicinmouth** · 14/12/2008, 12:29 PM

That is a very positive development. He has been through a very rough time so I hope that things have improved for him and he is ready to re-join the team.

**kingdomkerry** · 14/12/2008, 12:47 PM

Team vs Georgia?

..............Given
Finnan Dunne O'Se Kilbane
.........Reid Gibson
......Ireland Duff
..........Keane
..........Doyle

Subs
McGeady
McShane
Whelan

**Razors left peg** · 14/12/2008, 1:14 PM

Ive been very critical of his decision not to play for us but I have to say Id be delighted if he was to return, we cant have enough quality players and he is one of the best players in the Premiership right now. Not sure where he would fit into Traps system at the moment but on form there is no way u could leave him out, he would have to be accomodated.Judging by that article its far from clear that he will return straight away but I really hope that if he does he will be welcomed back ,like Lee Carsley was after he stopped playing for us for a couple of years, and not booed by some fans

**Noelys Guitar** · 14/12/2008, 1:27 PM

Could be the differnce between us qualifying and not qualifying. We need a midfielder who can score goals and Ireland has proven he can do that. Plus he is as good a midfield player as anything the Italian's and Bulgarian's have.

**NeilMcD** · 14/12/2008, 1:33 PM

No De Rossi for Roma is a better player, a different player but a better one.

I also heard that his father denied that Stephen Ireland was every bullied by players in the squad. Its about time that this was cleared up and it should have been cleared up long ago by Stephen Ireland.

**tommy_c12000** · 14/12/2008, 1:44 PM

The only way I can see him fitting into Traps system is if he plays him wide on the right. Any time i've seen Ireland play there, he has looked isolated and very uncomfortable. The man is simply not a winger. McGeady is a better option on the right. Ireland is far more effective down the middle. However the only way I can see him playing centre midfield is if Trap goes for 1 up front and 5 in midfield.......or else in the extremely unlikely scenario Trap decides to throw caution to the wind at home against Georgia & plays him alongside Whelan/Gibson/Andrews/etc, leaving 2 up front. Great to see positive developments with regard to the possibility of an international return........but it's still early days

**third policeman** · 14/12/2008, 1:57 PM

The father is by all accounts a massive (not always constructive) influence on Ireland, so this is a very promising development. Hopefully Trapp will be flexible enough to re-think a less than resoundingly successful system to accomodate our most effective and creative midfielder.

**Maroon 7** · 14/12/2008, 3:31 PM

Chances of Trap changing his system are about zero I reckon. If Ireland comes back I can't see him playing anywhere other than right side of midfield which of course is not really his natural position.

Maybe if Trap plays one up front for the odd game Ireland would be used in the centre but apart from that.

**Wheels** · 14/12/2008, 3:34 PM

Originally Posted by Wheels

As I mentioned before, I think he just feels like he wouldn't be welcomed... more by the fans than the team. As evidence I'd point to him mentioning that he still gets hate mail from Ireland to the training ground.

I believe that if he felt the fans wanted him back that he might come back... January is a time for a fresh start.

But he needs to feel wanted. Maybe a campaign of come on back Christmas cards to the training ground would win him over? How pro-active are people feeling?

You're welcome

(joke)

**back of the net** · 14/12/2008, 3:51 PM

its brilliant news - time for a fresh start , and for him and the irish fans to move on and forget about what happened in the past.

i hope he gets a great reception from the fans when he wears the green jersey again

**Manblue** · 14/12/2008, 5:03 PM

ha this is hilarious he hasnt really sed anything, only his dad sputing on, i wudnt believe it til i actually see him kick a ball in an irish Jersey again, cant see him back that soon at all

**Razors left peg** · 14/12/2008, 8:18 PM

Originally Posted by Ciaran

Great news, Ireland is probably the best player the country has at the moment!

Still we need to be realistic, as already pointed out De Rossi is one of the best midfielders in the world, Aquilani is nearly as good and Pirlo probably IS the best midfielder in the world. Big boost against the Bulgarians but we're still heavily up against it to top this group.

no hes not. hes brilliant but not the best in the world

**Crosby87** · 14/12/2008, 8:21 PM

Hope it happens. His dad is 39 years old? What is the deal with that family?

**Wexford Delboy** · 14/12/2008, 8:33 PM

Originally Posted by kingdomkerry

Team vs Georgia?

..............Given
Finnan Dunne O'Se Kilbane
.........Reid Gibson
......Ireland Duff
..........Keane
..........Doyle

Subs
McGeady
McShane
Whelan

Reid is not going to play in any trap system,he will put whelan behind two attacking players like duff and ireland

**elroy** · 14/12/2008, 9:00 PM

Originally Posted by tommy_c12000

The only way I can see him fitting into Traps system is if he plays him wide on the right. Any time i've seen Ireland play there, he has looked isolated and very uncomfortable. The man is simply not a winger. McGeady is a better option on the right. Ireland is far more effective down the middle. However the only way I can see him playing centre midfield is if Trap goes for 1 up front and 5 in midfield.......or else in the extremely unlikely scenario Trap decides to throw caution to the wind at home against Georgia & plays him alongside Whelan/Gibson/Andrews/etc, leaving 2 up front. Great to see positive developments with regard to the possibility of an international return........but it's still early days

Totally agree with all of this, i think Irelands best role is the "Gerrard" role behind the strikers. If we had a strong Roy Keane type player, he and SI would be a top notch midfield, but i dont think playing Whelan and Ireland together would be strong enough. If Ireland comes back i wouldnt like to see him put straight into the starting XI.

**Manblue** · 14/12/2008, 10:00 PM

Why is that??? As punishment is it,,,,

If hes the best man for the job put him in...end off

**RivaldoBabb** · 14/12/2008, 10:25 PM

Yeh he is having a great season, yeh we need him as the rest of the midfielders are sub standard, do I feel like the Messiah is returning to save us take us all the way to South Africa? ... not really, I dont trust the fool.

Perhaps we should now abandon all thoughts of defensive football and play all our attacking players in the same side - mcgeady, A Reid, Ireland, Duff, Keane and Doyle!

Works for Brazil...probably not Traps style though.

**Hibernian** · 14/12/2008, 10:36 PM

Hope this story is true if it is it can only be a good thing for The national team. It is not as if we are blessed with quality players right now and we need as many top premership players as we can get.

Welcome back im sure if we has one our two decent matches and results go the right way for Republic then people wont be long forgetting what happened in first place

**Greenbod** · 15/12/2008, 7:43 AM

Can't understand all this speculation about where he'll fit into the team.......surely he'll be asked where he'd like to play and we should all be grateful whatever he decides!

**elroy** · 15/12/2008, 8:35 AM

Originally Posted by Manblue

Why is that??? As punishment is it,,,,

If hes the best man for the job put him in...end off

No, Because what sort of signal does it send to the rest of the team, when a player who didnt want to show for his national team for the last 12 months or so, suddenly is available again and is immediately in the starting XI.

No doubt it would be great to have him back but look how hard man city are trying to work out a formation that suits attacking players...the likes of SI. As mentioned above, I think he would fit best in our team playing behind the striker, im not sure we really have the quality around him to play him in a midfield 4. Watch him for Man City, he often plays ahead of the strikers, we could not have him playing such a role for Ireland.