he's too short for his shorts.
Stephen Ireland - We could do with him
- Thread starter bazalini
- Start date
he's too short for his shorts.
he's not got a God given right to play but that one incident was supposedly responsible for him not wanting to play for Kerr. again, only he & Kerr know the real truth behind that. he's been well treated by City all along the way. maybe he feels that he's not been treated as well in the Rep. setup.
Roy Keane walked away because of the mickey mouse attitude inherent with the FAI.
It really is a shit tattoo. The feathers are all pointed downward. WTF is that!
Id never heard of him before Citeh. I assume he was with Cobh Ramblers? Nobody seems to have any explanation as to how he earned a move to Citeh. It's different with Doyle going to Reading, everyone in Cork knew how good he was
doubt he'd played for Ramblers. he would have played for Springfield or some other kids team there.
he left Cobh as soon as City could take him which was when he was 15, iirc.
City had him picked out when he was much younger. he was that good, even at a young age.
he left Cobh as soon as City could take him which was when he was 15, iirc.
City had him picked out when he was much younger. he was that good, even at a young age.
Just seen him being interviewed on Football Focus. Clearly, for whatever reason(as he said it wasn't the managers/players/staff that were the problem) he doesn't want to come back. He said something like "You can't say never, but I wasn't enjoying my time there, even before I left".
If he doesn't want to play, leave him to it. He'll regret it after he retires, I'll bet everything I have on that.
If he doesn't want to play, leave him to it. He'll regret it after he retires, I'll bet everything I have on that.
He'll probably go back when he's grown up a bit and realises what he's turning down.
Bottled it today.
He is much better than that overrated stepover merchant Robinho
Not in this life
The flop of the century
Eh??
OK he's not been God-like but 14 goals in your debut season in this country playing for a mid-table side makes him far from a flop.
He was OK today. Bit rash defensively and he was playing too far forward in the first half but he certainly wasn't their worst player.
Do we need him with fletcher and anderson around and hargeaves back next season? Nope.
Exactly you can't judge him properly on his first season.
He's not far off the top goalscorers and will be better next season
Best chant from yesterday......
"Ireland, hows you gran? Ireland, Ireland hows your gran?"
"Ireland, hows you gran? Ireland, Ireland hows your gran?"
He is an Arsenal kind of player. Would fit in well with that lot
Hunt needs to feck off then Baz if it means Ireland will come back
'kinell
I missed that one.
K Stand - it wasnt a loud one.
Stephen Ireland will never again pull on the green jersey. His heart is not in it. He has finally come out and put this thing to bed in the media. http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/i-have-no-future-with-republic-insists-ireland-1735054.html .He is an insecure type and hates being away from his wife. I guess we are finally realising what goes on in his insane head and now know that it has nothing to do with Stephen Hunt.
So I wish him all the best in his City career and I will never take much interest again in his career because I don't think the Irish should support him in anyway if he isn't arsed about pulling his talented weight for the national team. To me now he is just another player such as Pascal Chimbonda or Gabriel Heinze whose careers I also have very little or no interest in.
And Stephen Hunt will have our full support now and I will look forward to following his career in England with great pride. Even if those bullying rumours about him and Ireland are true then I think we need to side with Hunt as he fights for the jersey with pride while Ireland would prefer to be out in trendy shopping centres in Manchester buying clothes for his wife on his days off instead of doing his nation proud. Goodbye Ireland, Your insecurities wont be missed as the national team needs real characters made out of the right stuff.
So I wish him all the best in his City career and I will never take much interest again in his career because I don't think the Irish should support him in anyway if he isn't arsed about pulling his talented weight for the national team. To me now he is just another player such as Pascal Chimbonda or Gabriel Heinze whose careers I also have very little or no interest in.
And Stephen Hunt will have our full support now and I will look forward to following his career in England with great pride. Even if those bullying rumours about him and Ireland are true then I think we need to side with Hunt as he fights for the jersey with pride while Ireland would prefer to be out in trendy shopping centres in Manchester buying clothes for his wife on his days off instead of doing his nation proud. Goodbye Ireland, Your insecurities wont be missed as the national team needs real characters made out of the right stuff.
From NOTW:
MANCHESTER UNITED EYE STEPHEN IRELAND
Mark Hughes desperate to ward off interest in midfielder
By DAVID HARRISON, 23/05/2009
MANCHESTER CITY are desperate to push through a new £80,000-a-week contract deal with Stephen Ireland to ward off the interest of Manchester United.
Sir Alex Ferguson has been monitoring Ireland's situation - and is lining up a shock summer swoop.
The Republic of Ireland midfielder has expressed concern that the Eastlands club have yet to start talks about a new contract.
Ireland warned he might have to consider a move elsewhere if the stand-off continued.
But City have been alerted to the United boss' interest and are now set to bring forward contract talks this week.
Ireland has always insisted he wants to stay at City for the rest of his career, but he became disillusioned with the club's failure to improve his contract.
He currently collects around £30,000 a week and is seeking parity with new signings Wayne Bridge and Craig Bellamy, who pick up in excess of £80,000.
Fergie has been impressed with the player's form and new-found determination to make the most of his talent over the course of the last season.
He views Ireland as the perfect long- term replacement for veteran Paul Scholes.
The City player has the box-to-box energy and drive Scholes showed during his peak years as well as the same knack for scoring vital goals.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is also an Ireland admirer.
***
Ireland = Scholes?
Does NOTW even know what type of player Scholes is?
MANCHESTER UNITED EYE STEPHEN IRELAND
Mark Hughes desperate to ward off interest in midfielder
By DAVID HARRISON, 23/05/2009
MANCHESTER CITY are desperate to push through a new £80,000-a-week contract deal with Stephen Ireland to ward off the interest of Manchester United.
Sir Alex Ferguson has been monitoring Ireland's situation - and is lining up a shock summer swoop.
The Republic of Ireland midfielder has expressed concern that the Eastlands club have yet to start talks about a new contract.
Ireland warned he might have to consider a move elsewhere if the stand-off continued.
But City have been alerted to the United boss' interest and are now set to bring forward contract talks this week.
Ireland has always insisted he wants to stay at City for the rest of his career, but he became disillusioned with the club's failure to improve his contract.
He currently collects around £30,000 a week and is seeking parity with new signings Wayne Bridge and Craig Bellamy, who pick up in excess of £80,000.
Fergie has been impressed with the player's form and new-found determination to make the most of his talent over the course of the last season.
He views Ireland as the perfect long- term replacement for veteran Paul Scholes.
The City player has the box-to-box energy and drive Scholes showed during his peak years as well as the same knack for scoring vital goals.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is also an Ireland admirer.
***
Ireland = Scholes?
Does NOTW even know what type of player Scholes is?
Yet again a thread from the caf has been picked up by journos
Ireland's very, very good. And Fergie could knock sense into him. The question though, if you were to take supposed United interest at face value, which I don't seeing as it's the Sun and he criticised United just before the derby, is how much he would cost relative to what you might get from abroad for a similar price.
Since he's with city, who don't need money, he would be very, very expensive. I can't see them letting him go for less than £18 million or that.
Then the other thing is that city, with their plan for world domination, can't be seen to be letting their best players leave. It makes a mockery of all they've worked for, how can they attract superstars if they can't even keep their homegrown players?
Anyway, in closing, despite Ireland's flaws, for reasons I've cited in other posts, I'd have no qualms whatsoever in seeing Ireland with United, or back with his country.
Since he's with city, who don't need money, he would be very, very expensive. I can't see them letting him go for less than £18 million or that.
Then the other thing is that city, with their plan for world domination, can't be seen to be letting their best players leave. It makes a mockery of all they've worked for, how can they attract superstars if they can't even keep their homegrown players?
Anyway, in closing, despite Ireland's flaws, for reasons I've cited in other posts, I'd have no qualms whatsoever in seeing Ireland with United, or back with his country.
He's become a quality player this season and I think would improve further at a top club... however, City would be stupid to get rid of him. So he'll probably be released on a free or something then.
Seems a bit premature to say that based on one season.
Is he out of contract this summer i.e. we could get him for free?
I wouldn't say no.
I wouldn't say no.
The current contract expires in 2011.
Hes a playmaker, something we dont have when we play 4-4-2. Sign him.
not so sure, he's shown quality before it's just now he's added consistancy. I think he's a good player so it'll be interesting
City would demand a lot more than £18 million. Something closer to £25 million just because its us. They'd probably even turn that down, not wanting to sell one of their own to us and would rather keep him, unhappy, than let us have him.
Ireland is a good player but he wont be coming.
Man City secure new Ireland deal
Stephen Ireland has signed a new five-year contract at Manchester City.
The Irish midfielder has been rewarded for an outstanding season in which he won the club's player of the year award ahead of the more illustrious names.
"I never had any doubts about staying," Ireland, 22, told the club's website. "Hopefully, I'm going to be here for the remainder of my career.
"I don't see why not. I'm settled, I love the club and the fans and I don't see what's going to make me leave."
Ireland's existing deal ran until the end of the 2010-11 season, but his new agreement lasts until 2014.
At this stage last year, there were questions over his future at the club as the academy graduate seemed to lose his way under Sven-Goran Eriksson.
But he forced his way into Mark Hughes' side at the start of the season, and has never relinquished his place despite a total overhaul of the City midfield under the club's billionaire owners.
Ireland added: "These are very exciting times. It's going to be interesting to see what the line-up will be at the start of next season and how far we can push on.
"Hopefully we can compete for the title and get back into Europe."
Hughes said: "Stephen's new contract is great news for everyone concerned. He was outstanding last season and is now one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.
"He thoroughly deserves all the praise after the hard work that he undertook last summer, and I know that he is already aiming to do even better for us next season and beyond."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/8056984.stm
Stephen Ireland has signed a new five-year contract at Manchester City.
The Irish midfielder has been rewarded for an outstanding season in which he won the club's player of the year award ahead of the more illustrious names.
"I never had any doubts about staying," Ireland, 22, told the club's website. "Hopefully, I'm going to be here for the remainder of my career.
"I don't see why not. I'm settled, I love the club and the fans and I don't see what's going to make me leave."
Ireland's existing deal ran until the end of the 2010-11 season, but his new agreement lasts until 2014.
At this stage last year, there were questions over his future at the club as the academy graduate seemed to lose his way under Sven-Goran Eriksson.
But he forced his way into Mark Hughes' side at the start of the season, and has never relinquished his place despite a total overhaul of the City midfield under the club's billionaire owners.
Ireland added: "These are very exciting times. It's going to be interesting to see what the line-up will be at the start of next season and how far we can push on.
"Hopefully we can compete for the title and get back into Europe."
Hughes said: "Stephen's new contract is great news for everyone concerned. He was outstanding last season and is now one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.
"He thoroughly deserves all the praise after the hard work that he undertook last summer, and I know that he is already aiming to do even better for us next season and beyond."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/8056984.stm
Dimitar Berbatov I hope you are reading this article!! Possibly Anderson too could do with a bit of a kick up the arse!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ing-day--secret-Stephen-Irelands-success.html
While most footballers are jetting off to the other side of the planet for a luxury holiday, Stephen Ireland was showing no signs of putting his feet up.
The Manchester City star revealed that his incredible performances last season were down to his refusal to take the summer off, instead preferring to take part in an intensive martial arts regime before pre-season.
Stairway to heaven: Stephen Ireland sprints up the 100 steps
And while his team-mates are soaking up the sun, Ireland is at it again - as these exclusive Sportsmail pictures prove.
The Irish midfielder, wearing a T-shirt bearing the face of Madeleine McCann, was put through his paces by a personal trainer at the Evade Blackbelt School in Glossop, Derbyshire.
Ireland was forced to sprint up a down a set of 100 steps before heading to the gym to take part in a rigorous mixed martial arts session.
His obsession with fitness was triggered in the wake of his side's embarrassing 8-1 hammering at Middlesbrough on the final day of the 2007-08season.
Ireland vowed to change his ways after that game and has stuck to his word ever since.
'It was the last day of the season and we had lost 8-1 at Boro,’ he told Sportsmail in March. 'I didn’t get the team bus. I got my girlfriend Jessica to drive me home and I thought to myself: "This can’t carry on. My career and my reputation are not right."
'After that game we didn’t even get a b******ing. I was so depressed at seeing that people didn’t really care. People were laughing. It was the worst moment of all for me.
'I decided that wasn’t a route I was going down. I didn’t want to live my life travelling home from big defeats with a smile on my face.
He's g-loving it: Ireland hits out in the gym
'I just felt like I had to change something after everything that had happened. So, the next day I started training. I went up to the hills in Glossop with a martial arts expert, training from 7 to 11am. I dedicated my whole summer to working with this guy.
'I came back super fit and wanted to be No 1 in the team.’
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ing-day--secret-Stephen-Irelands-success.html
While most footballers are jetting off to the other side of the planet for a luxury holiday, Stephen Ireland was showing no signs of putting his feet up.
The Manchester City star revealed that his incredible performances last season were down to his refusal to take the summer off, instead preferring to take part in an intensive martial arts regime before pre-season.
Stairway to heaven: Stephen Ireland sprints up the 100 steps
And while his team-mates are soaking up the sun, Ireland is at it again - as these exclusive Sportsmail pictures prove.
The Irish midfielder, wearing a T-shirt bearing the face of Madeleine McCann, was put through his paces by a personal trainer at the Evade Blackbelt School in Glossop, Derbyshire.
Ireland was forced to sprint up a down a set of 100 steps before heading to the gym to take part in a rigorous mixed martial arts session.
His obsession with fitness was triggered in the wake of his side's embarrassing 8-1 hammering at Middlesbrough on the final day of the 2007-08season.
Ireland vowed to change his ways after that game and has stuck to his word ever since.
'It was the last day of the season and we had lost 8-1 at Boro,’ he told Sportsmail in March. 'I didn’t get the team bus. I got my girlfriend Jessica to drive me home and I thought to myself: "This can’t carry on. My career and my reputation are not right."
'After that game we didn’t even get a b******ing. I was so depressed at seeing that people didn’t really care. People were laughing. It was the worst moment of all for me.
'I decided that wasn’t a route I was going down. I didn’t want to live my life travelling home from big defeats with a smile on my face.
He's g-loving it: Ireland hits out in the gym
'I just felt like I had to change something after everything that had happened. So, the next day I started training. I went up to the hills in Glossop with a martial arts expert, training from 7 to 11am. I dedicated my whole summer to working with this guy.
'I came back super fit and wanted to be No 1 in the team.’
Fair play to him. Might be a complete cartoon but he's arguably the most improved player in the Premiership.
Good player, will get better. Would have to offer shitloads to get him though 
Good player, will get better. Would have to offer shitloads to get him though
Wouldnt want him at United!
I heard that at Oasis in Slane, he was guest of the Gallaghers & he reportedly said he wants to sit down with Trappatoni & try to sort things out for him to get back in the squad. Dont know whether thats bullshit or not as its not been reported in the media, but I have that feeling he's only lookin to come back for the World Cup as we're doin well & he couldnt give a toss deep down about the team!
I could be wrong though - wouldnt be the first time either!
Ive been watching him for years, always head and shoulders above his peers at underage level with city and through their academy. You could see the ability sometimes his own team mates let him down. He'd play a wonderful pass but the likes of Etuhu wouldnt have a clue. Always felt he'd be suited to Italian football, very gifted IMO.
Grade A twat at the same time
Ive been watching him for years, always head and shoulders above his peers at underage level with city and through their academy. You could see the ability sometimes his own team mates let him down. He'd play a wonderful pass but the likes of Etuhu wouldnt have a clue. Always felt he'd be suited to Italian football, very gifted IMO.
Grade A twat at the same time
Yeah spot on Tron. He really excelled at Youth level with ROI but even back then he was a twat, falling out with Brian Kerr & vowing never to play under Kerr ever again. That for me set the wheels in motion that we had a proper little Traveller on our hands here. Its a fecking wonder that he comes from the same place as Keano - Cobh in County Cork. Would love to see Keano having a word with him & knock some sense into him!
That said, that article - posted by Ring 07: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ing-day--secret-Stephen-Irelands-success.html
...shines a different light on the "Grade A Twat" as you say mate...