Stephen Ireland

[Cracker1234]

If he can be blamed for not getting the best out of many players then I guess we can say he is getting the best out of Heskey, Downing, Albrighton, Hogg, Bannan,Reo, Clark when has played apart from the Liverpool game, but most were shit then and Ashley Young.. good, but not his best.

Some players were playing crap before Houllier came and some were playing good before Houllier came, but now it's because of Houllier they're playing crap huh....Well the players that are playing good, that's because of Houllier too.

[Super-Villan]

Well there are plenty of players who came from the same country who needed settling in periods too if you want it that way. Downing for one. He had the excuse of an injury to recover from, and Ireland has the excuse of not playing much football last season and being frozen out at City, plus an understanbable lack of confidence. One of those players was given a chance and is playing brilliantly. The other is being treated like rubbish and forced out of the club.

Ireland has played deep midfield a number of times, including the second half of a game recently, I forget which one exactly.

Our team is in 15th place and deserves to be because of how we're playing. Either you're saying 15th is successful or the fact that we're in 15th is Irelands fault. I disagree.

No he hasn't. He's played deep 3 times and in the hole 5 times.

He's produced absolutely **** all in 8 starts. Compare that to someone like Heskey who's started 7 times I believe this season and been excellent.

3 times? That's a number of times, right? So exactly what I said. Glad we've sorted that one.

Our back 4 have all been worse than Ireland. Clearly Carew has been worse too, with no excuse at all. For a player having only made 8 starts for a new club where he's already been roundly slated by his manager early on, I'm just amazed he's doing as well as he is.

[Denis_B]

Don't the players have some responsibility to get the best out of themselves Markavfc?

[markavfc40]

Don't the players have some responsibility to get the best out of themselves Markavfc?

Of course they do. Taking the defence as an example though I'd say the poor form is certainly in part due to how they have been told to defend, the fact that players have suddenly started to be a little too fancy dan instead of doing the basics ie clearing their lines and if a sniff of danger just **** the ball out. Not pretty but sure is effective.

For me it appears that the pratt we now have managing us came in like a bull at a gate tried to change too many things to soon, fix things that weren't broke, blabbing to the press about things that should be kept in house, losing the respect of many of the senior players along the way. I get the impression many of the players have no confidence in the **** and he fails to inspire them.

I'd accept the players have to accept some responsibility but as its always been the buck stops with the man in charge.

[OutByEaster?]

The manager is clearly incapable, like with so many of the players, of getting the best out of him so its probably best he moves on.

I think it's also true to say:

The manager is clearly incapable, like so many managers of getting the best out of him so its probably best he moves on.

How many people have to fail with Ireland before someone asks - Maybe he's just not that good?

[Killeen30]

I was a little bit excited when Ireland eventually came through as part of the Milner deal, having seen his, sometimes, great ability a few seasons ago. There was a doubt in my mind that he had only ever turned this sort of form on consistantly for one entire season. I thought however, the lad has great ability. I knew about his off field doubt if you like, the Ireland (national team) situation, reports on his mental attitude etc but I was still hoping all during the Milner saga that Stephen Ireland would come to the Villa as part of the deal.

He did. In the interview after he signed he said all the right things. However for me it was obvious that he never wanted to leave Manchester City in the first place so I though it would always take him time to settle.

Unfortunately (I think for us Villa fans) I see him moving on to another club where a manager will sit him down and put an arm around him and tell him 'your my main man, I want to build a team around you'. It will be then that we see the best of him. I hope I am wrong and he does turn it around because there is, as everyone is willing to admit, a great player inside him.

What I really can't fathom, and I remember telling all my mates the same time MON had left before this deal had gone through and it was him that had wanted the player. Stephen Ireland should never have remained as part of the deal because we never knew at the time whether or not the new manager (who turned out to be Hou) was going to like the player or not. We didn't even know who the manager was going to be. So who do the buck stop with, Randy or Paul Faulkner?!

[C4rvillan]

The manager is clearly incapable, like with so many of the players, of getting the best out of him so its probably best he moves on.

I think it's also true to say:

The manager is clearly incapable, like so many managers of getting the best out of him so its probably best he moves on.

How many people have to fail with Ireland before someone asks - Maybe he's just not that good?

THIS! THIS! THIS! All wrapped up in a nice patterned paper with a bow on top ready for Santa to put under the tree!

[Super-Villan]

The manager is clearly incapable, like with so many of the players, of getting the best out of him so its probably best he moves on.

I think it's also true to say:

The manager is clearly incapable, like so many managers of getting the best out of him so its probably best he moves on.

How many people have to fail with Ireland before someone asks - Maybe he's just not that good?

THIS! THIS! THIS! All wrapped up in a nice patterned paper with a bow on top ready for Santa to put under the tree!

Maybe he isn't. It's possible, I grant you. But even in the matches he's played for us we've seen glimpses that he has ability. If he never again plays as well again as he did for Man City a couple of seasons ago then fair enough. But the key for me is that he hasn't even been given the chance to succeed in my opinion. No chance at all.

[Killeen30]

The manager is clearly incapable, like with so many of the players, of getting the best out of him so its probably best he moves on.

I think it's also true to say:

The manager is clearly incapable, like so many managers of getting the best out of him so its probably best he moves on.

How many people have to fail with Ireland before someone asks - Maybe he's just not that good?

THIS! THIS! THIS! All wrapped up in a nice patterned paper with a bow on top ready for Santa to put under the tree!

Maybe he isn't. It's possible, I grant you. But even in the matches he's played for us we've seen glimpses that he has ability. If he never again plays as well again as he did for Man City a couple of seasons ago then fair enough. But the key for me is that he hasn't even been given the chance to succeed in my opinion. No chance at all.

Yep he has shown glimpses of that natural ability we all know he has. I do think if he'd have nicked a goal early on in his Villa career then it would have given him the spring in his step and more confidence to flourish. I really don't think we will see him do that here. I think Hou has made up he mind on Ireland and we ain't take no passengers under the new manager, which I agree with.

[PompeyVillan]

The manager is clearly incapable, like with so many of the players, of getting the best out of him so its probably best he moves on.

I think it's also true to say:

The manager is clearly incapable, like so many managers of getting the best out of him so its probably best he moves on.

How many people have to fail with Ireland before someone asks - Maybe he's just not that good?

He's clearly a very good player when he plays to his potential, I don't think that is in doubt. Whether he will ever play to his potential remains to be seen and is reliant on a variety of factors, but primarily it is his responsibility.

I'm still willing to give him time and I'd hope that he is willing to give the club a bit more time. Wanting out after 6months is very poor indeed.

[juanpabloangel18]

The fact of the matter is, none of us have watched him train and seen his attitude at Bodymoor. I would be more than happy to keep him a while and give him more of a chance, but ultimately if he doesn't want to be here and is moaning like a little spoilt bitch, then he can fock the fock off.

[heffoman]

Awful pity he was frozen out. would have been the perfect game for him to play tonight.

[MaineRoadMemories]

Awful pity he was frozen out. would have been the perfect game for him to play tonight.

I doubt that, there was so little movement up front that he'd of had no one to make a through-ball pass to and would have spent most of the game passing it sideways.

[Super-Villan]

I like him but think he'd have done nothing today. I think it's at least partially down to the defensive way that Houllier sets up our team to play right now. (Fair enough if you think Ireland should be able to adjust to that, though I'm not sure I agree 100%, if only because I want us to play more attacking football too.

[heffoman]

I think he would have. He has that little built of guile and class the midfield were missing. he couldnt of been worse than what was out there.

[Super-Villan]

More than Pires I grant you.

[CastleBromVilla]

I think he would have. He has that little built of guile and class the midfield were missing. he couldnt of been worse than what was out there.

People say that every week, 'that game would have been ideal for Ireland', yet when he's plays, he's crap. He's played against worse teams than Spurs and made little impact, and more than likely, wouldnt have made the slightest bit of difference today. The last thing we'd have needed was a player that can't be bothered when things aint going his way. Don't play him again, get rid!

[Super-Villan]

I think he would have. He has that little built of guile and class the midfield were missing. he couldnt of been worse than what was out there.

People say that every week, 'that game would have been ideal for Ireland', yet when he's plays, he's crap. He's played against worse teams than Spurs and made little impact, and more than likely, wouldnt have made the slightest bit of difference today. The last thing we'd have needed was a player that can't be bothered when things aint going his way. Don't play him again, get rid!

No, the last thing we needed today was Pires. Ireland hasn't been great for us yet, but he's been better than that useless turd every time he stinks up the pitch in a Villa shirt.

[CastleBromVilla]

I think he would have. He has that little built of guile and class the midfield were missing. he couldnt of been worse than what was out there.

People say that every week, 'that game would have been ideal for Ireland', yet when he's plays, he's crap. He's played against worse teams than Spurs and made little impact, and more than likely, wouldnt have made the slightest bit of difference today. The last thing we'd have needed was a player that can't be bothered when things aint going his way. Don't play him again, get rid!

No, the last thing we needed today was Pires. Ireland hasn't been great for us yet, but he's been better than that useless turd every time he stinks up the pitch in a Villa shirt.

Pires is not any better no, but we wouldn't have done any better with Ireland in team today. He's not interested in playing for us, his poor performances when given a chance, have shown that, complete lack of effort. There are plenty of others i'd rather see selected than Ireland, and Pires. I don't want Ireland's selection hindering the development of players that do want to play for the club and do have some promise, such as Bannan, Hogg, Delph, Clark etc, aswell as some of the more established players like Reo-Coker and Petrov. Sooner this guy leaves, the better.

[MR.Smalljob]

Oh if just Ireland was playing today we would have won!!

Dame you GH.. BLA BLA