Ireland Leaving - Absolute Disaster

[Clubber]

LAST SEASON

What about the 5 other seasons he's played for us

the first three he was young and promising. Inconsistent. Then he was in the top three midfielders in the premiership for a season and has had one bad season now.

he's never not tried

Totally agree, Spot on.

Give that guy a hurumph!!!

 

[Anonymous]

Contrary to what some on here believe, a good player does not become a bad player unless something changes.

Agreed. However, I don't suppose there's the scenario that the outlook of the player, rather than the club, has changed? Not knowing the player, and not being privvy to what's going on behind the scenes at the club, I don't know the full story.

Personally I don't think there's anything more sinister going on than other clubs seeing that Ireland isn't the automatic starter that a lot of people assumed coming into this season he would be, and are looking to capitalize by signing him...

Whichever way you cut it, nothing's going to happen until the summer. And in the summer a lot more than just Stevie Ireland's future will be decided, and in the meantime we've got 4th place to make our own...

My personal opinion as I've stated earlier in the thread, is that I don't see why Viera would get in the team ahead of Ste, and I don't see it as a positive move for the club to bring in someone on a short term contract, and then have them take Ireland's place. Now others believe that Viera could be the difference between us getting 4th and not, and I don't think that he will be the difference.

Anyway, I think if we go back to where the thread started, come the summer there's no doubt that some to clubs are going to want to buy Stevie. In the end it will be up to him whether he wants to stay and fight, or whether a move to Arsenal or United is just too appealing.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

We've done this to death already.

In my opinion he's been a superb talent since he came through the ranks. He was a lovely footballer, if a little lightweight. Then he bulked up and last season looked like one of the best midfielders in the permier league.

This season his form dipped in Hughes's 4-4-2 in the first couple of months. then he got injured.

Since then he's been in and out of the side, in various positions, and he just looks like a player bereft of confidence. He needs managing back to his best in my opinion.

There isn't a player out there who does not have a dip in form and it's usually confidence or fitness related.

Contrary to what some on here believe, a good player does not become a bad player unless something changes.

What does this refer to DD?

sorry, that sounds like a hint, It's not.

What I meant was, in business, if a top performing staff member, suddenly has a dip in results, it always means that something has gone wrong in their personal life somewhere.

With a footballer, unless they've had an injury, a dip in form like Stevie's is always down to something "in their head".

Usually confidence - that's what I think the problem has been this season. And he's had no run of games to recover that confidence.

 

[flb]

Agreed. However, I don't suppose there's the scenario that the outlook of the player, rather than the club, has changed? Not knowing the player, and not being privvy to what's going on behind the scenes at the club, I don't know the full story.

Personally I don't think there's anything more sinister going on than other clubs seeing that Ireland isn't the automatic starter that a lot of people assumed coming into this season he would be, and are looking to capitalize by signing him...

Whichever way you cut it, nothing's going to happen until the summer. And in the summer a lot more than just Stevie Ireland's future will be decided, and in the meantime we've got 4th place to make our own...

My personal opinion as I've stated earlier in the thread, is that I don't see why Viera would get in the team ahead of Ste, and I don't see it as a positive move for the club to bring in someone on a short term contract, and then have them take Ireland's place. Now others believe that Viera could be the difference between us getting 4th and not, and I don't think that he will be the difference.

Anyway, I think if we go back to where the thread started, come the summer there's no doubt that some to clubs are going to want to buy Stevie. In the end it will be up to him whether he wants to stay and fight, or whether a move to Arsenal or United is just too appealing.

Exactly the point about leaving it until the Summer.Mancini could be signing a midfield player/players who will then allow Ireland his preferred more expressive role in the team-it could be the likes of Barry/De Jong/Viera who get peddled so Stephen needs to sit on his hands and button it for the time being.

 

[PSmyth07]

Players come and go.

Will I miss him if he left? Yes.
Will the team miss him if he left? No.

 

[The Fat el Hombre]

My personal opinion as I've stated earlier in the thread, is that I don't see why Viera would get in the team ahead of Ste, and I don't see it as a positive move for the club to bring in someone on a short term contract, and then have them take Ireland's place. Now others believe that Viera could be the difference between us getting 4th and not, and I don't think that he will be the difference.

Vieira is getting into the team instead of Stevie because he's a completely different player with completely different attributes that allow us to get the best out of Tevez and Bellamy and co

If bringing Vieira in on a short term contract helps us to get 4th it will be a hugely positive move for the club

 

[Anonymous]

My personal opinion as I've stated earlier in the thread, is that I don't see why Viera would get in the team ahead of Ste, and I don't see it as a positive move for the club to bring in someone on a short term contract, and then have them take Ireland's place. Now others believe that Viera could be the difference between us getting 4th and not, and I don't think that he will be the difference.

Vieira is getting into the team instead of Stevie because he's a completely different player with completely different attributes that allow us to get the best out of Tevez and Bellamy and co

If bringing Vieira in on a short term contract helps us to get 4th it will be a hugely positive move for the club

What are the attributes other than experience which Viera brings to the team which the team itself doesn't already have...?

 

[The Fat el Hombre]

Vieira is getting into the team instead of Stevie because he's a completely different player with completely different attributes that allow us to get the best out of Tevez and Bellamy and co

If bringing Vieira in on a short term contract helps us to get 4th it will be a hugely positive move for the club

What are the attributes other than experience which Viera brings to the team which the team itself doesn't already have...?

What do you mean 'which the team itself doesn't already have...?'? You could ask the same about Stevie

 

[GStar]

Vieira is getting into the team instead of Stevie because he's a completely different player with completely different attributes that allow us to get the best out of Tevez and Bellamy and co

If bringing Vieira in on a short term contract helps us to get 4th it will be a hugely positive move for the club

What are the attributes other than experience which Viera brings to the team which the team itself doesn't already have...?

Are we talking about Vieria versus Ireland or Viera/Ireland versus the team?

They play different roles, Vieria fits into Mancini's preference of defence minded central midfielders, Ireland doesn't.

 

[StevieIrelandsPants]

i wonder if stevie is looking through this thread.

last season he gave us everything, proved to us that he wasn't the waste of space that looked set to join sunderland. its hard to argue between sticking with him through his poor form, and forcing him out because of it. every season, someone has a season where they over-achieve, usually in a poor team. is this what happened to stevie, or is the old addage true, form is temporary, class is permanent?