Ireland going to NY Red Bulls?

[pauliewalnuts]

Not sure I agree with that, given that he came from a club where stupid wages are the norm (and were before the current lot rolled up, even).

If we're paying Heskey 65k a week and we offload him somewhere else who pay him 60k, are they paying the going rate, or are both clubs paying him well over the top?

Given the ages and respective abilities of the two players, that's a bit of a misleading argument.

He signed for the same wages we were paying Milner and was seen as his direct replacement.

The player i used as an example isn't really relevant. I'm just saying that the fact he took a pay drop to come here doesn't mean he's getting the going rate.

We might still be overpaying him. Look at Wayne Bridge as an example of a player going from club to club, picking up well over the odds.

And how do we know he's being paid the same Milner was?

[Concrete John]

I'm pretty sure it was reported at the time we were paying him what we paid Milner.

I'm not going to argue players are paid too much, but if a player goes from club to club getting that wage, then does that not make it the 'going rate'? 

[Legion]

I do rate Ireland. He's got ability, but I'd still ell him IF we can get someone more consistent and who can dictate a game more.

Someone like Robbie Keane?

[mattjpa]

Here's an idea mr Faulkner; let's release a statement saying we are looking to build our squad around people like Ireland and under no circumstances are our star players for sale. Or alternatively we can move him on like we have with Barry, young, Milner, downing.

The willingness to sell off the four players you mentioned goes to show that our star players are for sale, and always have been if the price is right.

But there needs to be a line drawn in the sand where we say thats enough. It annoys me that totenham have someone in at a high level that can simply say "keep your money, we arent going to be bullied into doing what you want, no matter how much you put down"  yet we roll over and get our bellies tickled every time someone throws 8 figures our way. By not selling Modric to Chelsea, totenham have probably got themselves back into the Champions league and got maybe another 30m in revenue they wouldnt have had if they had sold Modric. I know its all ifs and buts, but the knock on effect of that probably involves them keeping Bale, Van Der Vaart, signing Parker, establishing themselves in the top 5-6sides for years to come. If we had the 4players I mentioned still here that could be us. Faulkner is a chump.

[PaulWinch again]

I do rate Ireland. He's got ability, but I'd still ell him IF we can get someone more consistent and who can dictate a game more.

Someone like Robbie Keane?

I think Keane played very well for us Leeg, but I'm not convinced he dictated the game and also the side had some pretty poor results with him in the team.

[The Laughing Policeman]

The only difference to the usual made up crap, is that Ballack's agent has actually stated it as fact that Ireland is going there. Odd move if true.

I can state as a fact that today is Thursday. Doesn't alter the reality though does it?
Unless he asks for a move I'd be very surprised if he isn't here at the start of next season.

[Mister E]

But there needs to be a line drawn in the sand where we say thats enough.

The line in the sand is the offer that exceeds our valuation of a player at the particular point in their contract cycle - and that would be same for most clubs.
It's easy to snipe at the sale of our best players - and we certainly miss some of them - but it's just the way it is right now. Hence the need for the management to make the best of the kids coming through.

[nick harper]

In a bloody awful season, his quality has come through more and more. Best player on the pitch by a country mile against Fulham. He is on a different wavelength to most of the team half the time and is the main reason I'm dragging myself down to VP at the moment.

He's a confidence player who responds to the crowds encouragement. We need to build the side round him for next season.

[SoccerHQ]

I don't really see what's been so good about his form. I do appreciate he's put the effort in but for me he's still far too patchy. We need players who can impact over 90 minutes and every week. He's been okay, nothing more. And indeed as someone else mention, it's the end result that matters and he's not scoring or creating enough goals. He's not making enough chances for starters.

I also don't appreciate (granted it was hearsay) the fact he may have moaned about his position. If he's got the footballing ability he has he should be able to comfortably instigate play coming in from the left wing. He did play from the left sometimes during his one good season at City.

Same goes for N'Zogbia, I don't like the moaning. We're not seeing anywhere near his best, and as is the case with Stephen, it's not all because of how McLeish sets the team out. We've played 4-4-2 this season, 4-5-1, 4-2-31, and correct me if I'm wrong but especially in the case of 4-4-2, footballers have been playing this system since the very beginning. Just play for fucks sake! Will our manager really complain if Ireland decides to drift in field every now and again if he scores a screamer? No. But...you have to impact the game. When our flair players drift out of games after their 20 minute purple patches, then the team do too.
I do rate Ireland. He's got ability, but I'd still ell him IF we can get someone more consistent and who can dictate a game more.

Kevin Nolan is finished as a premier league player btw, he's been very poor recently for West Ham.

Ireland contributed greatly to our win at Chelsea, scored one and set up one.

Of course in a team you need graft but you also need flair, y'know players who'll get you off your seat from time to time. Ashley Young and on occasions this season N'zogbia and Ireland. These are our two wildcard players, match winners when they feel like it and both have been much better since the new year.

I'd remind people that Paul Merson was pretty poor in his first year here and pissed off to New York mid season. Eventually he got it together and became one of our most popular players over the last 10 years and all the bad stuff was forgotten.

Just think for a second aswell, how many chances would Bent get a game with Guthrie and Nolan in central midfield? We'd be plodding even more negatively in 15th if that was the case.

[Aston Manor]

I accept that he has been playing better but he's hardly consistently been playing well. No-one has. maybe Given aside, and Petrov earlier in the season. So, I wouldn't necessarily think it beyond reason that we cold move him on. It really depends on what McLeish wants. He's still largely got O'Neill's team and until he gets his own players he won't fully be able to play his own way.I'd wouldn't be too surprised or disappointed to see Petrov and Dunne going also.

[Dante Lavelli]

I'd keep Ireland.  He's a good player and getting better.
If we sold him now we'd be selling him way to cheaply and we'd have to spend X trying to replace him.

He's not perfect but I'd be amazed if we could get a consistent version for the 5m we're likely to receive.

[Californian Villain]

The willingness to sell off the four players you mentioned goes to show that our star players are for sale, and always have been if the price is right.

absolutely ALL players are for sale if the price is right - even Manure had to sell Ronaldo (C)...

[Stu]

Here's an idea mr Faulkner; let's release a statement saying we are looking to build our squad around people like Ireland and under no circumstances are our star players for sale. Or alternatively we can move him on like we have with Barry, young, Milner, downing.

The willingness to sell off the four players you mentioned goes to show that our star players are for sale, and always have been if the price is right.

But there needs to be a line drawn in the sand where we say thats enough. It annoys me that totenham have someone in at a high level that can simply say "keep your money, we arent going to be bullied into doing what you want, no matter how much you put down"  yet we roll over and get our bellies tickled every time someone throws 8 figures our way. By not selling Modric to Chelsea, totenham have probably got themselves back into the Champions league and got maybe another 30m in revenue they wouldnt have had if they had sold Modric. I know its all ifs and buts, but the knock on effect of that probably involves them keeping Bale, Van Der Vaart, signing Parker, establishing themselves in the top 5-6sides for years to come. If we had the 4players I mentioned still here that could be us. Faulkner is a chump.

I agree with you. Sadly, our board don't and have sold when they had the chance. Out of those mentioned above, I don't see why we had to sell Milner and Downing. Barry and Young were on the last year of their contracts, so fair enough.

I really hope they learned with the Milner sale; no part exchanges, just cash. We don't need the promise of jam tomorrow.

[pauliewalnuts]

The willingness to sell off the four players you mentioned goes to show that our star players are for sale, and always have been if the price is right.

absolutely ALL players are for sale if the price is right - even Manure had to sell Ronaldo (C)...

True, it is what you do with the money you raise that matters.

Unfortunately, in our case, it'll probably be "stick it in an ISA or someting"

[Stu]

The willingness to sell off the four players you mentioned goes to show that our star players are for sale, and always have been if the price is right.

absolutely ALL players are for sale if the price is right - even Manure had to sell Ronaldo (C)...

That sale is always mentioned when this discussion is taking place and I don't think it is similar in any way. Mainly because it was Manchester United who were selling and were well equipped without Ronaldo anyway.

We sold players that were having a team built around them, the team was not even the finished article and the best players were being picked off. So here we are, mid-table again; another manager gone after 4 seasons, skint, and a crap manager in charge.