Ireland

[M22_blu]

the guy is a fucking plank

One season wonder that thinks hes made it because he has some pathetic little banner on the top tier.

Well i say burn the fucking banner to shreds because hes shit!

He had his chance to prove himself today and failed miserably because he is a shit house!

Sooner we get rid of him the better

surely the definiton of a fickle football fan, if Ireland scores a winner or sets up a few in the next few weeks you'll probaly be on here creaming in your pants about him saying he should be world player of the year.

 

[TheMightyQuinn]

Dunga, the Brazilian team coach, described his teams being made up of "piano carriers" and 2 or 3 "piano players". In other words 8 or 9 "grafters" and 2 or 3 "artistes".

Pfft only 8 or 9 grafters? Dunga out!

 

[MCFC OK]

Ireland on his day can be a great player, on his day he could probably get in to any team in the prem, problem for me is how many days does he have? And i'm not saying he should be playing well everytime but one in two, three or four? He doesn't seem he is like that. It seems to me he was / is a player with a great talent and great work rate but has only lived up to his billing for 20 ish games last season under Hughes.

The way he plays you need to build the team around him, but as he hasn't done it for a prolonged period, so what manager could do that? He also seems to bring a lot of baggage to the table, if you ask me we should compare him to Guti at Madrid not Anelka. Guti has neither been a waste, not a world beater, but has done 10+ years at one of the biggest clubs in the world and won everything, but honestly he could have done more.

 

[Esteban de la Sexface]

balls on the line from me here..

The Irish lads at City seem to come in for undue criticism.

Shay gets it even though he is one of the best shot stoppers in the world.
Dunnie got it in barrel fulls even though he was a blue through and through, like us.

Stevie is a blue too and now he is getting it.

It seems our boys don't get a fair crack of the whip.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

100% agree.

While I also agree that Ireland was doing his best on Sunday (and for all of this season), it seems strange that when literally huindreds of posters were lining up on here to berate Robinho as being lazy, as Elano being lazy, as Anelka being lazy, etc, etc... we never had the level of support for them that has appeared for Steven Ireland... and I am just wondering why?

Is it because he's a "local lad made good", come through the ranks, is a reader of this site and has a number of friends on here, is a genuine talent going through a bad patch... why such support (which I can well understand), but not a similar call to arms when others are targetted for being "lazy"?

I seem to recall posters on here stoutly defending Steven Ireland, yet absolutely slaughtering Elano on the same basis.

If we accept that no footballer goes on to the pitch looking to be shite and "lazy" why the inconsistent approach to how they are dealt with?

Just wondering.

I can only speak to myself, as someone was is defending Ireland.

I never ever called any of the players you mention lazy. As I stated, it's a presonal bugbear of mine and it irritates me. Another dickhead near me shouted "Tevez you lazy bastard" the other week. It's become a bit on an on-going joke with my mates, that one. Of all the things you can call Tevez, lazy really isn't one. We were once playing Blackburn at home. Petrov was murdering their fullback every time he got the ball. He set up two class goals with 80 yard sprints, and a near miss, within about 10 minutes after we'd gone a goal down. Some of you may remeber it. Possibly the best game he ever played for us.

2 minutes after these lung-bursting sprints, Petrov miscontrolled a pass. The fat loudmouth prick in the row behind us shouted, you've guessed it "Petrov you lazy bastard".

I was sometimes critical of Robinho. But only of the way he slowed down momentum when he had the ball. Never his effort. I never criticised Elano.

I think most professional footballers try their best when they are on the park.

 

[The Fat el Hombre]

will always be beaten by players like Anelka who is labelled as lazy.

It's funny you should mention him. His name comes through my mind whenever I hear a player called "lazy".

There's a bloke sits right next to us. He knows nothing about the game. He's totally negative and paranoid and talks shit, basically. He wants to make subs which make no tactical sense. He says "Get Lescott Off" and you say "and replace him with who?" and he says "Anyone. Santa Cruz". He's a classic ignorant football fan.

That made me LOL. It is funny when you or someone challenges someone like that and they realise that options are limited and don't have a valid idea.

Simple question....

"Is it not possible to be a flair player and work hard?"

Of course it is.

but just because someone's going through a run of poor form and is short of confidence, doesn't mean they're not putting the effort in.

It's too simplistic.

And I'll stand toe to toe with anyone who thinks Ireland's not trying, which is what this thread's turned into.

I must admit I do have a slight concern that he has either got a bit above his station or has lost interest, but I'm just gonna put it down to lack of confidence for now and hope he gets back to his best soon

 

[TheMightyQuinn]

Ireland on his day can be a great player, on his day he could probably get in to any team in the prem, problem for me is how many days does he have? And i'm not saying he should be playing well everytime but one in two, three or four? He doesn't seem he is like that. It seems to me he was / is a player with a great talent and great work rate but has only lived up to his billing for 20 ish games last season under Hughes.

The way he plays you need to build the team around him, but as he hasn't done it for a prolonged period, so what manager could do that? He also seems to bring a lot of baggage to the table, if you ask me we should compare him to Guti at Madrid not Anelka. Guti has neither been a waste, not a world beater, but has done 10+ years at one of the biggest clubs in the world and won everything, but honestly he could have done more.

I'm of the opinion that at the moment Mancini is focussed on getting the best results he can with the current squad no matter what. Then in the summer he'll add some players, flirt some off and we'll see a team playing in Mancini's vision.

That being the case it will be difficult for the likes of Ireland to make any impact between now and May but that's the way it has to be. We're no longer conceding 3 per game so we're on our way.

 

[Soulboy]

While I also agree that Ireland was doing his best on Sunday (and for all of this season), it seems strange that when literally huindreds of posters were lining up on here to berate Robinho as being lazy, as Elano being lazy, as Anelka being lazy, etc, etc... we never had the level of support for them that has appeared for Steven Ireland... and I am just wondering why?

Is it because he's a "local lad made good", come through the ranks, is a reader of this site and has a number of friends on here, is a genuine talent going through a bad patch... why such support (which I can well understand), but not a similar call to arms when others are targetted for being "lazy"?

I seem to recall posters on here stoutly defending Steven Ireland, yet absolutely slaughtering Elano on the same basis.

If we accept that no footballer goes on to the pitch looking to be shite and "lazy" why the inconsistent approach to how they are dealt with?

Just wondering.

I can only speak to myself, as someone was is defending Ireland.

I never ever called any of the players you mention lazy. As I stated, it's a presonal bugbear of mine and it irritates me. Another dickhead near me shouted "Tevez you lazy bastard" the other week. It's become a bit on an on-going joke with my mates, that one. Of all the things you can call Tevez, lazy really isn't one. We were once playing Blackburn at home. Petrov was murdering their fullback every time he got the ball. He set up two class goals with 80 yard sprints, and a near miss, within about 10 minutes after we'd gone a goal down. Some of you may remeber it. Possibly the best game he ever played for us.

2 minutes after these lung-bursting sprints, Petrov miscontrolled a pass. The fat loudmouth prick in the row behind us shouted, you've guessed it "Petrov you lazy bastard".

I was sometimes critical of Robinho. But only of the way he slowed down momentum when he had the ball. Never his effort. I never criticised Elano.

I think most professional footballers try their best when they are on the park.

Wasn't aimed at you!

It was for the hundreds of others screaming about the boring football we're having to watch... then the next thread they're slating our flair players for not putting a shift in!

Like I said before, it's all about getting a balance.

 

[TheMightyQuinn]

balls on the line from me here..

The Irish lads at City seem to come in for undue criticism.

Shay gets it even though he is one of the best shot stoppers in the world.
Dunnie got it in barrel fulls even though he was a blue through and through, like us.

Stevie is a blue too and now he is getting it.

It seems our boys don't get a fair crack of the whip.

We don't discriminate on here.

They're all shit (except Bellamy after he signed)

Look at how posters on here react to the mere mention of Manchester born and bred Michael Johnson! 'He's a fat drunk, my mates saw him in town etc'

 

[Esteban de la Sexface]

balls on the line from me here..

The Irish lads at City seem to come in for undue criticism.

Shay gets it even though he is one of the best shot stoppers in the world.
Dunnie got it in barrel fulls even though he was a blue through and through, like us.

Stevie is a blue too and now he is getting it.

It seems our boys don't get a fair crack of the whip.

We don't discriminate on here.

They're all shit (except Bellamy after he signed)

Look at how posters on here react to the mere mention of Manchester born and bred Michael Johnson! 'He's a fat drunk, my mates saw him in town etc'

:) I suppose every player has been called out at some stage on here!!