Adam_ Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 We've been saying that for 3 years now He's only been at Villa for 2.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_John_10 Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 We've been saying that for 3 years now He's only been at Villa for 2.... And spent most of 1 year injured or on loan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CI Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 He's into year 3 of his contract is what I meant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pilchard Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 Has had one good season in all of his career. Can't even blame O'Neill with this one. This was Falkner and Lerner's signing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 Yes this is the third season in a row we have said "I hope he lives up to what he's capable of". I'm not holding out a great deal of hope this time either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonic_bouma Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 The Ireland hate is baffling. Granted, he didn't pull up any trees but ffs he was no more horrible than anyone else in our team. And the very few sparks of creativity yesterday all came through him. It really isn't that baffling when a guy paid to unlock defences got only 1 goal and 2 assists last season.... he has no pace, he can't use skill to get past a player, never even bothers to get beyond the Darren Bent himself (why do other players have to do it?) and his "through balls" are never "throughy" enough.... but do you know what really pisses me off about Ireland? the fact that he NEVER **** SHOOTS.....he is playing behind the striker and not once does he ever try to create a bit of space and have a go, absolutely criminal... put Robbie Keane in his position and he would be shooting left right and centre and scoring the odd goal with it... he is a waste of a position at the moment and if he is in the team it means we have to play 451.... i would like to see him dropped and us play 2 up front Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted August 19, 2012 Moderator Share Posted August 19, 2012 If Ireland was genuinely playing "behind the striker" or "in the hole" yesterday then he should have been much further up the pitch than he was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonic_bouma Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 case in point......Michu for Swansea... it took him one game to show Ireland what he should be doing.... and Sigurdsson before him.... he is so limited as a player its untrue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie09 Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 Thought he was one of our better players today, played a peach of a ball to KEA(?) in the box who decided to shoot instead of play in Bent, also remember him losing the ball and then chasing back 30 yards to win it back. Trying to find Bent today was like a needle in a haystack, he was completely outnumbered, usually be 3 WH players. I've started to get quite annoyed at the lazy comments, he's really anything but tbh. I can only presume these people don't actually play football themselves. Spot on. At one stage in the first half Ireland bombed forward on the left and was one on one with their fullback but Holman either didn't see Ireland's run or wasn't confident enough to try to make the ball. I suspect the tv monitors didn't show this as they normally focus on the ball and not the movement off it. As for his energy levels dipping, the same could be said of all the players yesterday due to the heat. It was noticeable that players used every opportunity to get a drink. We were very narrow yesterday and lacked pace on the flanks. The comment about missing Gabby was a good one as he may have been able to stretch their defence which in turn would have benefited Ireland and others. But let's just carry on pointing the finger at Ireland shall we? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PussEKatt Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 I thought Ireland and Nzgog spent most of the game either giving the ball away or losing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonic_bouma Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 But let's just carry on pointing the finger at Ireland shall we? I agree with you on Gabby his pace to stretch defences will really help us but its not a case of pointing a finger at Ireland for the sake of it.... we were uber shit yesterday in an attacking sense but for me the debate is whether Ireland (in the role he has for the team) is doing enough or has enough ability to be our main source of creativity... personally for the last 2 years i think he has hindered the squad more than helped it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie09 Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 But let's just carry on pointing the finger at Ireland shall we? I agree with you on Gabby his pace to stretch defences will really help us but its not a case of pointing a finger at Ireland for the sake of it.... we were uber shit yesterday in an attacking sense but for me the debate is whether Ireland (in the role he has for the team) is doing enough or has enough ability to be our main source of creativity... personally for the last 2 years i think he has hindered the squad more than helped it I think all players are entitled to a fresh start after the stifling tactics of last season. The only one who hindered the team was the previous manager. I think that both Ireland and N'Zogbia are luxury players and we can only accommodate one in the team and for me the one to go would be N'Zogbia. I welcomed his signing but he just doesn't look like he wants it. I trust Lambert and i think that he will bring the best out of Ireland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillanousOne Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 Funny how some of you don't rate Ireland yet expect him to play miles better than every other player on the pitch. Rather than concede that he was playing too deep, Wham defended ugly and in no numbers and Bent aside there was no one else getting fwd, what the hell was he supposed to do? Zog should have been bombing down the wing but he was marked by three players as Wham defended in numbers and then hoofed it fwd, ugly tactics that created an ugly goal because our full backs are so inexperienced. Cant wait for gabby to get back so there can be pages and pages of you lot slagging him off again, FFS get behind the players for once! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonic_bouma Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 Funny how some of you don't rate Ireland yet expect him to play miles better than every other player on the pitch. Well that's a sweeping statement right there with no evidence to back it up... people (including me) are saying that a player in his position should be producing more and questioning whether he actually has the ability to make a difference for us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomaszk Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 case in point......Michu for Swansea... it took him one game to show Ireland what he should be doing.... and Sigurdsson before him.... he is so limited as a player its untrueSwansea have been playing that football for nearly six years, very easy for a player like Michu to come in a look brilliant. I'm sure he's a talented player but the team suits him. We're adjusting to a new way of playing and for some reason Ireland is being blamed for not dragging us to victory. Stick Bannan and Ireland into that Swansea team and they'd look amazing. Have a bit of patience and wait for us to adjust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonic_bouma Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 Stick Bannan and Ireland into that Swansea team and they'd look amazing. . I just cannot get on board with that way of thinking... they just wouldn't IMO and for me thats why people like Ireland have been let off the hook for poor performances while at Villa... you cannot use words like patience and Ireland in the same sentence... people have been more than patient Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomaszk Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 Stick Bannan and Ireland into that Swansea team and they'd look amazing. . I just cannot get on board with that way of thinking... they just wouldn't IMO and for me thats why people like Ireland have been let off the hook for poor performances while at Villa... you cannot use words like patience and Ireland in the same sentence... people have been more than patientWhat do you mean here sorry? There's no hook to let him off for me because people think he's a good player. Watch Joe Allen yesterday for Liverpool really struggling because Liverpool don't pass it like Swansea. I'm convinced they would both shine. We'll have to see because I agree that we looked toothless, fingers crossed it'll click and the team can start to operate the way Lambert wants it to. I think Ireland will stay in the team and I'm very happy about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonic_bouma Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 sorry if i wasn't clear i meant that people always defend Ireland with the words "he will do better with better players around him" but IMO if he can only shine when there are more talented players around him then he is extremely limited as a footballer... Robbie Keane didn't need help from other people Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFCforever1991 Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 I think he's like CNZ, He had a good season with city, we bought him and now he can't replicate what he did at his former club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkyvilla Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 I think Ireland's job would be a lot easier if he had the likes of Dyer and Sinclair playing on each wing with pace and lots of movement so he has other creative options rather than just a throughball to Bent that the centrehalves can telegraph before he's even passed it. I can see why people would think he would do better at Swansea than here. Unless we can bring in a couple of those players then I struggle to see how we can get the best out of Ireland as he doesn't naturally score goals himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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