Ireland blames poor form on Hughes

[cityPinoy_fc]

http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,2483_5937354,00.html

Ireland blames poor form on Hughes
Manchester City midfielder Stephen Ireland has blamed his dip in form this season on Mark Hughes and is glad to see the back of the Welshman.

Ireland was regularly given the freedom of the park by Hughes last season but he was asked to play a more disciplined role following the arrival of Carlos Tevez.
Ireland was ushered onto both wings, and even deployed as a holding midfielder under Hughes but he did not enjoy being moved around and is glad to have had his shackles released.
"The last six months under Mark Hughes was very frustrating for me," he told the FA's website.
"I was being played out of position. Maybe as a holding midfielder, left wing, right wing. It is not me.
"You have to adjust and think 'I have to do it' but if you want the best out of me you have to play me in my best position.
"Then I can be myself because the chains are off."
It could be argued few sides can carry such players in the Premier League and the presence of now-departed Robinho, whose attitude to tracking back was relaxed at best, made a tricky situation worse.
But Ireland's previous displays are believed to have caught the eye of Sir Alex Ferguson given the number of times a potential move to Old Trafford for the 23-year-old has been mentioned.
For now though, the midfielder remains loyal to City, despite his roots on the other side of the Irish Sea.
"I have really worked hard over the last two years to build up my relationship with the fans," he said.
"Even when I was doing a signing session a few months ago I ended up staying for over three hours.
"It comes naturally to me. Even though I came over from Ireland, the fans still regard me as one of them. I am very grateful for that."
Having missed out on a place in the Carling Cup final, City are anxious to make amends in the FA Cup this term.
Stoke visit Eastlands on Saturday and stand in the way of a quarter-final berth for Roberto Mancini's team, which is slowly being moulded into the Italian's image.
"It is difficult for anyone to come into a club, turn it round and get it going their way," said Ireland.
"The manager is doing different things but he has done a really positive job so far.
"We are still scoring goals but we have not conceded as many and are working hard.
"I would never say it was going to be easy on Saturday because you don't tend to win matches like that these days.
"But we will stick to our gameplan and try and control the game the best way we can."
Joleon Lescott could be handed his first start for two months after coming on as a substitute in the midweek win over Bolton.
However, Craig Bellamy is not expected to be back from a knee injury before the re-match at the Britannia Stadium next Tuesday.

[Goaters 103]

Thought Hughes was his dream manager and bum chum? Hmm, funny how things change. Stevie needs to take a long hard look at himself as well when considering why he's been average at best this season.

Whinging to the press or mooting looking elsewhere does not paint him in a very good light.

[Im_Spartacus]

Thought Hughes was his dream manager and bum chum? Hmm, funny how things change. Stevie needs to take a long hard look at himself as well when considering why he's been average at best this season.

Whinging to the press or mooting looking elsewhere does not paint him in a very good light.

I'm really fucking mad about this, like you said needs to have a long hard look at himself, keep his mouth shut, and look up the word "adaptable".

[Original Dub]

Thought Hughes was his dream manager and bum chum? Hmm, funny how things change. Stevie needs to take a long hard look at himself as well when considering why he's been average at best this season.

Whinging to the press or mooting looking elsewhere does not paint him in a very good light.

Yay another Ireland thread - these are great!!

Oh BTW, he praised hughes and spoke positively about everything last season and going into this season. What he's saying now is that for the last six months he's been played out of position.

Is he a cunt for saying that yeah?

[Bingo Lewis]

Thought Hughes was his dream manager and bum chum? Hmm, funny how things change. Stevie needs to take a long hard look at himself as well when considering why he's been average at best this season.

Whinging to the press or mooting looking elsewhere does not paint him in a very good light.

Whilst you're right, he shouldn't whinge to the press, Hughes did fuck off the player of the season to a different role that doesn't suit him.
IMO Ireland is one of the best out there as an attacking midfielder, and should be played there no matter what.
He creates and scores for fun, and when he's playing well you will see him tackle on the edge of our area as much as he will be attacking in theirs.

[Mark (Blue Army)]

Come on stevie you don't need to be blaming other people youve been playing shit but it's down to you to get your self back to your best.

[DoomMerchant]

Thought Hughes was his dream manager and bum chum? Hmm, funny how things change. Stevie needs to take a long hard look at himself as well when considering why he's been average at best this season.

Whinging to the press or mooting looking elsewhere does not paint him in a very good light.

Yay another Ireland thread - these are great!!

Oh BTW, he praised hughes and spoke positively about everything last season and going into this season. What he's saying now is that for the last six months he's been played out of position.

Is he a cunt for saying that yeah?

of course he isn't. he's a young man learning his craft. And sometimes he fucks up and doesn't have a clue. That's all. Upside for him is still huge. Last season one of the best mids in the Prem, this season can't get a match. He'll figure it out.

cheers

[CityFanFromRome]

Well, he has his faults because really, he can't adapt decently to any other position but his preferred one, however it's undeniable that he has been played out of position for long periods of this season so far.

[Crossie]

Fact is that with him on the pitch we win more games.

He is more than an attacking midfielder, because although he play there best, he still gets stuck alot more than most, as his interception and tackle rate is usually fucking mint.

I think he is a fantastic player, just abit out of sorts right now, be it confidence and/or position.

It'll come good, keep your mouth shut Stevie and make the most of your chances, you can do it.

[BobKowalski]

Seems the lad's had a change of heart and where once you praised him for his public support if Hughes now you bury him

You're a fickle lot :)

[Original Dub]

Thought Hughes was his dream manager and bum chum? Hmm, funny how things change. Stevie needs to take a long hard look at himself as well when considering why he's been average at best this season.

Whinging to the press or mooting looking elsewhere does not paint him in a very good light.

Whilst you're right, he shouldn't whinge to the press, Hughes did fuck off the player of the season to a different role that doesn't suit him.
IMO Ireland is one of the best out there as an attacking midfielder, and should be played there no matter what.
He creates and scores for fun, and when he's playing well you will see him tackle on the edge of our area as much as he will be attacking in theirs.

Amen!

There is genuine anger from some quarters about stevie and I really don't get it. Some are angry that he isn't very good at adapting to other roles. I more revel in the fact that he's one of the best at what he does and if we don't have a use for his specialist position, don't be angry that a square peg won't fit in a round hole.

Play him i his best position or sell him.

But don't be angry with the lad, he's done nothing wrong, is fully committed and he loves this club and the fans FFS!

[shawzy]

Elano Mark 2 it seems

[Rag_hater]

I take everything Stevie says with a pinch of salt.He doesn't seem averse to saying what he thinks the fans want to hear or telling a little porky pie when it suits him.
I also think not having a WC and getting a big pay rise last year has led to him taking his eye of the ball a little, a bit like what happened to Micah.
Hopefully it is only a temporary dip due to the new circumstances he finds himself in and regains the form of last year again.

[Blue2]

Seems the lad's had a change of heart and where once you praised him for his public support if Hughes now you bury him

You're a fickle lot :)

spot on

[btajim]

Ireland went from being out of sorts under Sven to being Player of the Season under Hughes.

Mancini will earn his points when he works out how best to utilise Ireland. The Lad is far too talented to rot away on the Bench.

[Original Dub]

Seems the lad's had a change of heart and where once you praised him for his public support if Hughes now you bury him

You're a fickle lot :)

You very rarely ever post without insinuating some sort of agenda or connection with hughes.

I'm only saying this one more time, because I've put it in several threads already:

He praised hughes and proclaimed how happy he was throughout last season, in the summer and going into this season. He has clearly been played out of position and has now said he found it frustrating.

Some folk are making it out like he is saying he's delighted and then turns around the next day and says he's very unhappy.

Its horse shit. The only problem with stevie ireland is that he obviously is lost as a holding mid or on the right or left. He is an outstanding playmaker who got City POTY and was nominated for YPOTY in the premier league whilst playing in that position.

Its quite simple really.

So bob mate, leave the hughes thing alone, its getting boring as fuck. You insinuated it was a "Hughes vs Mancini" debate that was actually going on in my "hamburg or United" thread. What a load of bollox, that was about special nights in our recent history.

Let it go.

[Ted Hughes]

I don't give a fuck whether he liked Hughes or not but it does worry me that he doesn't seem to know.

[mr_nool]

The biggest problem for/with Ireland is that he doesn't really work with Tevez. They play too similarly and want to occupy the same space. With the form Tevez has been in, Ireland will have to accept to either play out of position or be benched.

[Ted Hughes]

The biggest problem for/with Ireland is that he doesn't really work with Tevez. They play too similarly and want to occupy the same space. With the form Tevez has been in, Ireland will have to accept to either play out of position or be benched.

Or just adapt. Paul Scholes didn't have any problem with Tevez & Rooney both coming deep so neither should Ireland. Play football, create, score, tackle.

[dikdik]

From hero to zero? How British.

Player of the year to c....

Jesus I don't understand some people.

Crucial pass to Ned at Scunthorpe for equaliser
Crucial pass to Ade against Portsmouth for opener

We played our best away 45 minutes with him at the tip of a diamond formation in our 3 -0 win at Wolves.

Adaptable yes you need to be up to a point but we should be playing to our strengths.
Given as left winger?
:)