Ireland & his shackles

[Fidel Castro]

If it wasn't Hughes or his slave shackles....then who was to blame for his shitness today?
Amazing how much slower, less agile and more lazy he looks compared to last year!
Still think he can turn it around but if he is going to, he should look in the mirror before bleating on about shackles and past managers (especially when he praised then to fook when still in charge). Only problem is, we have no other options in midfield that can actually create anything.

edit - changed thread title cos it was 'out of order'. He should never have made his silly 'shackle' comment then should he?!

[paulmclaren]

I agree totally.

[bluej]

Whilst he didn't play that well we still look better for having him on the pitch. As a team we get more people forward and faster if he is there in the hole between the midfield and the stiker.

Although he went missing in the second half I can't understand why Ibrahim was brought on for him.

[Fidel Castro]

Whilst he didn't play that well we still look better for having him on the pitch. As a team we get more people forward and faster if he is there in the hole between the midfield and the stiker.

Although he went missing in the second half I can't understand why Ibrahim was brought on for him.

I agree. Bellamy should've come on for Ireland. Adebayor worked his bollocks off upfront and deserved more support, instead Mancini decided a point was enough. Unless he thought Ibrahim could actually contribute something in an attacking sense

[david yearsley]

Whilst he didn't play that well we still look better for having him on the pitch. As a team we get more people forward and faster if he is there in the hole between the midfield and the stiker.

Although he went missing in the second half I can't understand why Ibrahim was brought on for him.

I agree. Bellamy should've come on for Ireland. Adebayor worked his bollocks off upfront and deserved more support, instead Mancini decided a point was enough. Unless he thought Ibrahim could actually contribute something in an attacking sense

Agree - should have put SWP or AJ in that central role

[ruralblue]

I don't honestly know where Ireland has gone. Was he a one season wonder or suffering Micah syndrome. I so hope thie lad gets back to his best.

[Fidel Castro]

Whilst he didn't play that well we still look better for having him on the pitch. As a team we get more people forward and faster if he is there in the hole between the midfield and the stiker.

Although he went missing in the second half I can't understand why Ibrahim was brought on for him.

I agree. Bellamy should've come on for Ireland. Adebayor worked his bollocks off upfront and deserved more support, instead Mancini decided a point was enough. Unless he thought Ibrahim could actually contribute something in an attacking sense

Agree - should have put SWP or AJ in that central role

Either that, or played 4-4-2 with Ade and Bellers in attack. Thy were there for the taking, we were by far the better team but just couldn't finish them off. I think a large part of that was down to Ade having no support in attack whatsoever and when SWP or AJ did get a cross in there was nobody there to finish it off.

[paulmclaren]

Whilst he didn't play that well we still look better for having him on the pitch. As a team we get more people forward and faster if he is there in the hole between the midfield and the stiker.

Although he went missing in the second half I can't understand why Ibrahim was brought on for him.

I agree. Bellamy should've come on for Ireland. Adebayor worked his bollocks off upfront and deserved more support, instead Mancini decided a point was enough. Unless he thought Ibrahim could actually contribute something in an attacking sense

Agree - should have put SWP or AJ in that central role

Omg.
Now that is one reason supports will never manage a football team.

[paulmclaren]

I don't honestly know where Ireland has gone. Was he a one season wonder or suffering Micah syndrome. I so hope thie lad gets back to his best.

That is just the problem with football/footballers isn't it?
They earn all this money on long term contracts.
Why should they give a fuck?
They don't most of them.
Some do but most do not.

[david yearsley]

Whilst he didn't play that well we still look better for having him on the pitch. As a team we get more people forward and faster if he is there in the hole between the midfield and the stiker.

Although he went missing in the second half I can't understand why Ibrahim was brought on for him.

I agree. Bellamy should've come on for Ireland. Adebayor worked his bollocks off upfront and deserved more support, instead Mancini decided a point was enough. Unless he thought Ibrahim could actually contribute something in an attacking sense

Agree - should have put SWP or AJ in that central role

Omg.
Now that is one reason supports will never manage a football team.

Certainly would have been much better than Ibra mate don´t you agree? SWP has played that central role and is an attacking type of player - what would you have done?

[King Kev]

I love Stevie and desperately want him to become a City legend. I have defended him on this site time and time again and I still think he has the ability to be a great player.

BUT

Today he didn't seem interested and that is unforgivable IMO.

[Burt]

Stevie clearly waved his hands to where he wanted Ade to put him in and then inexplicably turned the wrong way when he got the ball. One of the strangest things I've seen for quite a while o a footie field. Why did he do it? It looked a cast iron shot on goal and a big, big chance of a goal. I'm still at a loss as to why he did it and can't get my head around it:o(

[MUS]

Stevie clearly waved his hands to where he wanted Ade to put him in and then inexplicably turned the wrong way when he got the ball. One of the strangest things I've seen for quite a while o a footie field. Why did he do it? It looked a cast iron shot on goal and a big, big chance of a goal. I'm still at a loss as to why he did it and can't get my head around it:o(

this was just wierd... it just went against the grain... unbelievable, that was a definite great chance to put us in front if he hadnt turned back.

baffling

[failsworthblue]

Another disapointing display.

He looked like he wanted to get rid of the ball at every opportunity.

The chance in the first half summed it up for me.

[Fidel Castro]

Stevie clearly waved his hands to where he wanted Ade to put him in and then inexplicably turned the wrong way when he got the ball. One of the strangest things I've seen for quite a while o a footie field. Why did he do it? It looked a cast iron shot on goal and a big, big chance of a goal. I'm still at a loss as to why he did it and can't get my head around it:o(

this was just wierd... it just went against the grain... unbelievable, that was a definite great chance to put us in front if he hadnt turned back.

baffling

And then he capped it all off with that shit lay-off (presumably meant for AJ) to a Liverpool defender.
Just didn't look arsed today.

[Rag_hater]

I don't honestly know where Ireland has gone. Was he a one season wonder or suffering Micah syndrome. I so hope thie lad gets back to his best.

I think the Micah comparison is the one that strikes home with me and the lack of having a WC to aim for is making him somewhat laccsidasical.
I think this season is a bit of a write off for him and I think next year when he gets used to the mega money he is on and a bit older we will see superman getting back to what he is capable of on a regular basis.

[Goataldo]

Lacks confidence?

Not been given license to 'play' much like he was today, and didn't exactly grasp the nettle. That pass he took in the box and then turned away from goal with, kinda put the stamp on his performance which is a shame, I hope he gets more chances to play in teh avanced role, he has such quality but needs his fragile ego massaging/managing carefully.

Dunno if it's the manager's fault, Ireland's fault, or our maybe our masseur.

[Twobob]

Definatly something wrong somewere - been looking like he's running through treakle and tires too easily this season, compared with his running and effort last season he's like a different player - Hope he gets the magic back!

With 'the ghost of Vieira' suspended he needs to make that midfield his own - but going to need hard work Superman!

[kinkylola]

I think he has taken a page out of micah's book unfortunately. He went away one summer and came back with a completely different body type. He was never frail, but he was slender, lithe ... and agile most importantly before. He pushed himself super hard last season and found a great role to play with hughes' team. THough if I recall didn't he drop off rather suddenly towards the second half (could be completely wrong ... my head was completely done in today by the ref. im all fucked up.)

To me this all fits in with the way he has changed his body. He can't move the way he used to, he has put on muscle and I wouldn't be surprised if he is 10kg heavier, not through fat. but muscle.

A great comparison is to look at baseball and Barry Bonds. When he first broke into MLB he was slim, well built fast and with power. Barry Bond has some amazing stats ... including several 30-30 seasons (30 home runs - 30 stolen bases), 30-40 season, 30-50(!!!) season and 40-40 season (one of only 4 players ever to accomplish that) ... it wasn't until the late 90's when he decided to radically alter his body through steroids, all of those great stats came before. After he changed his body, he became all about power ... he didn't even do more than jog, even when playing outfield, and he became a disgrace and laughing stock.

I'm not accusing stevie of taking steroids at all, but it is obvious that he has worked hard to change his body ... and it has affected how he carries himself, and the energy that he has during a game. His movement has been affected .. almost everything has.

I'm sorry I kind of went on a rant there about bonds ... but I see the same thing happening to stevie, and I hope they have got him on more of a soccer oriented routine now. Whatever he was doing that one summer definitely was not about soccer. Either way, I don't think we will see the best out of him this season. I hope we hold on to him and he gets his head around the fact that bodybuilding is NOT the way to go in soccer. I think micah has realized it and his performances have greatly greatly improved.

long post, sorry.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Lacks confidence?

Not been given license to 'play' much like he was today, and didn't exactly grasp the nettle. That pass he took in the box and then turned away from goal with, kinda put the stamp on his performance which is a shame, I hope he gets more chances to play in teh avanced role, he has such quality but needs his fragile ego massaging/managing carefully.

Dunno if it's the manager's fault, Ireland's fault, or our maybe our masseur.

How dare you even consider blaming the masseur! :) What struck me was the fact that he hardly ever through the game had the ball at his feet facing the opposition goal. To a degree that's going to happen when you are playing in an advanced role aginst a defensively set up team.But he seems to lack enough awareness of what is around him so that at times where he had a yard or two of space he didn't know and just laid the ball off.

Even when he is marked tight he needs to be able to retain possession with a quick move to the side. Knowing he has a man tight on him he shoudl be able to do that at least every so often but he doesnt seem to try it. Surely it's a confidence thing as if not then he lacks some of the ability which is essential to playing that role. I found it a worrying display today.