Ireland Injury

[Nev]

Just when you thought he might be getting his head together...

Tweet turns sour for Ireland as Villa boss McLeish questions midfielder's commitment
By Neil Moxley

Stephen Ireland has been warned about his future conduct by Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish after embarrassing pictures of him smoking a Shisha pipe and drinking appeared on Twitter.

The Villa midfielder was spoken to by McLeish after his girlfriend, Jessica Lawlor, posted an image with the tagline: ‘Shisha, alcohol and Xmas songs — doesn’t get better than this.’

The picture appeared just 24 hours after Ireland had been substituted with an injury against Arsenal and in the same week that fellow Villa midfielder Barry Bannan fronted a drink-driving campaign.

McLeish admitted he had confronted Ireland, 25, about the issue, saying: ‘I’ve spoken to Stephen but it’s not something I want to be discussing. My opinion on it will be delivered to him rather than discussing it in public. I don’t, however, think you want to be bringing attention to yourself like that.’
Asked to clarify what Ireland was trying to achieve, McLeish added: ‘I don’t know what he was doing. Was he using a Shisha pipe? I don’t know what that stuff is. For all I know he could have been blowing bubbles. I have to say it’s not my world, the way players live nowadays with tweeting and posting pictures of themselves.’
Ireland was signed for £8million at the start of last season and claimed he was regularly the best player at training with Manchester City

However, Ireland has not delivered at Villa, where McLeish has said his midfield is an area of concern. Ireland has hardly endeared himself to Villa fans either by describing Birmingham as a ‘c**p city’ during an interview.

‘We all know he has a decent touch and he showed other attributes in the Arsenal game with his closing down,’ said McLeish.
‘He has to do more. He has been training well and he put in a shift the other night. He’s got to take that attitude into other games. He has not done himself justice in a Villa shirt.’

The ever dedicated Stephen Ireland

Complete and utter non story. Unless a young man enjoying christmas with his family is meant to be some sort of crime now.

It's not just any young man, it's a footballer who earns an awful lot of money for doing very little. Successive managers at Man City, Villa and Newcastle appear to have little faith in him. At Villa in particular he has put in lazy, disinterested performances punctuated with occasional glimpses of what he is capable of. Off the field comments have been ill advised to add to the mix.

I have no problem with him enjoying himself over Christmas but I do have a problem with him being a paid member of staff at my club, giving very little in return.

[brian green]

He is not a quality player.  He is a thoroughly bad influence.   As club servants go he makes Robert Pires look like Sid Cowans.

[taylorsworkrate]

Just when you thought he might be getting his head together...

Tweet turns sour for Ireland as Villa boss McLeish questions midfielder's commitment
By Neil Moxley

Stephen Ireland has been warned about his future conduct by Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish after embarrassing pictures of him smoking a Shisha pipe and drinking appeared on Twitter.

The Villa midfielder was spoken to by McLeish after his girlfriend, Jessica Lawlor, posted an image with the tagline: ‘Shisha, alcohol and Xmas songs — doesn’t get better than this.’

The picture appeared just 24 hours after Ireland had been substituted with an injury against Arsenal and in the same week that fellow Villa midfielder Barry Bannan fronted a drink-driving campaign.

McLeish admitted he had confronted Ireland, 25, about the issue, saying: ‘I’ve spoken to Stephen but it’s not something I want to be discussing. My opinion on it will be delivered to him rather than discussing it in public. I don’t, however, think you want to be bringing attention to yourself like that.’
Asked to clarify what Ireland was trying to achieve, McLeish added: ‘I don’t know what he was doing. Was he using a Shisha pipe? I don’t know what that stuff is. For all I know he could have been blowing bubbles. I have to say it’s not my world, the way players live nowadays with tweeting and posting pictures of themselves.’
Ireland was signed for £8million at the start of last season and claimed he was regularly the best player at training with Manchester City

However, Ireland has not delivered at Villa, where McLeish has said his midfield is an area of concern. Ireland has hardly endeared himself to Villa fans either by describing Birmingham as a ‘c**p city’ during an interview.

‘We all know he has a decent touch and he showed other attributes in the Arsenal game with his closing down,’ said McLeish.
‘He has to do more. He has been training well and he put in a shift the other night. He’s got to take that attitude into other games. He has not done himself justice in a Villa shirt.’

The ever dedicated Stephen Ireland

Complete and utter non story. Unless a young man enjoying christmas with his family is meant to be some sort of crime now.

It's not just any young man, it's a footballer who earns an awful lot of money for doing very little. Successive managers at Man City, Villa and Newcastle appear to have little faith in him. At Villa in particular he has put in lazy, disinterested performances punctuated with occasional glimpses of what he is capable of. Off the field comments have been ill advised to add to the mix.

I have no problem with him enjoying himself over Christmas but I do have a problem with him being a paid member of staff at my club, giving very little in return.

The thing is though this season, when he's played, he's done well. Our best football this season has come with Ireland in the side (QPR away, Wigan and Arsenal at home). On a couple of occasions this year, he's been rewarded after a good performance by being dropped.

Mcleish himself only a couple of weeks ago said how well he was doing in training, so I think the accusations of not trying this season are unfounded.

I'd have Ireland in the team as I think he has more quality than the vast majority of the players at the club, and we've looked a considerably better side with him in it.

[Matt Collins]

I don't really like the guy,  but I just don't agree that he's been lazy and uninterested this season. I agree with the post above. I think we've tended to look better this season when we've played formations and players that allow us to get more technical players on the pitch.

For example, we saw the diamond against Wigan with Bannan and Ireland in midfield. We've never seen that again. He looked good against Arsenal, as did Bannan. I think I'd play Ireland against Chelsea, and then decide who not to play out of alby, n'zog and bent.

[Concrete John]

He is not a quality player.  He is a thoroughly bad influence.   As club servants go he makes Robert Pires look like Sid Cowans.

Just out of interest, what did Pires ever do wrong?  Past his best when we signed him I grant you, which was during an injury crisis, but he always seemed to toe the line and try when asked to me!

[PaulTheVillan]

This is a non story.

[Toronto Villa]

It's not a non-story. At a time when the club isn't exactly awash with riches, both financially and in terms of numbers, our senior players (yes, that would include Ireland) need to be an example to others. Yes, even professional footballers can have down time, but having a picture with yourself half naked with a pipe to your mouth leaves a distinctly bad taste. Even if it's completely innocent, it's just not the right image HE should be portraying of himself right now. If he really has intentions of forcing his way back into playing football at a high level, then first and foremost his head needs to be 100% into his profession. He has failed to do that since he arrived, and just when you think he might be turning the corner, and we were all pleased to see his cameo against Arsenal, then he needs to rededicate himself to a club and supporter base that have shown him immense patience.

[PaulTheVillan]

He's a footballer, most of them are stupid. Don't know why people expect him to be an angel.

[Ryu]

His only mistake here is to go out with a woman who doesn't appear to understand how modern media will make a mountain out of any mole hill when it comes to photographs of footballers. 

[Toronto Villa]

He's a footballer, most of them are stupid. Don't know why people expect him to be an angel.

I don't think most of them are stupid at all. I think the few stupid ones give the majority of the good ones a bad name. Most footballers aren't Stephen Ireland or Jermaine "look at my fucking silver car" Pennant. I think most of them apply themselves properly to their craft. I don't think anyone expects him to be an angel but his timing couldn't be much worse. If he was Balotelli for example; a nut, but when he's on the pitch for the most part he does the business I think we'd ignore the other stuff, but he's being paid handsomely right now with very little to show. You'd think, if he was serious about being a footballer rather than a celebrity he'd keep a low profile as he tries to rebuild what's left of his career that at one stage showed immense promise.

[brian green]

I did not mean to criticize Robert Pires per se.   His name serves only to represent a player who came and went.   In his prime he was a world class player.   Ireland has come and stayed.   In all my many years of following Villa I cannot recall a player who has simultaneously been given so much - time-patience-money-opportunity - and given back so little.   The odd flashes and bursts yes but nothing game changing, nothing you ought to be able to expect from a player who has cost us so much.   For good measure I think his personal conduct pays no regard to that which is expected of a Premiership professional footballer but that last bit is I suppose a generation thing.

[Hoppo]

Ireland was summed up for me by coming off against Arsenal. a minute before half time!! We needed him and he couldnt wait a minute to be assessed. Feckin lightweight. Doesnt give a shit about us.

[hawkeye]

The thing is Ireland could decide, right I am going to work hard get my head down and show every one what a great fooballer I am. Has he chosen to do this? No he allows his stupid girlfriend to post this on the Internet.

[littlevillain]

Never liked him, he's very talented but doesn't seem to give a shit. Time will tell but how long do you give him?

[Chris Jameson]

He is not a quality player.  He is a thoroughly bad influence.   As club servants go he makes Robert Pires look like Sid Cowans.

Just out of interest, what did Pires ever do wrong?  Past his best when we signed him I grant you, which was during an injury crisis, but he always seemed to toe the line and try when asked to me!

Although he was past his best I thought he was a class act after the Wolves match last season when my son wanted to get autographs, he and Marc Albrighton happily signed for everybody and posed for photos unlike the rest of the primadonnas. If anybody had a right to be aloof and arrogant it was Pires as he had pretty much won the lot and been one of the best in the world, yet he was anything but. Think Ashley Young will fit in nicely at Man Utd.