Laivasse Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 “I am enjoying playing under Paul Lambert, absolutely. He is a really good guy and fair and honest. “At the end of this season I will have 12 months left on my contract, so I'm hoping I can earn a new contract here and prove myself to him with a good consistent run of form. “That is one if my goals this season. “I want to play as consistently as I can and I'm hoping with that we can have talks and I can extend my contract. “But I've got to let my football do the talking and it's up to the chairman (Randy Lerner) and the manager.” http://www.herald.ie/sport/soccer/impressed-ireland-eyes-new-villa-contract-3215397.html Controversial stuff, there. String him up :yawn: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazdavies79 Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Have to say, I've never really seen anything in him to get excited aboutMe neither, certainly not in CM anyway. He had a purple patch a few years ago playing as a very advanced midfielder/second striker. That's the only place I'd put him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Is Ireland taking the piss or what!?! He's already on around 60k a week and a new contract in football almost certainly means a pay rise. I blame you, yes, YOU, the people reading this post! I still can't believe people voted him as player of the season! It has clearly gone to his head and made him think that he's more over with the fans than he actually is! If Ireland agreed to a pay cut then he would win me over as it would show real commitment. The chances of this happening? ZERO! When he first signed, he did an interview where he said "Don't worry Villa fans, I'm a better player than Milner anyway!" The delusion of a footballer! In terms of his ability to improvise, he probably is better..... but we all know there is a lot more to be in a fotballers armoury than just improvisation. However, he has got the ability to open teams up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 people are thinking he is just demanding a contract. He said himself he will have to earn it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_John_10 Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 He will certainly have to earn it because he is the only player in the squad capable of creating any decent chances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevangrealish Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Ive gave up on Ireland now. He thinks because he setup two goals against tranmere hes improving... i used to protect him for years when he joined. Now theres only two words for it... **** Useless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHV Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 One good season for Man City and since he no longer plays with Robinho and Elano he has been shit. He has been shit every season he has been here.He was shit last season and he was shit against West Ham. If people are pinning their hopes on Stephen Ireland being the supply line to Darren Bent then Im afraid you are pissing in the wind. Only Nzogbia is more useless than this clown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LockStockVilla Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 people are thinking he is just demanding a contract. He said himself he will have to earn it Yeah I agree. I cannot really understand the harsh criticism he gets sometimes. Obviously many hate him because of his lifestyle or past actions, but to be fair, since he has been at Villa, I have always found him to act in a professional manner. He was imo treated unfairly be Houllier and like he said in the one interview he was happy to help out playing anywhere last season, as long as it meant helping the team. And now he says he is eyeing playing a more advanced midfield role, which I hope happens. I am probably in the minority, but Ireland actually seems to have a fairly ambitious attitude that we need more of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barry'sboots Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 people are thinking he is just demanding a contract. He said himself he will have to earn it Yeah I agree. I cannot really understand the harsh criticism he gets sometimes. Obviously many hate him because of his lifestyle or past actions, but to be fair, since he has been at Villa, I have always found him to act in a professional manner. He was imo treated unfairly be Houllier and like he said in the one interview he was happy to help out playing anywhere last season, as long as it meant helping the team. And now he says he is eyeing playing a more advanced midfield role, which I hope happens. I am probably in the minority, but Ireland actually seems to have a fairly ambitious attitude that we need more of. I'm with you. If Lambert can get him right he has the ability to be our fulcrum. He is by far and away the best "footballer" in our team and if we have any chance of doing anything this season it will revolve around SI IMO. Can't understand all of the dislike. We need to get behind him. He is not Milner BUT he has the potential to be as good an advanced CM'er/second striker as any player outside of the top 6/7 IMO. And its not his fault that he is on big wages. The fools at Citeh started it and we had to go somewhere towards their level to make a deal happen. A new contract doesn't necessarily mean a pay rise unless someone else would give him one. The only club I could think of at the minute would be the mugs at QPR but they already have 9 forwards I think! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevangrealish Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 people are thinking he is just demanding a contract. He said himself he will have to earn it Yeah I agree. I cannot really understand the harsh criticism he gets sometimes. Obviously many hate him because of his lifestyle or past actions, but to be fair, since he has been at Villa, I have always found him to act in a professional manner. He was imo treated unfairly be Houllier and like he said in the one interview he was happy to help out playing anywhere last season, as long as it meant helping the team. And now he says he is eyeing playing a more advanced midfield role, which I hope happens. I am probably in the minority, but Ireland actually seems to have a fairly ambitious attitude that we need more of. Can i have a smoke of what you're having ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skruff Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LockStockVilla Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 people are thinking he is just demanding a contract. He said himself he will have to earn it Yeah I agree. I cannot really understand the harsh criticism he gets sometimes. Obviously many hate him because of his lifestyle or past actions, but to be fair, since he has been at Villa, I have always found him to act in a professional manner. He was imo treated unfairly be Houllier and like he said in the one interview he was happy to help out playing anywhere last season, as long as it meant helping the team. And now he says he is eyeing playing a more advanced midfield role, which I hope happens. I am probably in the minority, but Ireland actually seems to have a fairly ambitious attitude that we need more of. Can i have a smoke of what you're having ? Just back from Ibiza mate, certainly nothing I have smoked :winkold: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Have to say, I've never really seen anything in him to get excited about He did look quite good when he was playing next to Robinho for six months. His entire reputation seems to have been based on that period of his career too. Hey look everybody, this kid from the youth team can pass the ball to one of the best players in the world quite accurately! Quick! Give him £70k a week! Ireland is a solid pro, he can pick a pass from time to time but he cannot do it consistently. He seems constantly distracted by stuff that happens to him off the pitch, he is a highly strung, high maintenance player and it almost makes me sick that players of his ability can ear £3.5 - £4m a year. I can see the argument for giving the very best players a large percentage of the money that football generates, but when mediocrity gets rewarded so handsomely you do begin to understand why so many clubs are in huge debt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LockStockVilla Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Haha yes, I want that to be my new avatar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8pints Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Haha yes, I want that to be my new avatar! Brilliant stuff One Stephen Ireland! There's only one Stephen Ireland! Smokes the pipe! Believe the hype! Walking in an Ireland wonderland. (He's gonna leave right on the deadline now ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFCforever1991 Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 (He's gonna leave right on the deadline now ) As long as we replaced him, I wouldn't be to disappointed about this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PieFacE Posted August 31, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted August 31, 2012 Ireland is a solid pro, he can pick a pass from time to time but he cannot do it consistently. He seems constantly distracted by stuff that happens to him off the pitch Really? Like what since joining Villa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Did he not spend his first year here complaining bitterly that Birmingham was a crap city? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PieFacE Posted September 1, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted September 1, 2012 Did he not spend his first year here complaining bitterly that Birmingham was a crap city? I don't know, did he? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimzk5 Posted September 1, 2012 Share Posted September 1, 2012 Did he not spend his first year here complaining bitterly that Birmingham was a crap city? “After 15 matches on the bench (at Villa), Houllier told me to stay at home. I trained during the week and on Fridays he told me, ‘no point you coming, you are not in the team’. “Yet I was the best player in training. It was my team that won in every session. One of the few times he played me, we drew 0-0 at Chelsea and I ended up man of the match. “Apparently that didn’t matter to him. I was stuck with being paid for doing nothing at all. I was left to myself. I had to pay out of my own pocket for medical treatment. Can you believe that?” And how did Ireland react at being told by Houllier that he should move to Birmingham to improve his first-team chances? Well, rather badly as it goes: “Houllier asked me to come and live in Birmingham because it was taking me 75 minutes to come to training, but there were 15 players in the same position as me. “Some came from London and took more than two hours, but he only asked me to move. “For a start, Birmingham is a crap city and I wasn’t going to make the effort, especially as I wasn’t playing. Might as well be in Manchester if I had to stay home on match days – though I don’t bear Houllier any grudges; it wasn’t him who chose me after all.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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