Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: tom jennings IV on July 26, 2011, 09:48:48 AM
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Shay Given keen for his Aston Villa team-mate Stephen Ireland to be given another chance to impress
After being reunited with his former Manchester City and Irish team-mate, the shot-stopper is hoping a new manager will see a turnaround in the midfielder's fortunes
25 Jul 2011 19:41:00 By Shane Farrington
1 Comments More On : Aston Villa, Alex McLeish, Shay Given, Stephen Ireland New Aston Villa arrival Shay Given is hoping that Stephen Ireland will be given an opportunity to impress under Alex McLeish after enduring a difficult campaign last season.
The pair played together at Manchester City before Ireland moved to Villa Park last summer and Given is hoping that fans will finally see the midfielder shine.
"When I joined Manchester City Stephen Ireland was the first name on the sheet," Given told the Birmingham Mail.
"He's a fantastic player, and one of the top midfielders in the country when he is on song. Hopefully myself and the new manager can get the best out of him.
"It's like a new signing because for whatever reason he didn't feature at all last season. It has got to come from him as well, but the player that I've seen at Man City and that I've seen again in training at Villa is a top midfielder."
Given also claimed that his former international colleague was the best trainer during their time together at Manchester City.
He added: "You read different things about him, but all I can talk about is his football and he's a fantastic footballer. If we can get the best out of him we have a real top player on our hands.
"At Man City he was one of the best trainers, he puts a real shift in when he's working.
“In the ProZone stats he was miles ahead of everyone in the distance covered and things like that, and he puts a shift in on matchday as well. I don't know what the problem was last season.
"When Villa signed him I thought they'd got a top player, and hopefully we will see that this season."
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2011/07/25/2590497/shay-given-keen-for-his-aston-villa-team-mate-stephen-ireland-to- (http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2011/07/25/2590497/shay-given-keen-for-his-aston-villa-team-mate-stephen-ireland-to-)
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Well, I live in hope. Ireland was one of the best players in the league 3 years ago, and if he can get back to even 80% of that level consistently we'll have a cracking player on our hands.
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I like the way he says "hopefully myself and the new manager can get the best out of him". I always feel he's the type of player who needs someone who can put the time into boosting his confidence on a regular basis. Hopefully Shay is the man.
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It all fits into what we believe AM's mandate to be - get the best out of what we have.
I suppose the question/hope is that if he tries and it just ain't happening, Randy will still back him in the transfer market as he did MON and Gezza.
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Well, I live in hope.
Oh? Have you moved?
;)
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Well, I live in hope.
Oh? Have you moved?
;)
Yes, my new address is
Dun Moanin'
1 Smith Street
Toronto
;)
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Well, I live in hope.
Oh? Have you moved?
;)
Yes, my new address is
Dun Moanin'
1 Smith Street
Toronto
;)
I'll be happy to invite you over for beers any time Risso :)
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Thinking of coming over to Canada again next year mate, so it'd be my pleasure to buy you one.
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Pravda article (http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~2400517,00.html)
By Dan Harrison
Shay Given has backed Stephen Ireland to kickstart his Villa career and insists he can become "one of the top midfielders in the country".
Villa's new goalkeeper is confident Ireland can reproduce the form he showed in 2008-09 when he scooped the Player of the Year award at former club Manchester City.
Having played alongside the 24-year-old at Eastlands and for the Republic of Ireland, Given knows better than most the quality Ireland possesses.
And he believes his compatriot's return to the fold after a season on the periphery is like having a new signing in the claret and blue camp.
"When I joined Manchester City, Stephen Ireland was the first name on the sheet," said Given.
"He's a fantastic player and one of the top midfielders in the country when he is on song.
"Hopefully myself and the new manager can get the best out of him.
"It's like a new signing because for whatever reason he didn't feature at all last season.
"It has got to come from him as well but the player I've seen at Man City and that I have seen again here so far, he's a top, top midfielder."
Given says the frustration Ireland endured last term could work to Villa's advantage because he will be "champing at the bit" to prove himself as a top player.
"He'll be wanting to do well because of last season when he didn't feature as much as he'd want and he'll be champing at the bit to get into the season and to show people he's a top player," Given added.
"The Villa fans haven't seen that. We'll encourage him as much as we can but Stephen has got to do his bit as well and I'm sure he will.
"At Man City he was one of the best trainers. He puts a real shift in when he's working.
"In the ProZone stats he was miles ahead of everyone in the distance covered and things like that, and he puts a shift in on matchday as well.
"When Villa signed him I thought they'd got a real top player, and hopefully we will see that this season."
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Thinking of coming over to Canada again next year mate, so it'd be my pleasure to buy you one.
Risso, the pleasure would be all mine. PM me as soon as you have an idea of your plans.
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If he can get back to playing how we know he can then I think he will be a top player for us.
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if we get Ireland on form, we will be playing through the middle instead of out wide with Stuart and Ashley.
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He's most certainly an arm-around-the-shoulder, rather than give-him-a-bollocking type of character. I'd say this was the mistake GH made with him. Very early days, and I'm certainly far from convinced, but it would be great if he could turn his villa career (if you could call it that so far) around.
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He's most certainly an arm-around-the-shoulder, rather than give-him-a-bollocking type of character.
Fully agree and the irony is that MON is more that type of manager, so you could imagine him getting so much more out of Ireland than Houllier ever did.
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Good article for morale but Given was hardly likely to say:
"Fuck me he was a right mentalist and was more bothered about his patio"
The bit about going back to the player he was 3 years ago is what I find most worrying. A little bit like Warnock being a new player
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Here's a link to a fuller version of the IV
http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/aston-villa-fc/aston-villa-news/2011/07/25/aston-villa-shay-given-determined-to-make-stephen-ireland-a-star-at-villa-park-97319-29114440/ (http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/aston-villa-fc/aston-villa-news/2011/07/25/aston-villa-shay-given-determined-to-make-stephen-ireland-a-star-at-villa-park-97319-29114440/)
Given's personality shines through far more. He could be the missing link that eradicate's Villa's fragile psychology of last season. He is the senior pro in that dressing room now - he is one of the top keepers in premiership history and is very highly regarded - and he has history both with Dunne and Ireland (who could both do with a kick up the arris after last season's antics).
Also - take a gander at the official AVFC website and you'll see galleries of the squad training on the HK trip. Check out how the players are looking. Even Dunne looks lean and mean and athletic - and given his weakness for a pie and pint - I'll take that as an encouraging sign.
'Shay don't take no shit' is my new t-shirt idea - and that could be all the better for Villa.
UTV
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Think Shay Given will be a massive influence in the changing room. Mainly with Ireland and Dunne. He will keep Dunne on his toes through 90 mins + as he was switching off at times last season. Ireland will be motivated by the belief Given, Dunne and Mcleish will install in him off the pitch ...........
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Good point about how lean and mean the players are looking.
They all look like they could tear the ears off a Gundar.
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Dunne is saying some good things in today's Mail and gives some good explanation for our bad defending last season from set pieces.....man marking or zonal marking? it appears he was as clueless as the rest of us as to what they should be doing. I think we will see an improvement with AM's influence in this area in the coming season.
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Richard Dunne looks like he's lost an entire Richard Dunne.
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has anyone seen peice about him on ssn
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has anyone seen peice about him on ssn
Who, Dunne, Given or Ireland?
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Thinking of coming over to Canada again next year mate, so it'd be my pleasure to buy you one.
Risso, the pleasure would be all mine. PM me as soon as you have an idea of your plans.
Risso and Toronto sitting in a tree...
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Risso and Toronto sitting in a tree...
Matter meets Anti-matter. Duck and cover!
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Whilst I wasn't entirely surprised that the Stephen Ireland deal didn't work out last year (and it clearly didn't) I was surprised at the reports about him being a bad trainer and negative influence though.
I'm not saying those reports were wrong, BTW. But I had seen it mentioned by Bellamy and others that Ireland trained like a demon at Citeh. He even undertook a strength and conditioning programme in his downtime before the 08/09 season. It obviously worked, as he had a good campaign that year.
It's hard to know who carries the burden of blame for some of the goings on last year. I think ultimately, the player does. Even if he had misgivings about the manager, his own standards and personal pride should ensure that he does all he can to get in the team and make an impact. But Ireland did seem to say that Houllier wouldn't play him no matter what, and some of GH's comments last year were less than helpful.
I can understand -to a degree- that Ireland felt railroaded into the move last year and might have been unsettled initially, leaving the club who he'd been with all his career -just when they look like they're on the up. A manager with GH's sometimes caustic approach was probably the last thing he needed too. But ultimately, only he can turn things around now from this point onwards, whether he wants to make a genuine go of things here or get a good move elsewhere. If he makes a balls of it again, his next move will be to a Bolton, Wigan or Championship side.
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Thinking of coming over to Canada again next year mate, so it'd be my pleasure to buy you one.
Risso, the pleasure would be all mine. PM me as soon as you have an idea of your plans.
Risso and Toronto sitting in a tree...
Chris, I'll hold your hand too as we nail pints whilst chewing the Villa fat!! Though I might need to duck if Risso decides to throw a chair at you during the course of the evening.
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Good article for morale but Given was hardly likely to say:
"Fuck me he was a right mentalist and was more bothered about his patio"
The bit about going back to the player he was 3 years ago is what I find most worrying. A little bit like Warnock being a new player
Why is that bit worrying? It's what we're all hoping isn't it?