Stephen Ireland....This Season Needs You!

If the management weren't prepared to build a side around the skills of Robinho, then I very much doubt they are going to do it for a player who has had one good season in his five years in the first team squad.

Harsh but true.

I like the lad but there is too much going on between his ears for him to ever be consistently good.

The new Gary Mason?
 
I like Ireland, he is an intelligent footballer, but I think playing on the right is not an excuse for some of his performances this season.

He certainly hasn't put the same effort in, don't have the stats but i bet his tackles / yardages covered are well down.

We have been crying out for creativity this season in the middle, you have to wonder whats happening in training.

Either that or both the managers we have had are to negative especially away from home which may be why we are not the same. Certainly at home I see no need for both holding central midfielders.
 
Don't get all the hate for Ireland this season when for me when he plays in the middle he provides that attacking threat and actually passes forward unlike de Jong or Barry or Zabaleta. Plays against Portsmouth, incisive ball over the top, bang, goal. Against Hull he was a danger outside their box, threading some nice stuff in. He's restricted on the right and looks out of form, sure, but in the middle he's our most creative player this season. Would have him over de Jong or Barry in the middle any fucking day.
 
Mattyc55 said:
Ireland is a quality footballer, but the true world class players can adapt to different positions by simply limiting their game a little. Stevie is a luxury and no doubt quality when played in the pocket of space behind the striker, but with Tevez in the side I doubt you're ever going to see him get played there. What he has to do is learn how to limit his game a little, maybe look sideways more often, as opposed to that killer pass (superman) he always seems to look for. Its great when it comes off, but as a center midfielder with a lot more responsibility, losing the ball is a dangerous game to play, and i think Stevie's creative game is suffering as a result. What has upset me most about his football this season though is the fact that he has been giving the ball away a lot, and that games just seem to easily pass him by without him stamping any form of authority onto it.

Whatever way you analyse his game, hes been VERY poor this season and its sad to see.
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This isnt true, people always say this about ireland but he's a quality player when played in his correct position.

I can think of 2 examples of players who have benifited from being played in there strongest positions. Rooney, last few years he was shifted about to accomdate ronaldo and his form was always patchy, this season he plays as the main striker and anyone can see he's probaly currently the best striker in the world. Another 1 lampard last few years as played off the main striker and bagged 20 goals a season, probaly the most dangerous central midfielder in the league, this season he's bin asked to play left and right of a diamond and his game clearly isnt as good.

I could almost gurantee if we played Ireland off the strikers he'd show the same form as last season
 
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