Welcome Stephen Ireland

[KevinGage]

He hasn't really featured in many of Man Citeh's pre season games though, so I wouldn't expect too much too soon.

Could be Oct/Nov before he hits top form.

[The Situation]

Anyone see his interview on SSN this evening? Seems like a good guy and based on what he said about his relationship with Manchini (being very distant), strikes me as the sort of player who needs to be loved and will revel in being the hero. Let's hope he is.

Haha, he's a legend already with that interview he did. Came out with some home truths about Man City and basicially straight up told the gulf of class between both Villa and Citeh with our staff and players being nicer, more polite and genuine unlike the suicidal regime at Citeh. He's made a great decision to sign with us and he seems very happy.

Plus, I'm part Irish, so I like him even more... deffo going to get the home shirt with Ireland on the back, will get mega props when I go back to Ireland to see family.

[LeeB]

Players who have blinding debuts for the Villa rarely live up to their promise.

[Pete3206]

Nice comments from the lad, but I heard the same lines from him a couple of years ago. "Man City, only club for me, family club, etc, etc."

He fallen out with them and they've marked his card. Still, their loss is definitely our gain.

 

[jembob]

Nice comments from the lad, but I heard the same lines from him a couple of years ago. "Man City, only club for me, family club, etc, etc."

He fallen out with them and they've marked his card. Still, their loss is definitely our gain.

 

A few years ago Citeh may well have been a family club with a completely different ethos and he obviously fitted in with the old regime or he wouldn't have been there for so long. My favourite comment was that Milner would find that the grass isn't greener and he's in for a shock when he gets there. Still, for £20M most people would put up with some shit.

[OCD]

He hasn't really featured in many of Man Citeh's pre season games though, so I wouldn't expect too much too soon.

Could be Oct/Nov before he hits top form.

He played in some of the games in the States so that's not totally right. It might take a while for him to hit top form but I think his quality will show in the preceding time.

[Shrek]

Nice comments from the lad, but I heard the same lines from him a couple of years ago. "Man City, only club for me, family club, etc, etc."

He fallen out with them and they've marked his card. Still, their loss is definitely our gain.

 

It probably was a family club then! he comparing us to how they are now, not in the past!

[BannedUserIAT]

His interview in print that I saw came across as ghost-written.
Maybe I'm being cynical but I suspect Villa's PR team (who have dropped some industrial-sized bollocks lately) have worked overtime on this.

[ozzjim]

His interview in the flesh on the BBC site is pretty scathing of City and very welcoming of being at Villa. As is his interview with the Guardian today.

[eamonn]

Loved the comment where he compares the attitudes of the young players at Man City compared to here. Compared to the usual banal guff players come out with, prime example the big-eared warrior of our hearts Milner talking about his move to Money Sheiky, it's refreshing to hear Ireland being so candid. O'Neill's pal Pat Murphy seemed to be a bit spiky with him. A bit cheeky to suggest with the pay-off and salary he's getting why wouldn't he mind joining Villa.

[BannedUserIAT]

Anyone who has seen the TV series "Lie To Me" could have great fun with Stephen Ireland in that BBC interview (Oh, and thanks, Ozzjim for pointing that interview out to me).

If you have a look at what Prof.Paul Ekman has to say about facial expressions (he's the bloke who's work is the foundation of that TV show), you'll really see what Ireland is thinking.

At the start when he's talking about being frozen out of Mancini's squad and that he has no hard feelings....well, he's lying as he's showing a lot of anger (the raised eyebrows bit).

When it comes to talking about the Villa and that he'd spoken with a lot of people and that he's comfortable being at a 'family club'....sorry but I'm not buying a word of it. He starts rubbing his hands and playing with his fingers - a sign of self-comforting. I think he feels quite isolated. He's certainly been sold this idea [of a family club] and he's parroting it to the media but I'm not yet convinced that he believes it. He's feeling quite out of his comfort zone through this whole affair. When he says he's made a good choice coming here, we get a quick lick of the lips. Not necessarily a lie but not something entirely truthful. As in, it wasn't really his choice.

"I'm actually shocked as to how good it is [at Villa]" all the while stroking his chin. No, he doesn't yet believe this bit either. However, when it comes to talking about the youngsters at City, the hand gets removed and his manner changes completely. Seems to me that he really despises their attitude. Likely a totally different attitude to what got him through the youth/reserve set-up. But then the hand goes back to scratching the chin when there's talk of Villa again so I'm guessing that he's been assured of how wonderful we are but he's yet to be convinced.

Same thing again when he talks about playing against us and the respect he has for Villa as a team and how we play.....he really gives us the chinny treatment. But, and this is a good sign, the very moment he gets back to talking about giving his all and getting back to how he knows he can play, the hand gets removed and he seems very at ease with this. Good news for us. It would seem that, as with the Villa players since MON's departure, the shackles are about to come off.

Then back to how he was treated by Man City and the anger across his face is obvious....the pursing of the lips, the sniff of contempt, although I do think that he has slightly guilty feelings for taking the club he loves to the cleaners but also believes (as would just about any non-Man City fan) that he's fully deserving of it.

To me, he's mentally reading a pre-written script. Or maybe he's just very very nervous....but for a lad who's used to performing in front of 30,000 people every week, I doubt that.

I get the feeling that he was hamstrung in this move to Villa. We all know that he wanted to stay at Man City and fight for his place so this move (or any other move for that matter) was simply not on the cards for him. We can only hope that, in the coming months, the words that came out of his mouth during that interview become the true feelings he has for this club, the squad and it's fans.





*this post could well be 100% bullshit....but I'll put it at 50/50

[Toronto Villa]

He strikes me as someone who's finally getting things of his chest, and is genuinely looking forward to proving all his doubters wrong. That he has matured and knows much more about who he is as a person and what he now values. I thought his interview simply allowed him to verbalize the stark contrast in environment from what he now finds himself in to the one he left.

[Ross]

Blimey Troy, good work!

[LeeS]

Remind me never to have a pint with Troy. I can picture it now

Troy - "Have you slept with my sister?"
Me - "No!" (scratches chin)
Troy - "I think you have"
Me - "I havent. Honest" (sniffs)
Troy - "Are you sure?"
Me - "I wouldnt do that to a fellow Villain brother"(scratches balls)
Troy - (PUNCH)

[Chris Smith]

*this post could well be 100% bullshit....but I'll put it at 50/50

I think you were right first time. <wink>

I think you've over-analysed it, I reckon if you or I were being filmed while being interviewed we might appear uncomfortable. After all Lie to Me is a drama not a documentary.