Stephen Ireland

[cavan_fan]

Oh my god.....a new low.



Carr and Finnan "sauntered" in and out of the team??? Like when?? Bar injury both have always been available to us. Im not a great fan or Carr but have nothing but respect for Finnan, he was consistently played out of position for Ireland despite been one of the top right backs in europe.

Is it my poor memory that makes me remember Finnan retiring from International duty while he still had a Liverpool career?

[holidaysong]

Is it my poor memory that makes me remember Finnan retiring from International duty while he still had a Liverpool career?

Nope, your memory is correct. He did retire and then came back when Trap was appointed.

[Razors left peg]

Nope, your memory is correct. He did retire and then came back when Trap was appointed.

What about Lee Carsley and Dean Kiely.... should they have apologised first before returning to play after retiring

[SkStu]

did Roy Keane apologise for deserting his country before he came back?

Look Stephen Ireland either comes back fully committed or he doesnt come back at all, no in betweens - no apologies necessary, as long as he does his talking on the pitch.

[Colbert Report]

did Roy Keane apologise for deserting his country before he came back?

Look Stephen Ireland either comes back fully committed or he doesnt come back at all, no in betweens - no apologies necessary, as long as he does his talking on the pitch.

No, but Roy Keane received an official apology from the FAI for the treatment he received in Saipan. He was sent home, he did not walk out on his country. Big difference. I'm amazed people still do not realize this.

[bmorgan87]

No, but Roy Keane received an official apology from the FAI for the treatment he received in Saipan. He was sent home, he did not walk out on his country. Big difference. I'm amazed people still do not realize this.

come on..u cant be serious!?
keane walked out durin the world cup and he had the chance to return!!
young stephen ireland has done nothin wrong..hes 21 with 3 kids for god sake..
roy went back home to wallk his dog!!!!
we need ireland back in the team and any1 who wud even think of givin him a bad reception shud stay at home...

[Colbert Report]

Mick McCarthy sent Roy Keane home. End of story. Maybe you were only fourteen or fifteen at the time but that's what happened. Just the facts.

[EastTerracer]

Mick McCarthy sent Roy Keane home. End of story. Maybe you were only fourteen or fifteen at the time but that's what happened. Just the facts.

I hate to bring this back up again but let's look at the only "facts" we have - those accounts given by the people in the room. If you have ever listened to Keane's side of the story it goes as follows (as he said publicly during his 2003 appearance on the Dunphy chat show on TV3).

"Nobody sent me home, I left". The version in his biography is consistent with this.

During the infamous confrontation in the hotel ballroom in Saipan all the published accounts (Keane, McCarthy & Quinn) agree that Keane told McCarthy to "shove your world cup up your jacksey" and walked out of the room. Mick McCarthy claimed in the subsequent press conference that he had sent Keane home but its not clear that he ever actually said this to Keane (who had already sequestered himself in his hotel room). Roy claims he left Saipan of his own accord but Mick claims he sent him home - which account do you believe? Despite having plenty of opportunities, Keane chose not to play for Ireland for another two years so he wasn't exactly desperate to come back.

On another point of fact the FAI never apologised to Keane (and neither has he for that matter). They accepted the findings of the Genesis report regarding poor logistics and planning but at no stage have they ever said that Keane was correct (nor should they).

[Colbert Report]

I hate to bring this back up again but let's look at the only "facts" we have - those accounts given by the people in the room. If you have ever listened to Keane's side of the story it goes as follows (as he said publicly during his 2003 appearance on the Dunphy chat show on TV3).

"Nobody sent me home, I left". The version in his biography is consistent with this.

During the infamous confrontation in the hotel ballroom in Saipan all the published accounts (Keane, McCarthy & Quinn) agree that Keane told McCarthy to "shove your world cup up your jacksey" and walked out of the room. Mick McCarthy claimed in the subsequent press conference that he had sent Keane home but its not clear that he ever actually said this to Keane (who had already sequestered himself in his hotel room). Roy claims he left Saipan of his own accord but Mick claims he sent him home - which account do you believe? Despite having plenty of opportunities, Keane chose not to play for Ireland for another two years so he wasn't exactly desperate to come back.

On another point of fact the FAI never apologised to Keane (and neither has he for that matter). They accepted the findings of the Genesis report regarding poor logistics and planning but at no stage have they ever said that Keane was correct (nor should they).

There you go. End of story. Let's stay on topic.

[EastTerracer]

Sorry Colbert Report but selective quotes out of context are the only way you can ever claim to win that argument. That debate hasn't been resolved in 6 years and its unlikely it ever will be. We can all quote our own version of the facts but we'll never agree.

Ok back to the topic - if Stephen Ireland is selected in a squad and turns up then that should be the end of the discussion. If he wants to play let him. If he doesn't want to play then let's leave it at that until he changes his mind.

[Wolfie]

[I]"Ireland's father Michael, himself a former Irish U-21 player with 16 caps, believes his talented son is ready to play for Ireland again as the country bids to land a spot at the 2010 World Cup.

Speaking in today's Irish Daily Star Sunday, the 39-year-old revealed: 'The country needs him, he's a good player and he'll go back in his own time. He's just focusing on his family right now and Man City. He's keeping his head down, but he'll be back hopefully next year.'

He added: 'I would never put pressure on him but I'd love to see him at the next World Cup.'

Asked if he is considering a return himself, the Cobh-born 22-year-old added: 'Yeah, yeah, but I'm trying to keep the head down at the moment.'


The attributed quotes above are not compelling evidence to suggest he'll be back in the short term unfortunately.

There'll be no major gain in him returning in the Autumn if we've blown it by then.

There's a temptation to turn our attention to the head to heads with Italy and Bulgaria without concentrating on the Georgia at home game.

This game is massive, as a win against Georgia could be an insurance against an adverse home result against Bulgaria.

Personally, I think Ireland can be accomodated within the starting eleven - where he'd be best deployed is certainly up for debate. Trapp could retain the defensive centre and possibly tinker with the attacking formation to include Ireland.

I think Ireland - in comparison to everyone else currently at our disposal - has the composure to take a chance when it comes his way.

This can't be said of Duff, McGeady or Keane in this campaign.

[paul_oshea]

Good points, well raised wolfie! I definitely think he has the presence of a whipper-snapper without a care and is composed enough to take the chances, that others have lacked, such as in the game against montenegro, in a game like that as with slovakia away he took his chance and it wasn't an easy one. I htink he would have done the same against montenegro. Anyway the Georgia game is massive and whatever about insurance point it puts serious pressure on bulgaria coming to ireland and it also gives us serious relief and as keith wood used to say "shackles are off" and we can just play football. At the moment I think this game could be the most important one we will have played come the end of the qualifying(assuming we are looking at 2nd). The defining point if you will.

[ifk101]

I think he can stay away for this qualification campaign.

[Morbo]

It still seems like he isn't that bothered, that he could take it or leave it, I'd probably take him back purely because he is great form this season but he isn't the answer to our problems, I doubt Trap would play him in the middle, his best position would be behind the main striker but that isn't going to happen unless Keane gets injured so that only leaves the right wing which isn't his best position but he may do a slightly better job that McGeady. So overall he may improve the team slightly but would taking Ireland back now cause a rift in the squad? Trap needs to consider if the pro's of taking him back outweight the cons

[eirebhoy]

[I]"Ireland's father Michael, himself a former Irish U-21 player with 16 caps, believes his talented son is ready to play for Ireland again as the country bids to land a spot at the 2010 World Cup.

Speaking in today's Irish Daily Star Sunday, the 39-year-old revealed: 'The country needs him, he's a good player and he'll go back in his own time. He's just focusing on his family right now and Man City. He's keeping his head down, but he'll be back hopefully next year.'

He added: 'I would never put pressure on him but I'd love to see him at the next World Cup.'

Asked if he is considering a return himself, the Cobh-born 22-year-old added: 'Yeah, yeah, but I'm trying to keep the head down at the moment.'

From the Indo:

Nevertheless, the tentative message emitted from the Manchester City star through the medium of a phone call with a journalist who was in the company of his father provides some chink of light in this protracted issue.

"Yeah, yeah, but I'm just trying to keep my head down at the moment," the 22-year-old is reported to have said when asked if it was true that he was planning to return in the early part of 2009.

I still don't understand why his father would give a journalist his sons phone number (or hand him the phone) to ring while he was standing beside him but the quote from Stephen is pretty much exactly the same as his father so they've obviously been speaking about a return in the new year.

[ken foree]

There'll be no major gain in him returning in the Autumn if we've blown it by then.

well i get you but if doesn't come back in early 2009 AND we have blown it, then surely the main thing to be gained by an autumn return would be some face-saving on his part, i.e. that he wasn't trying to hop on the world cup bandwagon, knowing we weren't going to qualify anyway? it'd almost be the more noble thing to do. but the noblest thing for all would be a massive helping of pride to swallow and a plan to re-shape our midfield to accomodate him if does indeed return in early '09.

[Wolfie]

well i get you but if doesn't come back in early 2009 AND we have blown it, then surely the main thing to be gained by an autumn return would be some face-saving on his part, i.e. that he wasn't trying to hop on the world cup bandwagon, knowing we weren't going to qualify anyway? it'd almost be the more noble thing to do. but the noblest thing for all would be a massive helping of pride to swallow and a plan to re-shape our midfield to accomodate him if does indeed return in early '09.

We need him for the very next game - feck the optics of face saving. No matter when he'd return he'd have to expect some degree of stick.

We've a stronger squad with Ireland included - lets just get him back to the fold and move on.

We need every player with an eye for a goal we can get at the moment.

[ken foree]

We need him for the very next game - feck the optics of face saving. No matter when he'd return he'd have to expect some degree of stick.

We've a stronger squad with Ireland included - lets just get him back to the fold and move on.

We need every player with an eye for a goal we can get at the moment.

yes yes and yes.

[Razors left peg]

They weren't 22 years old when they did it..

why should that make a bit of difference??? If he wants to come back now and he gives his all for us then great

[weldoninhio]

They weren't 22 years old when they did it..

And they didn't kill off 2 grannies to do it.