Ireland

[BlueRockape]

My own observations, whether they be right or wrong.

Nobody will need to tell him, he had a shite game yesterday, his whole body language throughout the game, and as he was substituted spoke a thousand words.

He currently seems to have the weight of the world on your shoulders. I remember his comments about how disgusted he was following that shameful day at Boro, so accusations about a lack of professional pride are wide of the mark.

But, irrespective if where he plays, when he gets a chance, there are very few glimpses of the player we saw last season in any capacity.

I believe something happened the night of the Fulham cup game which mentally shook him to his very core. At one stage, there was a fear he had suffered a brain clot.

He was a tortured soul that particular night on the field and remember him going down on his knees and holding his head.

Thankfully, all the tests came back normal, however, sunconsciously, this must have been a huge shock to his own mortality, especially with his young family.

As a result, whether it was considered he was overtraining or not, his previous commitment outside of his regular workouts, were pretty much knocked on the head.

Coupled with his lack of opportunties, this, I believe, is the true problems of late.

Some fukin sense at last i have just read some of the shit on this thread leave the guy alone he is fukin quality and will come good again

 

[loffers]

My own observations, whether they be right or wrong.

Nobody will need to tell him, he had a shite game yesterday, his whole body language throughout the game, and as he was substituted spoke a thousand words.

He currently seems to have the weight of the world on your shoulders. I remember his comments about how disgusted he was following that shameful day at Boro, so accusations about a lack of professional pride are wide of the mark.

But, irrespective if where he plays, when he gets a chance, there are very few glimpses of the player we saw last season in any capacity.

I believe something happened the night of the Fulham cup game which mentally shook him to his very core. At one stage, there was a fear he had suffered a brain clot.

He was a tortured soul that particular night on the field and remember him going down on his knees and holding his head.

Thankfully, all the tests came back normal, however, sunconsciously, this must have been a huge shock to his own mortality, especially with his young family.

As a result, whether it was considered he was overtraining or not, his previous commitment outside of his regular workouts, were pretty much knocked on the head.

Coupled with his lack of opportunties, this, I believe, is the true problems of late.

Some fukin sense at last i have just read some of the shit on this thread leave the guy alone he is fukin quality and will come good again

Well said , it's a pity that the players read this forum I only hope that if they do they know that the vast majority of sensible city fans are right behind the players

 

[blucat599]

People are saying that he needs a run in the team, but we can't afford to do that with the way he's playing at the moment. Top clubs can't afford to carry players in the hope that they'll come good when given an extended run in the team - when you're given a chance you've got to take it because competition for places is so fierce. With Tevez coming back it seems a no brainer to drop Ireland for him unless Stevie can pull something off in the Stoke game - if he plays that is because you can't blame Mancini if he drops him.

Playing in the role he was in yesterday he has to influence the team and create or threaten the opposition goal, but he gave us very little. We could have played Bellers or RSC and had 2 players up front which would have provided more threat, but we chose to give Ireland the chance in his preferred role and he just let it pass him by.

The 2nd time he has started in his attacking midfield role, so Mancini is giving him a chance, has Ireland got the bottle? That's what I wonder.

 

[ono]

Didn't take long for us to find Robinho's Scapegoat replacement did it?

We have a fundamental problem in midfield where there is a lack of quality and movement to present passing options. Elano and even Robinho were great at finding little pockets of space for Ireland to exploit. As it stands, Barry isn't that sort of player and De Jong offers nothing going forwards. Granted, Ireland himself isn't on form, but it's hard when you've not had a run in the team and you've had a stop start season.

From reading this thread it's plainly obvious that the idiots are out in force once again. When will we learn. Slagging Ireland off to the point where he thought about leaving, slamming Tevez for being a waste of money when he wasn't fit, slamming Given for not being a 'good keeper', slamming Adebayor for being lazy and slamming Robinho for not playing well...again during a time where he was returning from a pretty bad injury.

I'm amazed.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

I don't even want to read the thread because I know I'll get annoyed.

I was delighted Ireland started yesterday. He does look short on confidence but it's no surprise. He was sidelined by Hughes and now he's being sidelined by Mancini. He can only play in one position for me, the position he played in Sunday.

He didn't have the best of games but replaceing him with Ibrahim for the last 15 minutes was a daft decision in my opinion.

The game was just opening up and we were breaking up their attacks and looking to hit them on the break. It was perfect for Ireland - he's often at his best late in the game like this, bursting forward our picking out killer passes. Despite his mediocre performance, I would have kept him on the park for that one moment of magic.

 

[sniff]

Can no one see that all of Irelands game is about the Killer pass and keeping the ball moving, whos he gonna pass to in the formation we play.

Hes not a second striker, nor would he claim to be. Yet people still cant see he has no one to provide for in his role as the attacking option in midfield, Ade seems to have a fear of being in the box and runs wide all the time.

In short you cant play a through ball to yourself !!!!!

 

[bri an t]

the lad in having a bad time ,so this is the time when we should get behind him, he will come good so lets give him time.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Can no one see that all of Irelands game is about the Killer pass and keeping the ball moving, whos he gonna pass to in the formation we play.

Hes not a second striker, nor would he claim to be. Yet people still cant see he has no one to provide for in his role as the attacking option in midfield, Ade seems to have a fear of being in the box and runs wide all the time.

In short you cant play a through ball to yourself !!!!!

He plays in the hole behind the striker, link man between midfield and attack.

The killer balls should be for Adebayor, SWP, Bellamy and Johnson in the main.

He's done it several times in the last few games to create goals - Adebayor v Pompey, Richards v Darlo etc.

 

[bluealf]

Reading this thread is like going back in time 3 seasons and the slagging he got then.

I defended him then as a young player with obvious talent but a fragile mentality, after last season I thought he may have conquered this problem but he hasnt, a brilliant player just going through a bad patch.

I think he needs to play his way into form, in his head aswell as his feet, I would start him in every game myself.

Come on Stevie.

 

[sniff]

Can no one see that all of Irelands game is about the Killer pass and keeping the ball moving, whos he gonna pass to in the formation we play.

Hes not a second striker, nor would he claim to be. Yet people still cant see he has no one to provide for in his role as the attacking option in midfield, Ade seems to have a fear of being in the box and runs wide all the time.

In short you cant play a through ball to yourself !!!!!

He plays in the hole behind the striker, link man between midfield and attack.

The killer balls should be for Adebayor, SWP, Bellamy and Johnson in the main.

He's done it several times in the last few games to create goals - Adebayor v Pompey, Richards v Darlo etc.

but what happens in games like sunday, where no one gets forward for him. Through the majority of the game he was either our most advanced player, or had dropped to deep to try and get into the game. the guy cant win