Cheesy said:
I want to love him I really do, and he is without doubt a good player. However, even the staunchest Ireland fans would have to admit that he's only had one really good season for us. Perhaps the truth is that he is not really as good as we thought & hoped.
I somewhat agree with this.
I remember seeing Ireland play on the wing for his country years ago, and thinking that he's a special talent. His performances for ROI when he was younger were great.
He had a great first half of last season, where the team was focused around his particularly skill. When the January signings such as Bellamy, De Jong, Given came in, he seemed to withdraw a little, despite still playing his favoured position.
In my opinion, Stevie's problems are not talent related, they are mental. This persistent whinging about not playing in his favoured position, not bring first choice, etc, is doing nobody any good and I think that Bizzbo's point about individual responsibility has hurt Ireland.
We should definitely keep him, the more he settles into his family life and the more mature he becomes, the better a player he will become. We will vastly regret it if we sell him.
Look at Bellamy years ago, he's a bit comparable to what Ireland is now. Nobody has ever been in doubt about Bellamy's talent, but his attitude towards the game was all wrong, and he blamed everybody around him for it. When he got married and settled down, his attitude on the pitch greatly increased and we are know seeing the benefits of it.
Those who are saying he isn't fit to wear the shirt that once held George Weah, Craig Russell and Peter Beardsley need to grow up.
I'm concerned at the attitude of most of our Academy graduates. Richards, SWP and now Ireland have all being criticised because they are refusing to look within to find the problems from their form or careers. Last close season, Ireland proved that he has the ability to grab the bull by the horns, yet we still have a player who is pointing at a million other excuses.
Stephen Ireland has no divine right to play in his favoured position, or even to play at all. The way to get in the team, is to perform to a level where you are undroppable. The idea that Ireland is a far diminished player because he is playing deeper is a silly one. It just means that he has to be smarter and watch when he can get forward, and if he can, he has to run an extra 10 yards.
Ireland is a talented player but I'm yet to be convinced at the man.
