Ireland: "I want out"

[Rag_hater]

No, fuck that.

So many players through the years have needed "hugs" and reassurance to truely make them great players and I will stick my neck on the line here and say he will be a truely great player that we will cry over if he leaves.

Don't do this. On the back of a season where Milner has not reached the heights Ireland did last year? Fuck that.

I really hope he grows into the player you think he is gonna be.
But when you compare him to other players of his generation such as Messi,Tranny,Shrek.Fabregas even Milner and Young maybe Walcott do you think he is going to be their standard?I think he falls a bit short.But if you see him as nailled on POTY in a few years time I suppose we should do our best to try and hang on to him.

[btajim]

Lets put this in a nutshell

Ireland 1 good season in 4

Millner consistantly good for those 4 seasons

Given the choice I'd sign milner, but would'nt use Ireland as a bargaining chip, Stevie still has a future at City if he can raise, himself to the levels of the previous season.

That's the sort of thing I was thinking. 1 season in 4 and only 1 Manager really getting something out of him. I know Sven was playing him on the wing and Pearce using him on a less regular basis - but he really should've thrived last season and been the difference between 5th and 4th. We lacked something special in the centre of the park.

There's no need to sell him at the moment if he's happy to stay and fight for the side. If he's not then he can move on.

[Original Dub]

I take on board what's being said - if he wants to go etc etc....

My point is that for all the hype talk about Milner (who I fancy as a player BTW) and for all the talk of him being "brilliant for a few seasons now", the point I was making is that I feel Ireland last season was better than Milner this season, regardless of how far they got in cup competitions.

And on that basis, there's no fucking way in hell that anyone can tell me that not only is Ireland not worth the same value as Milner, but he is the brucie bonus on top of a £20m bid?!

Like i said in the first post....

FUCK THAT.

[btajim]

And on that basis, there's no fucking way in hell that anyone can tell me that not only is Ireland not worth the same value as Milner, but he is the brucie bonus on top of a £20m bid?!

20 Million plus Ireland joining up with a fantastic man Manager like Martin O'Neill whilst we only get James Milner back is daylight robbery.

I think we'll get Milner if he hands in a transfer request and no-one with CL status comes in for him. I don't think Ireland will go in the Summer but I think he's got one last chance to establish himself.

[Original Dub]

And on that basis, there's no fucking way in hell that anyone can tell me that not only is Ireland not worth the same value as Milner, but he is the brucie bonus on top of a £20m bid?!

20 Million plus Ireland joining up with a fantastic man Manager like Martin O'Neill whilst we only get James Milner back is daylight robbery.

I think we'll get Milner if he hands in a transfer request and no-one with CL status comes in for him. I don't think Ireland will go in the Summer but I think he's got one last chance to establish himself.

Exactly mate.

Look at it this way - imagine Villa had come to us last summer and said "swap Ireland for Milner". We'd have told them to fuck off.
Imagine they'd have said "we'll give you £10m plus Milner". We'd still have told them to fuck off.

One season later the suggestion is that we GIVE him to them AND £20m?

Hilarious, especially when we're talking about the richest club in world football.

[LookMumImOnMCF.net]

Milner has proven his consistency though, Ireland hasn't and is still a gamble in that respect. As we all know, only a madman would pay something close to £20m for a player whose only had one decent season in the Premiership...

I think everyone likes Stevie and want him to do well here but the fact that he can't adapt to certain styles of play still stands imo. Perhaps we won't see the best of Stevie at City until we have a new man in charge.

[btajim]

Perhaps we won't see the best of Stevie at City until we have a new man in charge.

I don't understand this view. Ireland has been involved at City under Keegan, Pearce, Sven, Hughes and Mancini. How can he only have been classic under one Manager? There's clearly a problem somewhere.

Does he only fit in to one Manager's idea? Or is he so inflexible that he can only do a job on the field if he's played in one particular way?

We've seen the best of him already. We've also seen the worst.

[Original Dub]

Milner has proven his consistency though, Ireland hasn't and is still a gamble in that respect. As we all know, only a madman would pay something close to £20m for a player whose only had one decent season in the Premiership...

I think everyone likes Stevie and want him to do well here but the fact that he can't adapt to certain styles of play still stands imo. Perhaps we won't see the best of Stevie at City until we have a new man in charge.

I agree re Stevie mate, we'll just have to see...

As for Milner being consistant - he's been consistantly decent until last season when he was excellent. There's lots of consistant players out there, but I wouldn't hand out a 23 year old player that COULD be world class PLUS £20m to a DIRECT RIVAL, when we don't HAVE TO.

Madness.

[Wooders]

another weakminded, albeit talented, player who has spat his dummy and wants out.
20 million plus Ireland would indeed be a great bit of business for Villa, but in exchange we get a player who is more talented, and has the intelligence, desire and hunger to be the best he can be in return, you can't put a price on that

[Original Dub]

another weakminded, albeit talented, player who has spat his dummy and wants out.
20 million plus Ireland would indeed be a great bit of business for Villa, but in exchange we get a player who is more talented, and has the intelligence, desire and hunger to be the best he can be in return, you can't put a price on that

Hmm... sounds like everything Stevie was last season...

And hold on here matey - where has he spat his dummy out? He has said fuck all.

[btajim]

Lots of Fans of other Clubs ask me about Ireland and his lack of intellectual guile. It's usually the first thing they ask about him. I often tell them that the Matchday Programme would interview a member of the Squad each week and ask them daft questions about their Team Mates. i.e. Who's the worst dressed etc. For "Who's the thickest" the answer was almost always Stephen Ireland.

Milner is well known for his model professionalism. I'm sure I read somewhere that he's teetotal, too.

[dazby]

I love Stevie too much to have a rational argument about him. It would break my heart if he left. For a month or so. Then every goal he scored for his new club would be a dagger in the heart as a reminder of what we have let go.

[Chinners]

Totally understand the feelings for Superman, bottom line is thou, if he ain't performing then he won't get in the team and may have to kickstart his career elsewhere. I'd rather he stayed but then I'd only want the player of two seasons ago and not last years. Like some have said, my fear is that he is/will become a one season wonder with us anyway

[shawzy]

Pretty gutted about this news.His skill and linkup play with that cunt Robinho was fookin awesome to watch.Fond memories indeed.

[BlueMoonAwoken]

I think irelands a great guy with a good heart but he should know after being at city and seeing so many managers come and go he could sit it out and maybe wait for mancini to go if he hates him that much and loves city so much. I was talking about this last night and my mate said he thought ireland would go and should but i said in my argument, top players are impressed by actually how good he is. You cant impress players like robinho , tevez , kompany toure or adebayor without being quality? That makes me trust mancini when he says if stephen ireland gets his mental attitude right he will have a spot in the team.

Look at inter and samuel etoo he has been playing near enough right back in some games for the good of the team, if ireland dosent want to do alot of tracking back and the dirty work then do we need him at the club. Dunne was my favourite player before he left but has been replaced by kompany who has become my favourite player at city.

[colonel_muck]

don't want to see him go, but it's evident that he does not fit mancini's system which is a worry for both parties (manager and player). i would like to see us build our attack around ireland when he is in the centre of the park rather than stuck out wide. the whole thing is a sad affair.

[Nick]

It pisses me off that 90% of fans see this as biting us on the ass.

Just as Richard Dunne PLAYER OF THE SEASOn got in the team of the season ahead of that waste of space Toure.

Fair enough, something is wrong with ireland and he needs to sort himself out. But hes nearly on a par with milner, if your gonna sell him, sell him for decent money. Because he WILL do well. Milner could be another flash in the pan and who would bet against ireland doing better than milner next season? or the season after?

Keep this post for reference.

[Vhero]

It pisses me off that 90% of fans see this as biting us on the ass.

Just as Richard Dunne PLAYER OF THE SEASOn got in the team of the season ahead of that waste of space Toure.

Fair enough, something is wrong with ireland and he needs to sort himself out. But hes nearly on a par with milner, if your gonna sell him, sell him for decent money. Because he WILL do well. Milner could be another flash in the pan and who would bet against ireland doing better than milner next season? or the season after?

Keep this post for reference.

Your comparing 1 great season (he had a couple of bad ones before which people seem to forget!) from Ireland though against 3 good seasons from Milner that's the problem. People can bang on all the want he had a bad season last year but who's to say the good season he had wasn't just a flash in the pan and he will do it again? Santa Cruz is a perfect example of one season wonders and Ireland is looking to be one. I would hate it too if we got rid and he became sensational but to hold onto him just in case?? We can't afford to take chances like that and this is a professional sports team not a bookies we don't work on maybes and possiblys we need players we know who can perform week in week out.

[Nick]

It pisses me off that 90% of fans see this as biting us on the ass.

Just as Richard Dunne PLAYER OF THE SEASOn got in the team of the season ahead of that waste of space Toure.

Fair enough, something is wrong with ireland and he needs to sort himself out. But hes nearly on a par with milner, if your gonna sell him, sell him for decent money. Because he WILL do well. Milner could be another flash in the pan and who would bet against ireland doing better than milner next season? or the season after?

Keep this post for reference.

Your comparing 1 great season (he had a couple of bad ones before which people seem to forget!) from Ireland though against 3 good seasons from Milner that's the problem. People can bang on all the want he had a bad season last year but who's to say the good season he had wasn't just a flash in the pan and he will do it again? Santa Cruz is a perfect example of one season wonders and Ireland is looking to be one. I would hate it too if we got rid and he became sensational but to hold onto him just in case?? We can't afford to take chances like that and this is a professional sports team not a bookies we don't work on maybes and possiblys we need players we know who can perform week in week out.

I think the difference is that stevie has class and technical ability. I rated ireland before his good season, when other people would constantly slate him. He wasnt consistent, but he was always amazing in derbies. Countless players say hes amazing in training and he himself said he wasnt surprised at his good season, as he said he plays like that everyday in training.

Im not arguing against selling him as such, just dont sell him on the cheap or to a rival. I could see him going somewhere like Arsenal and being amazing. Similarly, like someone said on here, we could flog robinho for nothing and then he will turn up at Barca or somewhere and set the world alight. I just hate how city always look like mugs in the transfer market (and have done for years) and it just spurs on the growing dislike towards us.

[Vhero]

It pisses me off that 90% of fans see this as biting us on the ass.

Just as Richard Dunne PLAYER OF THE SEASOn got in the team of the season ahead of that waste of space Toure.

Fair enough, something is wrong with ireland and he needs to sort himself out. But hes nearly on a par with milner, if your gonna sell him, sell him for decent money. Because he WILL do well. Milner could be another flash in the pan and who would bet against ireland doing better than milner next season? or the season after?

Keep this post for reference.

Your comparing 1 great season (he had a couple of bad ones before which people seem to forget!) from Ireland though against 3 good seasons from Milner that's the problem. People can bang on all the want he had a bad season last year but who's to say the good season he had wasn't just a flash in the pan and he will do it again? Santa Cruz is a perfect example of one season wonders and Ireland is looking to be one. I would hate it too if we got rid and he became sensational but to hold onto him just in case?? We can't afford to take chances like that and this is a professional sports team not a bookies we don't work on maybes and possiblys we need players we know who can perform week in week out.

I think the difference is that stevie has class and technical ability. I rated ireland before his good season, when other people would constantly slate him. He wasnt consistent, but he was always amazing in derbies. Countless players say hes amazing in training and he himself said he wasnt surprised at his good season, as he said he plays like that everyday in training.

Im not arguing against selling him as such, just dont sell him on the cheap or to a rival. I could see him going somewhere like Arsenal and being amazing. Similarly, like someone said on here, we could flog robinho for nothing and then he will turn up at Barca or somewhere and set the world alight. I just hate how city always look like mugs in the transfer market (and have done for years) and it just spurs on the growing dislike towards us.

I agree we have a habit of selling players and it turns out to bite us in the ass but hey I always like to look at the bright side like with the Dunne transfer in my eyes that transfer cost them the FA cup and I thought "Hey That Could Have Been Us!!!". I agree with most on here though if we sell we should get a decent amount for him and think we will as a few managers want him.