own up if you wanted Ireland out last season thread

[blue 1992]

i wanted him out at that time.

 

[samharris]

The honesty on here brings a tear to the eye it really does...now can we all please give players a chance to prove themselves before we rip em apart..

Ireland ,Big phil..........er....Jo !! wrong on the first 2 werent we.

 

[milo]

Forgive me...

I do think SWP & Rob have brought him on leaps n bounds...

 

[Tell The King]

Yep, i was there, wanting him gone. And, shockingly, for a couple of games at the start of the season. I had it in my head still from the previous season. Then humble pie was shovelled, gloriously down my throat.

 

[MCFCTrick]

Guilty as charged, saw the potential in him, but simply didn't think he had the attitude to apply it. He proved me wrong this season beyond belief. And I couldn't be happier for the lad.
Now, this young kid, Jo.........

 

[OB1]

Definitely times I wanted him out of the starting line-up but I didn't want him sold: you have to give young players time to mature and they all do that at different rates and when the problem is clearly lack of consistency as opposed to limited ability, you give them longer. That's why I hope City stick with players like Ned, Jo, Cas, Gelson, Hart, Richards, Garrido, Sturridge and Evans because even if they don't eventually make it to be first team regulars at City, they increase in value sufficiently enough to more than pay for their wages whilst with us; although a profit on Jo might be difficult!

 

[Pam]

I was beginning not to rate him by the end of last season but it didn't take much to change my mind. Always thought he was a clever player.

 

[MikeF]

I was indifferent to whether we kept him or not, although I have to say there was a bloke at the gym who was his biggest critic and said at the time he'd have driven him up to Sunderland, just to get rid, quite like pointing this out to him at every given opportunity

 

[Anonymous]

I did. I look a right knob now. :)

If it's possible to look back through my posts you'll see that personally i never , at any stage whatsoever , suggested that Stephen Ireland should be sold by the club ...... just that the player himself had never , up until this season , done himself full justice ..... i still say that was the case , and the player himself has admitted it too!

Stephen Ireland is a much better player this season than he he's ever been ...... partly due to the excessive fitness routine that he put himself through pre-season , part because of his training now (he puts the extra hours in) , and part because he actually WANTED to improve and realise his full potential for the club ...... this attitude in turn has brought consistency , and a pretty good goal return for a midfielder.

He always had the vision , he's always had the class , but he DIDN'T always show the required DESIRE ...... and that , more often than not , was what landed the player on the bench for far more games than it really should have over seasons gone by.

He'd be the first to admit that he's shown greater maturity as a player ...... so fair play to him now for really buckling down and turning things around ....... he seems to be very happy at City , and we're lucky to have him.

 

[JOGAMIGMOG]

I did. I look a right knob now. :)

If it's possible to look back through my posts you'll see that personally i never , at any stage whatsoever , suggested that Stephen Ireland should be sold by the club ...... just that the player himself had never , up until this season , done himself full justice ..... i still say that was the case , and the player himself has admitted it too!

Stephen Ireland is a much better player this season than he he's ever been ...... partly due to the excessive fitness routine that he put himself through pre-season , part because of his training now (he puts the extra hours in) , and part because he actually WANTED to improve and realise his full potential for the club ...... this attitude in turn has brought consistency , and a pretty good goal return for a midfielder.

He always had the vision , but he didn't always have the DESIRE ...... and that , more often than not , was what landed the player on the bench for far more games than it really should have over seasons gone by.

Think that's pretty fair, BM.

If he continues this form consistently over the next 4 or 5 years then he'll be on a par with Colin Bell.

He'd be the first to admit that he's shown greater maturity as a player ...... so fairp lay to him now for buckling down and turning things around ....... he seems to be very happy at City , and we're lucky to have him.