Ireland hits out at Houllier and the City of Birmingham!

[Rip Van We Go Again]

From sportinglife.com

Newcastle midfielder Stephen Ireland has launched a scathing attack on Gerard Houllier.

Speaking in an interview with French football magazine So Foot, Ireland, who is on loan at St James' Park, is very critical of Aston Villa boss Houllier.

The midfielder was rarely used by Houllier after he took charge from Martin O'Neill and he insists he was forced out of Villa by the Frenchman.

"After 15 matches on the bench Houllier told me to stay at home," said Ireland, who is hoping to make his Newcastle debut against Everton this weekend.

"I trained during the week and on Fridays he told me, 'no point you coming, you are not in the team'.

"Yet I was the best player in training. It was my team that won in every session. One of the few times he played me, we drew 0-0 at Chelsea and I ended up man of the match.

"Apparently that didn't matter to him. I was stuck with being paid for doing nothing at all. I was left to myself. I had to pay out of my own pocket for medical treatment. Can you believe that?"

Ireland also took exception at being asked to move to Birmingham from his home in Manchester.

"Houllier asked me to come and live in Birmingham because it was taking me 75 minutes to come to training. But there were 15 players in the same position as me. Some came from London and took more than two hours, but he only asked me to move," he continued.

"For a start, Birmingham is a c**p city and I wasn't going to make the effort, especially as I wasn't playing. Might as well be in Manchester if I had to stay home on match days.


"I don't bear Houllier any grudges; it wasn't him who chose me after all."

Ireland is desperate to play this weekend, adding: "I just want to play and have a manager who really wants me for once.

"I have no idea at the moment who I will be playing for next season. My future is unclear."

Ireland retired from international football with his native Republic of Ireland four years ago, but he has no regrets and insists he feels nothing for his homeland, or even his hometown of Cork.

"I don't give a damn for Ireland. Live in Cork? I'd rather shoot myself. I prefer Los Angeles," he said.


And he admits he is not going to be playing for his country again in the future.

"Even at youth level, it p****d me off to go there," he said.

"Everyone came from Dublin. I was the only guy from Cork. I had to take the train on my own, pay for a taxi, there was no hotel, no grub. It was handled so amateurishly.

"National teams don't interest me. I have more to do than go off for three days to play Andorra. And when you are Irish, you are well aware you'll never win the World Cup.

"I feel nothing for the team. I absolutely don't feel guilty when they lose and, when they win, at no time do I think I could have been there.

"Even if Ireland had qualified for the World Cup, I wouldn't have gone. People call for my return, but I have only played five times for them. The national team and me are ancient history."

[Monty]

What a charming young boy.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

I thought it was hilarious.

The rantings of a Grade A mentalist.

[Monty]

It's true, he does sound a bit like Gaddafi. "Al-Qaeda drugged me so I played like a useless lump of shit" would have actually been more credible.

[lovejoy]

Merge threads?

[Irish villain]

As if we didn't know already he is a complete c**k. The Magpies are welcome to him.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Merge threads?

I thought his latest comments were good enough for a thread on their own.

[Monty]

Merge threads?

I thought his latest comments were good enough for a thread on their own.

I agree. Charlie Sheen, John Hitleriano, Col Gaddafi, and now Stephen Ireland. Until this week I'd wondered if there were a way back for him at the Villa, even hoped. Now I hope there's no way back for him in football.

[Irish villain]

He must have serious issues. Let's hope the people of Cork don't get to read this!

[tremzvillain]

From sportinglife.com

"I wasn't going to make the effort"

We can see that.

[richard moore]

Even by footballers' standards, he is surprisingly thick

Reading that, Newcastle sounds ideal for him. Both the club and their fans will find they have much in common with him...

[Rip Van We Go Again]

I don't get all the bollocks about paying for his medical treatment.

I did say that he was a twat ages ago.
He's surpassed all twatishness that I expected from him though.

[Monty]

Even by footballers' standards, he is surprisingly thick

Reading that, Newcastle sounds ideal for him. Both the club and their fans will find they have much in common with him...

In fairness, the only Newcastle response I've seen so far has been pretty much the same as ours.

[Lizz]

He certainly wouldn't make it in politics. He's entitled to his views; it doesn't look like he has any sense of diplomacy.

[Bad English]

Absolutely barking! What about Dale End? Has he not seen that video by Telly Savalas. FFS!