Ireland 'I will be better next season.'

[Rip Van We Go Again]

birminghammail.net

STEPHEN Ireland has pledged to add a cutting edge to his game with more goals and assists.
 
Ireland, who was named supporters’ player-of-the-season, has gradually started to win over the Villa Park faithful this term with some encouraging displays after a nightmare first campaign for the claret and blues.
 
But the 25-year-old playmaker admits he needs to make a greater impact in the final third in future to add to this season’s tally of one goal and three assists.
 
He hopes a regular run in his preferred role as an advanced central midfielder will help him find the net and set up his team-mates more in his third year at Villa.
 

“Absolutely, but it all falls back to the different positions I’ve been playing,” he said.
 
“I’ve been left wing and right wing, I’ve come from there to being in the hole and it’s just a matter of me getting enough opportunities in the right positions to actually create the chances and score goals.
 
“I felt recently when I was sitting a bit deeper that I haven’t had chance to get near the goal.
 
“But at the moment it’s about doing everything right for the team and hopefully when I get my chance I can make those passes and make those goals.”
 
“No-one wants to be fighting against relegation, but it is something we’ve had to do and it is has been enforced.
 
“I don’t want people to be saying to me ‘are you worrying about staying up’? I want them to be asking ‘are you looking forward to playing in Europe? and stuff like that.”

[mrfuse]

birminghammail.net

“I don’t want people to be saying to me ‘are you worrying about staying up’? I want them to be asking ‘are you looking forward to playing in Europe? and stuff like that.”

So McLeish is going then!

[Chipsticks]

He needs to improve, but there's definitely a genuinely great player in there somewhere.

If I were manager, I'd build the team around him next season.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

It's fair comment when he says he's been shunted round position wise.

Plus he has the handicap of playing for a Manager who loathes players who have creativity.

[Mazrim]

He doesn't loathe them and he understands that he needs them. He just has no understanding of how to use them.

[willywombat]

He needs to improve, but there's definitely a genuinely great player in there somewhere.

If I were manager, I'd build the team around him next season.

This for me

[andyh]

yawn

[Concrete John]

“Absolutely, but it all falls back to the different positions I’ve been playing,” he said.
 
“I’ve been left wing and right wing, I’ve come from there to being in the hole and it’s just a matter of me getting enough opportunities in the right positions to actually create the chances and score goals.
 
“I felt recently when I was sitting a bit deeper that I haven’t had chance to get near the goal.
 
“But at the moment it’s about doing everything right for the team and hopefully when I get my chance I can make those passes and make those goals.”

Sounds like a bit of a dig at the manager to me.

[Hookeysmith]

“Absolutely, but it all falls back to the different positions I’ve been playing,” he said.
 
“I’ve been left wing and right wing, I’ve come from there to being in the hole and it’s just a matter of me getting enough opportunities in the right positions to actually create the chances and score goals.
 
“I felt recently when I was sitting a bit deeper that I haven’t had chance to get near the goal.
 
“But at the moment it’s about doing everything right for the team and hopefully when I get my chance I can make those passes and make those goals.”

Sounds like a bit of a dig at the manager to me.

I agree with this - although the only thing i could possibly say in the Managers favour is that with injuries being as they were it has been nigh on impossible at times to have played everyone in their correct position. Saying that though we did not have many injuries of note at Spurs away and to have played both Heskey and Hutton on the wings was criminally poor in anyones book

I also agree with the fact that the best player i could think of to unlock defences for the Bent would be Ireland playing at the top of a midfield triangle - not sure Eck will ever see that

[spaf]

He needs to improve, but there's definitely a genuinely great player in there somewhere.

If I were manager, I'd build the team around him next season.

This for me.

Completely agree. Been thinking along these lines after Chelsea away.

His vision, first touch, touch direction, awareness, first time passing etc. is a joy to watch. He makes us tick, he makes us worth watching. Please build the team around him.

This season I almost wanted him to play less first time passes, because the player he gives all the time and space in the world will no doubt be lesser than him. Still, he makes it look easy and elegant.

(edit: quotes in quick reply don't seem to work right)

[bilsim]

Credit to Mr. Ireland this season. When we signed him we there was a lot of buzz and he's been slightly unlucky in my opinion because of the change that's been going on in the club since he joined. After Houllier showed him the door and he to Newcastle I was resigned that we'd lost him and he'd go on to be a success elsewhere with us thinking "if only". Not to say that he's shown us his full potential but in a season where so many players looked lost or not interested, he's always given his all and when he's got going he's looked a class apart.
Hopefully next season, new manager or not, he can really excel with his ego massaged by the fact that we'll rely on him so much and a fully fit squad to build around him. It would have been easy for him to sulk this season and trudge around disinterested but he hasn't, so fair play to him.

[QBVILLA]

I've always rated Ireland, questioned his attitude on a number of ocassions, but never his ability.However what a damning statistic that is. Our player of the season, an attacking midfielder has contributed 0NE GOAL and a whopping THREE assists. Amazing.

[Irish villain]

With a bit more invention on the wings, a quality lynchpin in central midfield and Stephen Ireland as our playmaker, we should create a lot more chances next season.

McLeish really did render us impotent in the final third. That is criminal when you look at the players we have: Bent,Gabby, Ireland and N'Zogbia.

[Chris Harte]

I don't want to hear comments about improvement. I want to see improvement.

[PaulTheVillan]

Under a more positive manager next season, I expect Ireland to be a star.