Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: Rip Van We Go Again on May 10, 2012, 09:02:08 AM
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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.”
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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!
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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.
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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.
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He doesn't loathe them and he understands that he needs them. He just has no understanding of how to use them.
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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
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yawn
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“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.
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“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
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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)
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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.
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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.
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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.
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I don't want to hear comments about improvement. I want to see improvement.
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Under a more positive manager next season, I expect Ireland to be a star.
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its not just ireland, its all of them. The other post about the espn article just bangs this right on the head. Not only Ireland but the younger stars need to improve next term and I think only a better manager will do this....
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Good to see Ireland is doing well, but he will blossom more next season as we will have a new manager and more attacking players and new blood. Maybe a former Man City manager will help. (NOT SVEN)
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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.
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.
He's hiding his greatness fairly well at the moment.
No pace, no instinct for goals. 1 goal and 3 assists FFS.
I wouldn't build a schoolyard kick about around him.
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Our most talented player by a mile. But I have two key reservations:
- his best position is as the most attacking in a 3 man midfield, but he doesn't seem to score or assist too much. So that means you need the front 3 to score a lot (and they certainly weren't this season)
- he would be so much better with class players around him. his best abilities are his one touch passing and appreciation of the game. But it's painful to watch other players fail to read him. Bannan and CNZ are the only regular players who look on his wavelength (when CNZ is actually awake)
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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.
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.
He's hiding his greatness fairly well at the moment.
No pace, no instinct for goals. 1 goal and 3 assists FFS.
I wouldn't build a schoolyard kick about around him.
No pace? He doesn't need it. Superb vision, passing and his work rate post christmas has been superb. It will be interesting to see what sort of relationship he and Bent can strike up with him in the hole.
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I think Ireland behind Bent in a team that really plays through midfield, could be excellent. But in a more direct style it just won't work at all.
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I'd love to see a manager give our team some confidence and get them believing again and I would like to see Ireland get a chance to shine in this team. He's a cracking player, if only we can get the best out of him more consistently.
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Problem is with Ireland his football brain is about two levels above anyone else in our team. You see him looking for players to make the runs for him to play his passes but we don't have players in our team that can read him. If you put Ireland in the Man Utd team he would be awesome as he is playing with better players who make the runs and have the movement to suit his game
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Problem is with Ireland his football brain is about two levels above anyone else in our team. You see him looking for players to make the runs for him to play his passes but we don't have players in our team that can read him. If you put Ireland in the Man Utd team he would be awesome as he is playing with better players who make the runs and have the movement to suit his game
I agree! I really rate him, but it occurred to me sometime in Autumn that his passes only ever just seem to make it. They seem to arrive in slow motion and I think it's because he assumes that the player he's passing to is much less static than he is! I certainly hope he stays around and is able to be part of a Villa team which lets him use his obvious skill.
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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.
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.
He's hiding his greatness fairly well at the moment.
No pace, no instinct for goals. 1 goal and 3 assists FFS.
I wouldn't build a schoolyard kick about around him.
You obviously never saw him playing for Man City a few years ago. He was their player of the year in the season Robinho joined them (the season the money started coming in). I saw most of their home games that season (through work) and he was absolutely brilliant. Scored a fair few goals, made loads and worked his arse off. He was far and away the standout player in every game I saw. The guy's got everything. Unfortunately, possibly because he crept up through the ranks, I don't think he had the wow factor the new owners were looking for, and since they had squillions to spend on marquee signings he was seen as dispensable and sidelined. His attitude problems may be something to do with him feeling hard done by, and I think maybe he was.
Why are people still knocking him? When I've seen him this season he's been the only player we've got who seems to want the ball, who seems comfortable when he's got it, and who seems to know what he wants to do with it. Most of the others have seemed terrified to get the thing. His passes don't always hit the mark, but at least he has the confidence and the vision to attempt them. I'm really glad he got player of the year; he has proven ability and could be a star for us. We must keep him, and we must build the team around him.
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Since Christmas his work rate has been superb, he uses the ball well, and looks a class apart to most of our team. The shame is that he and Bent never really played in the right formation to allow Ireland to bring out the best of Bent.
I think when he first came his head was all over the shop and he was not putting the effort in that he is now and it frustrated Houllier, but this season he has been excellent, summed up by his 60 yard track back to win a sliding tackle just before half time against Spurs.
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So he strings a few passes together, no need to build a team around him. Needs to pay us back on the pitch for his wages and transfer fee. Still believe if he had one good season with us he will be gone, he does not exude any loyalty or integrity for me. Funny how he now loves Manure now scholes has or is retiring, find him all a bit false.
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He's a loon, from Cork and he's let Ireland (the country) down but I find him hard to dislike unlike that faux "ultimate professional" Keano. Let's hope he shines next season in a Villa shirt under Lambert.
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Good to see Ireland is doing well, but he will blossom more next season as we will have a new manager and more attacking players and new blood. Maybe a former Man City manager will help. (NOT SVEN)
Mancini? ;)
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Good to see Ireland is doing well, but he will blossom more next season as we will have a new manager and more attacking players and new blood. Maybe a former Man City manager will help. (NOT SVEN)
Mancini? ;)
Peter Reid?
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Good to see Ireland is doing well, but he will blossom more next season as we will have a new manager and more attacking players and new blood. Maybe a former Man City manager will help. (NOT SVEN)
Mancini? ;)
Peter Reid?
Joe Mercer?
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This story puts me in mind of Frank Spencer's mantra: 'every day in every way, I'm getting better and better'.
That and 'OOOooh Betty, the cat's done a shit in my hat'.
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Good to see Ireland is doing well, but he will blossom more next season as we will have a new manager and more attacking players and new blood. Maybe a former Man City manager will help. (NOT SVEN)
Mancini? ;)
Peter Reid?
Joe Mercer?
"Hold hands and turn down the lights, the boss wants a word"
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I wouldn't build a team around him - I think his character is unreliable - but I agree that he has been screwed this season around over different demands from the manager.
I think that he should be integral to the side's revival next season under a new manager; he's certainly good enough if the head is tuned in.
And - yes - I read this article as an attack on McLeish.
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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.
Could be worse. Did I not read Downing got his first assist of the season vs Chelsea on Tuesday evening?
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I like Ireland I think next season he will be a lot better under a new manager who play's to his strengths.
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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.
Could be worse. Did I not read Downing got his first assist of the season vs Chelsea on Tuesday evening?
He wasn't their player of the season though.
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I wouldn't build a team around him - I think his character is unreliable - but I agree that he has been screwed this season around over different demands from the manager.
He agree thhat he should be integral to the side's revival next season under a new manager.
And - yes - I read this article as an attack on McLeish.
I would tend to agree with that. He only seems able to play a couple of games before he is injured and is on the sidelines. As talented as he is, I don't think you can build a team around a player who can only manage less than 20 games a season.
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I think Ireland has improved massively...from last season. Its all relative though, i dont think he is anything like as good as he played on his pomp at City, so would expect at least for him to be better than this season. Still to be convinced about him, he has a brilliant knack of passing to someone under pressure or overhitting passes. I read earlier that this wasnt his fault, it was the players around him....? Nah, its his fault.
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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.
To be fair that does mean he directly contributed to over 10% of our goals this season
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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.
To be fair that does mean he directly contributed to over 10% of our goals this season
haha. A good point, well made
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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.
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.
He's hiding his greatness fairly well at the moment.
No pace, no instinct for goals. 1 goal and 3 assists FFS.
I wouldn't build a schoolyard kick about around him.
You obviously never saw him playing for Man City a few years ago. He was their player of the year in the season Robinho joined them (the season the money started coming in). I saw most of their home games that season (through work) and he was absolutely brilliant. Scored a fair few goals, made loads and worked his arse off. He was far and away the standout player in every game I saw. The guy's got everything. Unfortunately, possibly because he crept up through the ranks, I don't think he had the wow factor the new owners were looking for, and since they had squillions to spend on marquee signings he was seen as dispensable and sidelined. His attitude problems may be something to do with him feeling hard done by, and I think maybe he was.
Why are people still knocking him? When I've seen him this season he's been the only player we've got who seems to want the ball, who seems comfortable when he's got it, and who seems to know what he wants to do with it. Most of the others have seemed terrified to get the thing. His passes don't always hit the mark, but at least he has the confidence and the vision to attempt them. I'm really glad he got player of the year; he has proven ability and could be a star for us. We must keep him, and we must build the team around him.
You're absolutely right - I didn't see him play for Man. City.
I have seen him play for Aston Villa though and I'm yet to see any of the qualities you mention. He may have been one of the better players of a very bad lot, but he's supposed to be Villa's Gerard or Lampard, yet he scored a solitary goal and the only assist I can remember was converted by curling shot from outside the box.
By all means keep him but there's too much for him to prove before building a team around him.
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According to the media watch section on Prvda he's had talks with NY Red Bulls.
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According to the media watch section on Prvda he's had talks with NY Red Bulls.
I think that old news
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at the villa legends night on monday, des bremner, colin gibson, sid cowans and andy blair all laughed at ireland getting a player of the year award!
i am with the doubters, all he is to me is an enigma who has talent but has no loyalty for anyone except himself and he believes we are below him. needs to do alot more in my opinion to be the type of payer to build a team around!
he wasnt my player of the year anyway!
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In an attack minded side, there is no doubt that Ireland's level of performance this year would translate into plenty of assists and goals.
He is easily our most technically gifted player.
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...but this season he has been excellent, summed up by his 60 yard track back to win a sliding tackle just before half time against Spurs.
When he picked up his award he made the statement that he knows what pleases the crowd. Things like tough tackling in midfield have always warmed our crowd up. It is a message that needs to get across to all of them.