Stephen Ireland

[pestria]

He gets a tincy wincy bit of a raw deal ...... he is being asked to do a job not suited to his talents but we are not in a position to accomodate him and what he does best.

How unreasonable of us ....  I simply can't believe there's anyone left who's seen him play in the past 3 years who thinks he can offer anything in any position.

Time to smell the coffee .... Putting it simply - he's shit.

[TheSandman]

I still think he's a quality player.  OK, I can see that in certain games he doesn't exactly always appear to be pulling his tripe out, but I do think he's our best midfielder, and our current system just isn't getting the best out of him.  But then you could say the same for Bent and Gabby as well this season.

I agree to an extent. Maybe the system doesn't get the best of him, but I think his big problem is attitudinal and he puzzles me. He was inept and lazy against Wigan, but when I saw him against Reading he came on and worked hard and I think it was his arrival that turned the game in our favour ahead of the Benteke goal. But you don't get that from him all the time. He baffles me.

Returning to the poll question, no, he's not doing the business yet, nor has he done so in a sustained fashion since coming here. What makes it most irritating is that he CAN do the business.

[supertom]

If Ireland is that good he should be able to flexibly fit into different systems. We can't be expected to play a system, and him in the one position there is that he's apparently capable of playing. Decent players are adaptable, within reason. We've not been asking him to play in goal. The few times we have seen him playing in a free role behind a front man, and he's done very little of note. I remember Merson playing on the left for us a few times, despite never ever using his left peg, but he still had an impact.

We don't have a single player good enough, let alone Ireland, who should be dictacting just which formation we should be using to fit around a particular individual. It's a team game. You fit in or you fuck off.

[Singapore Villa]

Well said SuperT, totally agree.

[Clampy]

I still think he'd be more useful just off a front man rather than an out and out midfielder.

[paul_e]

I still think he'd be more useful just off a front man rather than an out and out midfielder.

As that's effectively the role Weimann is currently playing the question who has made an impact in that role, Weimann or Ireland?

[PeterWithesShin]

I still think he'd be more useful just off the pitch.

[andyh]

He is a ball watching waste of space.
Get rid, soon as.

[rob_bridge]

Waste of space - get rid. Quickly.

[Brend'Watkins]

If I was Stephen Ireland I would be questioning myself.
If I was Stephen Ireland's missus I would be telling him to pull his socks up and do the things that allowed them to lead the ridicuous lavish life style the have together.
If I was Stephen Ireland's missus's lap dog I'd shit on his head.
If I was his dead or maybe alive Grandmother I would be or would be preparing for my turning in the grave routine.
If I was Stephen Ireland's agent I would be telling him to forget everything else in his life and concentrate on the one thing he was once good at.

[Matt Collins]

He's good sometimes. Just not 80k a week good

[pauliewalnuts]

He's a very talented footballer.

Unfortunately, he doesn't show it often enough to justify his enormous wages.

[not3bad]

It's a shame because I had very high hopes for him, but it seems he doesn't have the application.

[supertom]

I still think he'd be more useful just off the pitch.

Perhaps we can get him to play the Steve Sidwell role on the touchline, and help us attack with lightening quick throw-in assists.

[He wears a magic hat]

The best thing about yesterday was that nzog showed more desire determination and will to be on the ball in the hour he was on than stephen I
reland has all season

Time to jog on. at least he had demonstrated tremendous ability to job

By the way anybody questioning his desire to play for our great club watch a  clip of AW goal yesterday. The late winner the kind that is normally celebrated quite enthuiastically by anybody that cares for the club.

You'll get your answer probably best described as polite applause