Stephen Ireland

[Zatman]

I think he is just trying to get rid of what he perceives as the bad eggs in the dressing room like Ireland and Carew and maybe Dunne.

He hasnt really criticized any other players in public

none should be criticized in public if you ask me,i thought our club had a bit more class than letting the whole world know whats going on.

but they are being criticized on here for same reasons. At least it shows manager knows how fans feel

[hawkinsk11]

i think we are getting mixed up with GH results and the liverpool issue to pass a fair comment.

Do we as fans accept that as our manager GH is right to disregard any player no matter how talented if they don't fit the plan. Or do we want a manager who can bring the best out of different personalties for the benefit of the team.

I would have thought that in any company/job/team that as manager your job is the second of the 2. but its too easy to say nope your no good, your not in my plans any more ask for a transfer request.

If i could ask GH one question it'd be, we know how good SI can be, why arent you getting that out of him??

[jat_r]

i like ireland but GH has to clear the squad of ireland, carew, sidwell and etc. hes been in the game long enough to know how to get rid of players and sign players so we are going to have to be patient and let him do his job. everyone knows our squad needs a clear out, so i dont mind if he says something slightly negative about someone on there way out

[ChrisNichollsToe]

GH never bought him, so in many ways, this has been on the cards.

Get rid, because at the moment, hes just a pityfull reminder of a completely fcuked up summer.

[dudevillaisnice]

GH never bought him, so in many ways, this has been on the cards.

Get rid, because at the moment, hes just a pityfull reminder of a completely fcuked up summer.

oh the summer gone was really bad, i still got nightmares over it

[Richard]

GH never bought him, so in many ways, this has been on the cards..

What about every other player Houllier has never bought?

[Cracker1234]

GH never bought him, so in many ways, this has been on the cards..

What about every other player Houllier has never bought?

You will soon see which ones he don't want to keep Richard.

[ChrisNichollsToe]

GH never bought him, so in many ways, this has been on the cards..

What about every other player Houllier has never bought?

Like all managers, he will have his favorates, and ones he does not get on with.

Ireland is a different case, because nobody is sure who actually bought him

Can + Worms = Opened :winkold:

[GeordieVillan]

Can I ask?

Who actually cares? What has Ireland done to deserve this thread and this debate?

I for one am happy that the manager is trying to get rid of players that he doesn't want, which is something that the previous manager failed to do (and no I'm not having a go at MON, I liked MON).

Seems to me like this is just another example of Houllier trying to act on something which we all complained about under the previous manager i.e. failure to get players off the wage that he doesn't need.

Now if Houllier doesn't want Ireland, or other players, I don't care how he mistreats or upsets them, as long as he gets them out of the club asap. Do these players actually care about our club? I don't think so.

My view would be that Houllier is not a bad man manager, he just chooses the players that he wants to manage well, and the ones that he wants to get rid of. I havn't heard a single complaint or bad story come out from Young, Downing, Heskey, or any of the young players - could it be because these guys are playing (ok/well), and the manager wants to keep them??????

People are going absolutely crazy on here.

The fact is, Houllier doesn't want Ireland, Ireland should have never been signed in the first place (side point), and that means that Houllier should get rid. I don't care how he does it, just do it quickly and get him off the wage bill. If Houllier has somehow management to convince Ireland to submit a transfer request himself, and thus Ireland forfeits some bonus/fees he is due, then to my mind Houllier has pulled one out of the bag.

To my mind, Houllier knows he has to sell before he can buy, more to get players off the wage bill than to recoup transfer fees. I expect to see departures in January and the summer, some for fees lower than we expect perhaps, but this necessary for Houllier to bring in his own players. Time will tell, but I have no complaints about Houlliers treatment of players, as the players he has supposedly been mistreating have all been performing badly.

And, just to confirm, no I am not happy with performances on the pitch, and results do need to improve. And I think they will.

[Richard]

^^^^ Do you think it good business sense to go public with a "he's shit and I dont want him" type comment?

[fran_villa]

^^^^ Do you think it good business sense to go public with a "he's shit and I dont want him" type comment?

Sure it is going by what someone said on this thread today.

[Cracker1234]

^^^^ Do you think it good business sense to go public with a "he's shit and I dont want him" type comment?

Did he really say that Richard or did he say this:

Houllier said: "He won't be playing in Ashley's position. I've done that before and it didn't work.

"So I'm not stupid, I'm not doing it again."

[Majkee]

I'm not a fan of Ireland but there is no need for Houllier to keep coming out with this in the press although quotes can be taken out of context.

Agree with this seems an older manager with no patience to me . I think Ireland has done himself no favours and whilst this is an old quote as it was mentioned over the weekend it's certainly not helping matters .

I can not see any problem with this situation.

In business, the new manager, who inherited employees of previous manager, with planned budget and investment goals, stands in the breach of hard task: with whom is he going to do a job to deliver the goals? There is only one way how to find it: emplyoees are able to deliver (and delivering) or are not able to deliver (are not delivering).

This is all about deliver or go.

SI was/is unable to deliver. Houllier's patience is gone and it is obvious.

[Richard]

Houllier has made his feelings on Ireland pretty public, including these latest comments which are really very damning. He has had to apologise to Ireland for them and still, if rumours are to be believed (and I guess that depends when they are made known and on which side of the debate you sit) is trying to get the bloke to submit a transfer request.

Now whichever way people want to paint that up to show Houllier in a positive light I am afraid all of his actions will very much affect the value of Ireland and our ability to recoup as much as possible for him

[Cracker1234]

That wasn't my question Richard, did he really say "he's shit and I dont want him"?

So?

[Richard]

That wasn't my question Richard, did he really say "he's shit and I dont want him"?

So?

Did I say he said that ?

[Cracker1234]

More or less yes, you said that was the type of comment he came out with.

I don't remember Houllier saying Ireland was shit at all.

[Richard]

Actually less.

I did not say he said those exact words (which you are implying I did)

I said that it was that type of comment, which to me it was.

[Houlston]

Houllier has made his feelings on Ireland pretty public, including these latest comments which are really very damning. He has had to apologise to Ireland for them and still, if rumours are to be believed (and I guess that depends when they are made known and on which side of the debate you sit) is trying to get the bloke to submit a transfer request.

Now whichever way people want to paint that up to show Houllier in a positive light I am afraid all of his actions will very much affect the value of Ireland and our ability to recoup as much as possible for him

Its not damming at all, a very over the top view point, he said he wouldnt play him in a certain position, big deal. And whether he is to leave or not Houlliers comments however "damming" they are will not effect his transfer value. Managers have their own mind and will already have a view point on him. Fergie, Hughes and Hodgson all like him and if Houllier said "i hate hate him I wish he were dead" they wouldnt care, if he said "Ireland is shit and lazy" they wouldnt care and if god forbid he turned around and said the worst thing of all "im not stupid I wont play him there again" guess what they wouldnt care.

[ONO]

Come off it, If Ireland wanted to counter-act this he easily could, he has been using his agent to press an issue, who told the media about a scheduled meeting? Ireland did, hence questions asked to Houller. If Ireland really wants to stay he could come out and say so, but silence on this occasion speaks volumes for me, and for him being more interested in suing Man City for a poxy few million instead of his Villa career says volumes. Gazton i know you have a contact in this with Ireland but he is by no means whiter than white in this even if he is painting this picture to his friend. Why hasn't he got himself a place in Birmingham if he see's this as a club he wants to be at? He really does not want to be here and his actions of him and his agent are really showing this. As for Houllier's latest comments, I'd say he's hit the nail on the head.

Throughout his career, he hasn't been one to make comments like you want him to. He has, however, been quoted about how he wants to fit in, he wants to do well and he appreciates it will take time to get to know the way his teammates play. I agree, his agent is a leech. However, I am very sure that Ireland wants to stay. That was what he said in his meeting with Houllier last week. He wants to fight for a place. He was told, in no uncertain terms, that he was not wanted at the club. He was told he didn't fit in the managers plans and he was asked to submit a transfer request.

As for him not having a place in Birmingham, he was never asked to move. He has been given accommodation by the club (as have a number of other players) which suits his current needs. He is reluctant to move him family because he knows his future here is uncertain.

He is being forced out of the club. The manager upset him by making comments to the press, comments which he apologised for. The manager has asked him to submit a transfer request, which he refused to do. The manager has, since then, gone on the offensive through the media knowing that his comments will upset SI, a player he has admitted is sensitive to that kind of criticism.

As for suing Man City, why is that a problem? It's not as if he is working on the legal case himself? His lawyers say "Man City are refusing to pay the £1.5 million they agreed. Do you want us to fight them for it?". What would you say in that instance?

I think it's disgraceful that Houllier is airing this dirty linen in public. It's not the way I like our club to be working.

You see the problem with that is Houllier said to the media that Ireland asked to leave. Ireland could quite easily have a story surface where he says he didn't and was told to leave, especially with the grief Houllier has been getting from sections of the Villa crowd.

Sure it just isn't you covering your tracks - you did say Ireland wanted to stay afterall and it clearly isn't the case. No offence.