Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: Muscle-Dolphin on September 11, 2010, 02:50:05 PM
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Stephen Ireland has the opportunity to become a beloved player for Villa under the guidance of GH. For some reason however there doesn't seem to be any media coverage of Ireland of late. He started to show "some life" against Everton. I believe that he will start to "really come into his own" on Monday. Am I kidding myself for thinking that Ireland may be the key to a return to Champions League football over the next couple of years? Ireland has the ability to help A.Young/Albrighton/Gabby reach their full potential.
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He needs to be given more license further forward. If we play the 4-1-4-1 with Petrov holding on his own then we a) don't keep the ball enough and b) he's forced to do too much defending, dropping deeper into areas he's not effective in. He's a final third player, rather than a tempo-setting player which has been the role he's been forced into so far. A bit more license and we should see the real Stephen Ireland.
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By 'some life' I presume you mean get injured in the warm up and not play?
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It was a such a promising warm up it needed to be commented upon though.
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To be fair he warmed up in front of us in the lower Holte and I must say it was exceptional and showed real promise - If he learns to warm up just a bit up field then I feel we will really see the player we wanted warming up !!!
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S.I not the sort of player to take a game by the scruff of the neck & lead the younger players imo, but a player who with other good solid players around him, will have licence to make those good runs into the oppositions box and make or score goals. kind of D. Platt-ish in style.
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With the pace we have in the side we need someone to 'play them in'
Petrov is an intelligent footballer but cannot be relied upon to stop the opposition
Ireland is just the kind of player we need to unleash Ash and Gabby with quality balls-good spotting of runs etc
For me he has to play in behind the striker(s) with a defensivly minded midfielder to catch the play behind him.
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I've noticed that when talking of "Stephen Ireland" it is considered de rigeur to use "quotation marks", I'm glad to see my fellow "H&Vers" are up to date with "verbal fashions".
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By 'some life' I presume you mean get injured in the warm up and not play?
In retrospect, it was a lame attempt at humour.
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I've noticed that when talking of "Stephen Ireland" it is considered de rigeur to use "quotation marks", I'm glad to see my fellow "H&Vers" are up to date with "verbal fashions".
I'm glad to see that some football fans are "catching on" to the style that I've used over the decades :)
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Stephen Ireland has the opportunity to become a beloved player for Villa under the guidance of GH. For some reason however there doesn't seem to be any media coverage of Ireland of late. He started to show "some life" against Everton. I believe that he will start to "really come into his own" on Monday. Am I kidding myself for thinking that Ireland may be the key to a return to Champions League football over the next couple of years? Ireland has the ability to help A.Young/Albrighton/Gabby reach their full potential.
I thought he was injured for the Everton game?
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Once he's fully fit I think he'll be great.
We need to get the right combo of central players. I'd go with Petrov, NRC/Delph and Ireland slightly ahead of them.
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Nothing has changed, Ireland will eventually play just off Gabby imo and will be an excellent player for us.
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I think that GH is an excellent mentor for Ireland. I think that Ireland will be outstanding for us in the future. Milner who?
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He's a good player but we haven't looked right with him in the team so far. The first challenge for Houllier when he arrives (in November) will to be sort out a way to accommodate him in the side.
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He's a good player but we haven't looked right with him in the team so far. The first challenge for Houllier when he arrives (in November) will to be sort out a way to accommodate him in the side.
From what I have seen so far, the best way to accommodate him would be to put him behind the main striker. That would mean Ash, Downing and Albrighton across the middle with Petrov and NRC in front of the back four. I think Ireland is much more of a goal threat than Ashley is so, at the moment, should be played in a more advanced role.
Whether that will necessarily be the same in January after GH has had a look at things and maybe brought in some additions, who knows.
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Who are you leaving out? A striker or a goalie?
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Gk and usual back four. Then have Petrov and NRC as holding midfielders with Ireland push on and Young and Dowining/Albrighton supporting a lone striker.
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To get the best out of Ireland we have to move Ashley Young out of the way and put him back onto the left-wing, where he is our best player by far. In the middle he is ordinary.
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I can see "Stephen Ireland" becoming a long term replacement for Petrov, playing in that deep lying role
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I can see "Stephen Ireland" becoming a long term replacement for Petrov, playing in that deep lying role
I really disagree, I think when Ireland had to drop deep against Newcastle he looked thoroughly uncomfortable, and I do think he's very much a player for the final third. For me Delph has the energy, range of passing and long-shooting (among other things) to replace Petrov in the deep-lying role, with Ireland further forward.
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I can see "Stephen Ireland" becoming a long term replacement for Petrov, playing in that deep lying role
we've already taken one attacking midfield player and forced him into being a defensive midfielder. Can we please not do it with another. His admitted strength is breaking from midfield and arriving late in the box. I'd like to see more of that at Villa. Something we've sorely missed for a good number of years.
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I can see "Stephen Ireland" becoming a long term replacement for Petrov, playing in that deep lying role
I really disagree, I think when Ireland had to drop deep against Newcastle he looked thoroughly uncomfortable, and I do think he's very much a player for the final third. For me Delph has the energy, range of passing and long-shooting (among other things) to replace Petrov in the deep-lying role, with Ireland further forward.
Agreed, I don't see that at all.
I even have doubts about him as a conventional CM.
We'll see the best of him either drifting in from the flanks or just off the forwards. Pretty much anywhere he can exploit space and doesn't need to concentrate too heavily on tracking the opposition.
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Agreed, I don't see that at all.
I even have doubts about him as a conventional CM.
We'll see the best of him either drifting in from the flanks or just off the forwards. Pretty much anywhere he can exploit space and doesn't need to concentrate too heavily on tracking the opposition.
Exactly how I see it. He's one of those players that you don't want to pin down to a specific area on the pitch because he is good wherever there is space, so wherever there is space should be his area. Generally, though, that area should ideally be in the final third, because that's where he's most dangerous (but of course also where it's most difficult to find space).
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My worry with Ireland is the same issue we have had with other potentially skilled players, will the rest of the team be on his wavelength. With his excellent season with City, a lot of that was his linkup with Robinho. Several times during the first half against Newcastle he made runs that weren't picked up by his team mates. It doesn't matter how good you are if the rest of the team don't see you or understand how you play. ( I would argue that's the reason that Sidwell has done so shit. I'm not saying he is as good as Ireland, but that some times he has made runs into the box that has been missed as we look to wings too often.)
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Ireland is ruined when you ask him to do the donkey work of someone like Petrov. Petrov might not be the most popular player to ever pull on the shirt but what you see is what you get - works hard, attempts to break up play and tried to start attacking phases. Ireland is a skilled attacker with a good football brain and two good feet. Monty and KevinGage have it correctly: say 'here you are son, play how you like' like England did with Rooney the other week and we'll see the best of him.
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I think Ireland would do a far better job playing the free role that Young has currently been trying. Stick Ash back on the wing, then play Ireland just off Gabby. We'll tear teams a new one.
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I think Ireland would do a far better job playing the free role that Young has currently been trying. Stick Ash back on the wing, then play Ireland just off Gabby. We'll tear teams a new one.
Exactly what I'd do!
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And its what I said posts before. I want the credit.
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And its what I said posts before. I want the credit.
I said it ages ago, before we signed him. Do one. :P
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And its what I said posts before. I want the credit.
I said it ages ago, before we signed him. Do one. :P
I said it while Ashley Young was still at Watford, and Ireland was still in City's yout team. Up yours!
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Owshty Bowsh.