maf wrote:I remember when he first broke into the team and Ned and Micah would sing his praises , talking about his incredible technique and skill on the ball , and it allways left me wondering why the hell didnt we see it on match day . Then for that one great season we saw what we hoped would be the real deal , vision passing and an endless energy , but that promise quickly faded and the excuses started . It's clear Ireland isn't the sharpest tool in the box , and now the clubs moved forward he couldnt keep up . The same fight and determination we see in players like Kompany just doesnt seem to be there in Ireland . Ireland cant play well outside his comfort zone it seems , and untill he can , that talent of his will allways have severe limitations .
I'm pissed off with his parting shots , but more than anything they strike me as an insecure player trying to convince himself hes made the right move . I wish he could have sorted his head out and reached his full potential with city , if he had , without doubt he would of been pushing those around him hard for a starting spot , but we all know he didnt and for that he has no-one but himself to blame . Good luck to you Stevie I hope you resurect your career at Villa , I won't be booing you when you return but I do have a feeling that a year from now we might be hearing those excuses again .
Nice post. Too bad you're leaving out a few things.
We've had what.. three managers in four seasons? At least two of them valued Steven Ireland. And lest we forget, that great season he had was due to his diligence in the off-season AND the fact that he had the confidence of the manager.
When a player doesn't fit into a manager's plans, for whatever reasons, I would guess that trying to keep spirits while fighting for a starting spot that is nigh impossible to attain
no matter what one does is more than a bit disheartening. And let's not assume that Steven was "crap" just for no reason; I am quite sure than Mancini made it apparent from the get-go that Stevie wasn't his type of player. Heck, if I as a FAN realized this within the first five games of Mancini's reign (i.e. his playing time went downhill), I am sure Ireland knew it within the first couple of weeks, at longest.
Look, people here, and probably on other City forums have a history of completely slagging a player once he leaves, and has a few things to say. Dunne's "parting shots" were far more tame, and he got slagged just as badly. Funny.. now Dunne has "revived" himself (as if he were ever on the down-swing with us) at Villa. Has Lescott even been half as good for us, as Dunne has been with Villa? You seriously don't think Ireland will do the same as Dunne at Villa?
Bellers is another person who has received some "stick" on these boards.. it's as if people have forgotten what he did for us in his brief time. I'll never forget his heroics at Old Trafford (despite it being a losing effort). He is a quality player, well one par IMO with any of what we have right now, including Mario and Tevez. It's just too bad that his knees won't allow him to play a full season. Regardless, I still think he would be invaluable as a member of our club.
Bottom line is that people here are too critical, and have a sense of entitlement, now that the club have seemingly limitless funds to play with. I personally value players that come up through the academy (even if they drive me nuts at times, a la Micah) and provide a more personal link to the fans. When I visited London, and went around to various grounds and spoke to fans in the respective communities, I was really struck by how attached fans were to their respective teams. It wasn't just a game, for a lot of fans, and their club(s) seemed to be part of how they defined themselves.
But of course, I guess that kind of devotion can turn ugly as well, can't it? After all, if a player isn't producing, or acts out for whatever reasons, he is "shit", even if he has been a loyal person and hard-worker, who has generally performed well (i.e. Dunney). And money generally magnifies that behavior among fans.
How can there be any loyalty or genuine reciprocation of appreciation between fans, players, and management under these conditions? Yes, I understand that this is a "results-driven" business, but even then, there has to be some foundation for loyalty and respect, or ultimately, we as fans become no better than a bunch of people rooting for mercenaries.
I can just see it: We cheer the mercenaries and praise them as "true blue" as long as they produce, while the players claim to be "loyal servants" as long as they get paid.
