Bent - Ireland deserves 'hole' role

[villa `cross the mersey]

Give Ireland the hole role and watch Bent go on a goal roll. Like a vole

Or play alongside Miroslav Klose, who is a Pole

[Mister E]

Ireland really divides opinion; always has since his slightly-strange arrival at the club.
I find his public image rather repulsive but he  certainly showed signs of some flair on the pitch last season and if he's at the club we should paly to his undoubted strengths.
Hopefully, some good coaching and another close-season to get the other players 'tuned into his thinking' will give us a season of quality.

[Percy McCarthy]

FAO Neil Hawkes re Sid: can't remember his debut, but he took to international football like a duck to water and looked exactly what he was: better than Wilkins, Hoddle and Robson. Got 9 caps and was establishing himself in the side before he broke his leg and that's what did for him. Years later SGT picked him for one game v. Ireland, you may be thinking of that game.

[Risso]

FAO Neil Hawkes re Sid: can't remember his debut, but he took to international football like a duck to water and looked exactly what he was: better than Wilkins, Hoddle and Robson. Got 9 caps and was establishing himself in the side before he broke his leg and that's what did for him. Years later SGT picked him for one game v. Ireland, you may be thinking of that game.

Wasn't that where SGT copped for a bit of abuse for playing Sid instead of Gazza?

[villastikz]

New here and first post so don't bite my head off.

With Ireland we need to look back at the circumstances of him arriving at Villa Park. He was pushed out of City to a club he didn't really want to join and the guy was disgruntled, some might say he was an ungrateful sod and get's paid well and he should just got on with it but imagine your boss just turning round to you and saying your going to work in another city whether you like it or not.

There was issues around him not wanting to move to the Birmingham area and then after not playing many games for us he was then sent to Newcastle, that's his 3rd club and 3rd city in 6 months and was injured when he went there and was sent back injured again. Then he had to play under McLeish who didn't have a flamming clue and even used Ireland as a winger.

So really is it any wonder that a player that has been played out of position, who has had several injuries and played at 3 clubs in 3 different cities and under 4 managers in just a few seasons hasn't performed as we would like, he probably didn't know if he was coming or going and it looked like no one wanted him, Man City pushed him out, we sent him out on loan then Newcastle didn't want to buy him and sent him back - his self esteem and self belief are bound to suffer.

I was of the thought we should sell him and reinvest but now Lambert has come in and with what has been said from him, the club and the players I think we would be stupid to sell him. We have the type of manager that can bring the best out of Ireland, to put his arm around him when he needs it but understands playing players to their strengths in the squad and teaming players up together that compliment each other's style of play.

With support from the manager and with team mates like Bent saying he wants Ireland and thinks he's the best in the team his confidence will come back and he will feel wanted at the club, especially if the fans support him too, some players need a bit of mollycoddling and Ireland's one of them.

Going to make a bold statement but I would actually consider making Ireland the captain too whilst Petrov can't play, that would certainly massage his ego which he responds well to. He's only 25 and could quite easily become a quality player in our squad and carry the arm band for the next 4/5/6 years,  he just needs to start enjoying himself at the club and enjoy the football the team is being asked to play and we will see a totally different player.

[Legion]

Welcome to the site. You make some very good points. I also think Ireland could do really well if handled and managed correctly.

[rutski]

Welcome to the site. You make some very good points. I also think Ireland could do really well if handled and managed correctly.

welcome to the site,   now you are going to get it....
not really. but Captain??? Seriously???
my last words on him, i have given more effort voicing my opinion of him than he has given us in 2 years lol lol

[Legion]

I wouldn't make him captain either. That role needs to be earned.

[The Left Side]

FAO Neil Hawkes re Sid: can't remember his debut, but he took to international football like a duck to water and looked exactly what he was: better than Wilkins, Hoddle and Robson. Got 9 caps and was establishing himself in the side before he broke his leg and that's what did for him. Years later SGT picked him for one game v. Ireland, you may be thinking of that game.

Wasn't that where SGT copped for a bit of abuse for playing Sid instead of Gazza?

Yes it wasn't long after Italia 90 and Gazza was a hero to everyone in the media.

[Steve67]

Villastikz, I agree with what you say about him being pushed out and feeling like no one wants him. Very good point and not something I'd put a lot of thought to previously.  Ireland is a complex player, some of them are, and I hope that Lambert can indeed get the best out of him because the Ireland who was at City was a cracking player.  Captain though?  Not for me.  Massaging an ego is one thing, but I think the skipper should be an inspiration to the rest of the players. I really hope that we go out and sign our next Captain because I don't see one amongst the current batch of players.

[SoccerHQ]

He played pretty well in the second half of the season, I hope Lambert keeps him.

He got Hoolahan playing well at Norwich who's a similar sort of player.

[Monty]

In addition to the creativity Bent talks about, Ireland is also really good at making runs beyond the forward and getting goals from midfield himself, something we haven't always been the best at at Villa.

[PeterWithesShin]

There's no doubt there is potentially a player and a half in Stephen Ireland. The problem is how often will we see it?
There were brief glimpses of it last season, but I think he looked better because he was in such a negative looking side. So we got excited over anything that looked remotely positive. Personally I saw glimpses of high quality from him, but in the main it was still far less overall than I expect from a player with his ability that's costing us as much as he is. Fingers crossed in a better side with a better manager we will see a lot more form him. But at present I remain unconvinced.

[not3bad]

I like Stephen Ireland as a player and would be interested to see how he fares in a Paul Lambert side.  At the same time I will trust whatever decision Lambert makes in this regard.

[eamonn]

Him and Bent are the only players we have with top-class movement off the ball. He can pass and is a decent finisher - we'll see more of his shots flying in when he regains more confidence. Not having him be the fulcrum of the side, provided he responds well to Lambert and works hard, would be a mistake.