Stephen Ireland

[QBVILLA]

If Ireland didn't have a flaw in his personality he wouldn't be playing for us as he is truly gifted. We have a squad full of hard workers but not much in the way of quality. Ireland makes a massive difference and in my opinion he was excellent on Saturday.

Ireland seems to have matured a lot in the couple last years, and he haven't caused any incidents with the small exception of that pipe twitter picture.

Given that Lambert has played Ireland he doesn't seem like "problem player" unlike some others who were sold or let go...

No, he is looking a more settled player these days. Personally I couldn't give a shit what sort of bloke he is off the pitch as long as he does the business on it.

[Toronto Villa]

he's a very creative player and the teams ticks along so much better with him in it. My only gripe is that he is still playing too deep and needs to get in the box much more. He's proved in the early part of his career that he can score goals and he's got some tremendous strikes to him credit. We have never seen that in his time with us.

[pauliewalnuts]

I don't think he has shown anything like the full depth of talent he has, but I am far, far more confident we'll create chances when Ireland is in the team.

[Merv]

The way I look at it, we've got too many for the middle and something's got to give. Bannan, Delph, Holman, KEA, Westwood, hopefully Gardner and one day Petrov. I'd get rid of, high wages, too inconsistent.

I don't think we've got too many in the middle at all. I doubt Gardner will play this season, and I don't think Petrov will either, sadly, or indeed, perhaps never again.

I think decisions need to made on a couple of the others for the sake of bringing some better quality in. Bannan, Westwood and Ireland probably make up our strongest three; KEA is still worth consideration, he's good enough but maybe not in the best of form the past couple of weeks. Holman is versatile enough to play wide or further forward, so he's got a future too, for me.

I'm forming the opinion that Delph isn't up to it, and I think is Herd is an honest trier but best placed as a squad man, filling in defensively. I'd sell both if it meant bringing in one decent midfielder.

[Toronto Villa]

I don't think he has shown anything like the full depth of talent he has, but I am far, far more confident we'll create chances when Ireland is in the team.

agreed. Just his awareness of Gabby's position for the second goal meant he didn't need to stop the play. It flowed so much better. We've really missed that since Gaz Baz left. Barry could get the ball wide to Ash on the left so quickly that Ash was in acres of space. You give players with talent and speed space they'll do something with it as Gabby did.

[MoetVillan]

he still seems to have a ten minute AWOL, where he just wanders around, misplacing passes or woefully behind play.  I think smoking that bong has done him some long term damage in the noggin sometimes

[QBVILLA]

I don't think he has shown anything like the full depth of talent he has, but I am far, far more confident we'll create chances when Ireland is in the team.

agreed. Just his awareness of Gabby's position for the second goal meant he didn't need to stop the play. It flowed so much better. We've really missed that since Gaz Baz left. Barry could get the ball wide to Ash on the left so quickly that Ash was in acres of space. You give players with talent and speed space they'll do something with it as Gabby did.

Spot on. As Villa fans there has always been a tendency to concentrate on a player's negatives rather than their positives.

[pestria]

  Ireland needs to add goals to his game, but his , and Weimanns movement off the ball is key to how PL wants to play the game.

  To be honest Percs, i think Gabby is one of the more vulnerable players in the team.Alongside Ireland he needs to create and score more goals, his position in the team has now changed, instead of being a CF , he is now a wide attacking inside forward, like Weimann plays on the right.He needs to adapt or he will be replaced.

 Gabby needs to watch how Bale plays the role, and try to play like that.

 I do like Ireland though.

Tbf to gabby - he scored last week and put in the cross for weimann's 2nd this week.  Obviously more of the same is needed.

As for Ireland, i've been very critical in the past, however he does make himself available for a pass and helps keep possession and move the game into opposition territory.  For me though, that's where the problems start.  He hasn't created many (any?) clear cut chances and doesn't score himself. 

Got to up his game in the final 3rd for me.

[N'ZMAV]

Gabby was fast asleep for Uniteds equaliser, he let Rafael get in behind him. I'm sure Lambert will highlight this to him. He needs to be more awake. A lot of the game passes him by.

[Risso]

Gabby was fast asleep for Uniteds equaliser, he let Rafael get in behind him. I'm sure Lambert will highlight this to him. He needs to be more awake. A lot of the game passes him by.

He set up the goal of course, but other than that Rafael had Gabby in his pocket for most of the game.

[The Left Side]

He is playing better and should improve but still not playing consistently enough for me.

[Clampy]

Ireland's been better this season than he has in his whole time here so far, but i'm still waiting for the Man City Stephen Ireland to turn up.

[eastie]

Ireland is improving with a decent run in the team and he's beginning to look a bit more like the player he was before, he seems to be lacking a bit fitness wise though and often tires around the hour mark, if he can last the full 90 minutes and continue to improve he will be a valuable player to us, I'd also like to see him chip in with a few goals .

[john e]

Ireland is our creative midfielder, he opens doors puts people through etc, he's not the water carrier, he's not the died with my boots on sort of player.
in modern day football everyone has to track back and close down which i think he does, but he is there to do the things no one else can see the bigger picture (sorry to become all manger speak) along with Bannan.

Hollman, Herd, KEA can do the running, Ireland has a different job,
i think he's been very good this season, and wasnt he player of the year last season, so he's going in the right direction, yes we all want to see more out of all the players, but appart from Guzan he has been our best player so far in my view, and we definitely miss him when he does not play

[adrenachrome]

Gabby was fast asleep for Uniteds equaliser, he let Rafael get in behind him. I'm sure Lambert will highlight this to him. He needs to be more awake. A lot of the game passes him by.

He set up the goal of course, but other than that Rafael had Gabby in his pocket for most of the game.

Arrant piffle.