Ireland to join Sundireland?

Xavi6

Some very strong rumours about this at the moment. Here's an article -

http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=662181

17/04/2008 03:56
Keane Chasing City's Ireland

Manchester City are preparing to sell unsettled midfielder Stephen Ireland due to his erratic behaviour off the pitch this season

Sunderland have reportedly lodged an £8 million bid for the Republic of Ireland international, which City are set to accept.

The 21-year-old’s contract expires at the end of next season, and as there has been no hint of discussions regarding an extension it seems clear that those in charge at Eastlands want him out.

Antics

Ireland has been involved in a number of high-profile incidents this term. Most prominent among these was when he pulled out of the Republic of Ireland squad in September after claiming that his grandmother had passed away.

This was uncovered as a lie, at which point the player insisted it was a different grandmother who had died – which was also revealed to be false.

He eventually admitted that he had returned home to comfort his girlfriend, who had suffered a miscarriage.

Keen Keane

Sunderland boss Roy Keane got a first-hand glimpse of Ireland’s bizarre behaviour when he revealed his Superman underpants after scoring the winner against the Black Cats at Eastlands.

But Keane nonetheless expressed his admiration for his young compatriot, insisting that his qualities as a footballer are more important than his character flaws.

He said: “Whatever problems he has, he is a very, very good player.”

The £8 million quoted seems a lot of money to me and I could see the club being tempted to take it if true.

Each week you are guaranteed threads on every City fans' forum about hating Ireland and wanting him out. The majority would certainly not be sorry to see him go, especially if he isn't interested in signing a new contract. I've always defended him based on his obvious ability so I hope it wouldn't be one of those deals that comes back to haunt us.

CHD

Theres alot more to come from Ireland.Moving to Sunderland would be a mistake imo but 8M is a great price!

Dont be at yourself

I reckon he could do a job for Sunderland. He could be pushed out at Man City, Thaskin has been quoted as saying there will be more midfielders arriving in the Summer.

Bubs101

Xavi6 wrote: »

The £8 million quoted seems a lot of money to me and I could see the club being tempted to take it if true.

.

But it's not really serious money for City. Thaksin's money means they don't have to sell no matter how good the offer is if they want the player. TBH, I think it's a no brainer if they're chasing players like Diego and Ronaldinho that ireland won't be there next year

BaZmO*

Not surprised that City want rid. It'd be a good buy for Sunderland but would the club be glamorous enough for young Stevie?

SantryRed

Could be a good thing for him to go to Sundireland.
Keane could cut out all the ****e that usually comes with the lad.

Don't think it'll happen though.

Limerick Dude

Think it would be a step down for Ireland to go to side who will be in the bottom half and possibly fighting relegation for the next few season, i wouldnt be suprised if a better club came in for him.

wheres me jumpa

Im still not sure about Ireland. No doubt he has ability but he has yet to prove himself over the course of a season, or the course of a month for that matter. His temperment will be a big turn off for any suitors, something Keane would relish/be capable of dealing with. With this in mind I dont think he would fetch more than 8 mil sterling.

PHB

Good move for Sunderland (Quality Player)
Good move for Ireland (Keane might reign him in)
Good move for City (Decent Cash + Removal of trouble maker + opening up space for someone better)

Could see that happening.

dc69

Bubs101 wrote: »

But it's not really serious money for City. Thaksin's money means they don't have to sell no matter how good the offer is if they want the player. TBH, I think it's a no brainer if they're chasing players like Diego and Ronaldinho that ireland won't be there next year

Id have serious questions about Thaksins money,just look at his previous business records.

If he were to start splashing 100's of millions in the summer,if I was a city fan I would be very anxcious.He aint gona get it back because

A-The stadium isnt bringin in that much
B-The club aint the biggest,in terms of support numbers etc

hes a dodgy operator,mark my words.Something huge will happen to city in the next few years,in a bad way!

He is wealthy but he isnt Abramovich wealthy,i.e he cant afford to be ploughing in huge amounts of personal wealth,unless he is extremely stupid.

As far as Steven Ireland,he is a good player.I think City would be stupid to sell him.If they want to have success,they have to have a big squad and he is a very good squad player to have.

*PHB: Edit due to dodgy legal issues*

wheres me jumpa

dc69 wrote: »

A-The stadium isnt bringin in that much
B-The club aint the biggest,in terms of support numbers etc

Really? I would have thought they had an excellent stadium and were very well supported.

Insect Overlord

Limerick Dude wrote: »

Think it would be a step down for Ireland to go to side who will be in the bottom half and possibly fighting relegation for the next few season, i wouldnt be suprised if a better club came in for him.

Ahem, Newcastle fan alert... :rolleyes:

PHB wrote: »

Good move for Sunderland (Quality Player)
Good move for Ireland (Keane might reign him in)
Good move for City (Decent Cash + Removal of trouble maker + opening up space for someone better)

Could see that happening.

I'd agree with these points. If this story proves to be true it could be a great move for all involved.

shane86

Since when do they want rid of him for his behaviour? Sven seems to treat him like a son! Never stops singing his praises

Career suicide for S Ireland tbh to go there. Sunderland made some woefully bad buys with an awful lot of money, if I were a player I wouldnt go near them.

leninbenjamin

shane86 wrote: »

Career suicide for S Ireland tbh to go there. Sunderland made some woefully bad buys with an awful lot of money, if I were a player I wouldnt go near them.

I'd be surprised if this was repeated to be honest. seemingly they had nothing in the way of a decent scouting network at the start of the season, which has supposedly been improved upon vastly over the year. secondly Keane has kept them up (barring disaster) in spite of this. he appears to be learning from his mistakes very quickly. i mean at the start of the season Sunderland looked woeful, but recently they've started to look an awful lot better, against City they certainly deserved a result. it mightn't take as much as people think to turn them into a passable mid-table side, as opposed to relegation contenders. someone like Ireland, and a decent finisher to play along side Kwenye and i'm sure you'll see them start to convert a lot more chances.

estebancambias

Yeah, doesn't Sven like him?

I remember reading back in December on 606, and all the City fans were singing his praises. Not literally of course as I actually couldn't here them singing.

OhNoYouDidn't

I actually hope he joins Sunderland, gets relegated with them and follows the conveyor belt of Irish Sunderland players into obscurity.

Then I wont have to listen to the saga that is his life anymore.

Xavi6

dc69 wrote: »

A-The stadium isnt bringin in that much
B-The club aint the biggest,in terms of support numbers etc

What are you basing that on?

Remember, we're the club that got 34,000 every week into Maine Road when we were in Division 2. It would have been more had the ground been bigger. The fan base is most certainly there.

scruff321

An Fhile wrote: »

Ahem, Newcastle fan alert... :rolleyes:



I'd agree with these points. If this story proves to be true it could be a great move for all involved.

please god he doesnt go to newcastle:eek:,the only thing theyv been great for the last number of years is turning good players into bad player!

kerash

I'd say if city get a decent offer they ship him out pronto. The lad obviously has tallent, but is his own worst enemy. If he goes to Sunderland maybe Roy can beat some sense into him:D and Niall can hug him, best of both worlds:p

ziggy

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kerash

ziggy wrote: »

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Probably be more of a case of being pushed out...

or because you dont like oasis?:p

grames_bond

scruff321 wrote: »

please god he doesnt go to newcastle:eek:,the only thing theyv been great for the last number of years is turning good players into bad player!

...and/or injuring them!!! come on ireland make the right decision!

shane86

leninbenjamin wrote: »

it mightn't take as much as people think to turn them into a passable mid-table side, as opposed to relegation contenders.

Sunderland iirc spent the second highest amount of any club in the world in the transfer market. Whilst miracles dont happen overnight (even though some rather short sightedly speculated that with Roy at the helm they would be a top 3 team by the end of the season) it is a pretty bad return so far.

actually hope he joins Sunderland, gets relegated with them and follows the conveyor belt of Irish Sunderland players into obscurity.

Then I wont have to listen to the saga that is his life anymore

Gazza, Maradona and Paul McGrath all had their off field problems. Reckon it would have been good for their countries if they were offed at the first opportunity to a bunch of no mark teams?

Attractive Nun

shane86 wrote:

Sunderland iirc spent the second highest amount of any club in the world in the transfer market.

That surely can't be true...

smog

An Fhile wrote: »

Ahem, Newcastle fan alert... :rolleyes:

heh so true ...

PHB wrote: »

Good move for Sunderland (Quality Player)
Good move for Ireland (Keane might reign him in)
Good move for City (Decent Cash + Removal of trouble maker + opening up space for someone better)

Could see that happening.

Genuinly i could see this happening for all the reasons above,

but also more for the reason that i dont think anyone else would take him on, but Keane would see that as a project.chalange

Xavi6

Attractive Nun wrote: »

That surely can't be true...

Not quite true. They actually came in 4th

EDIT: I've taken this quote from the City fans site I frequent. It basically sums up Ireland's situation with the fans -

I couldn't care less that Ireland wears a wig. I don't care that his car is pink. I don't care that he has stupid Facebook (or whatever) pages. Ireland, for some reason, has joined the long line of players who City fans slag off the minute something goes wrong. Elano and Corluka have been shite for weeks now but anyone who slagged them off would be banned from Manchester. Dunne has had his bad games (more than usual). Petrov got himself sent off for being a knob when we needed him most. Bianchi couldn't wait to get back to Italy cos he couldn't hack it over here. But for some reason Ireland is to blame for us going from 4th to 9th. He is a very good player who has played out of position every game bar 1. A game in which he was the best player on the park. Out played a £17m Brazilian and a ginger England legend

Like Vassell, he's an easy target for a lot of fans who fail to take into consideration that he isn't utilised in the way he should be and gets very few run outs in his best position.

Limerick Dude

smog wrote: »

heh so true ...



Genuinly i could see this happening for all the reasons above,

but also more for the reason that i dont think anyone else would take him on, but Keane would see that as a project.chalange

Pfft, ill have the last laugh when Ireland has a huge bust up with keane and he becomes even more screwed up in the head.

grames_bond

and aparantly on top of all of this he is considering RETIRING from international football....ffs he is 21!!

estebancambias

I can see what they mean to be honest.

The guy has talent, I'm sure I read that Elano said he has so much tricks and skills in training, but he is way too lightweight...he needs to do some serious strength training in the summer.

cm2000

i think people are overstating how much keane has spent saying he's spent nearly as much as the top teams. the fact is that he has had to buy pretty much an entire team and one that can compete in the top league in the world. how many original players are still in the 1st 11?? nosworthy, collins, whitehead.. is all off the top of my head.

Sherifu

Could be a good move for all involved. Can see it happening.

ziggy

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cm2000

ziggy wrote: »

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no i think comparing it to the big teams is taking it out of context as he had to build almost an entire team

King John V

Top teams spend that kind of money on 3-4 players. Keane brought in about 11 new names and changed a championship squad into a reasonably okay premiership squad, barring injuries to key players of course. Out of the three teams promoted last year Derby spent the least and look at the result. They're at least 20 points below Birmingham and Sunderland. At least the money that was spent allows Sunderland to compete in the top flight.

ziggy

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shane86

King John V wrote: »

Keane brought in about 11 new names and changed a championship squad into a reasonably okay premiership squad, barring injuries to key players of course. .

Oh please. He bought up inexperienced or past it Irish players for the most part. Few if any of whom have proven their worth. Roy was as taken by the Paul McShane performance vs the Czechs as me you and the rest down the pub. Difference is, he is a manager. He should be more discerning. Instead he is like someone who runs out and buys a car that looks good on the tv ads without researching it at all.

He changed them to a reasonably ok prem squad?

Spurs are a reasonably ok prem squad.

So are Villa.

So are Man City (they were a top 4 squad for a while, but they have slipped)

So are Reading, they have suffered but yep, they are.


Sunderland are a poor team. They are a poor team that should have been top 8, even top 5 (in first season, and making a serious contention for top 4 in season 2) with the money spent but are not mainly due to mediocre buys. Teams who spend the 4th largest amt in the transfer market should not be battling relegation at any point.

Only today I saw a piece in some paper of how it was only a matter of time before Keane was managing United :rolleyes: Yep, if Fergie announced he retires at the end of the season the board are going to come running to a man who finished oh, 15th in the prem if he is lucky, after squandering the 4th biggest buying budget in world football. Bollocks.

PHB

Roy was as taken by the Paul McShane performance vs the Czechs as me you and the rest down the pub

ACtually, Roy would have played with McShane in his time at United. McShane played 2 seasons in the championship, getting an incredible amounts of MOMs and goals for a CB. Was defo the best player in his season at Brighton.

Then Roy took a chance on him. McShane can still be a very good CB, and Roy knows this and bought him. It's the same reason he's trying to sign Johnny Evans.

Teams who spend the 4th largest amt in the transfer market should not be battling relegation at any point.

That's just such a short term view. Spending in one summer does not detemrine a squad. All the teams around him have been consistantly spending in order to have a decent amount of plakyers in their squad. Sunderland had **** all, because they haven't spent in a while.

Keane got Sunderland promoted with a huge bunch of **** players.
Spent 50 million in the summer buying new players. Sunderland are now safe from relegation. If they spent another 50 million they will probably go upto safe mid table.

shane86

PHB wrote: »

Keane got Sunderland promoted with a huge bunch of **** players.

You dont need Maradona up front, Ferdinand down back and Given in goal to win the c`ship.

Spent 50 million in the summer buying new players. Sunderland are now safe from relegation. If they spent another 50 million they will probably go upto safe mid table.

Safe my bollix. They are level with two teams and there are three teams below who can potentially leapfrog them. Only Derby and Fulham havent a hope.

And 100 million is an awful lot to spend so you can be between 8 and 11th in the prem for the next few years. If such a big spending club get relegated (a very real possibility this year) it will be a disaster for them.

dc69

Xavi6 wrote: »

What are you basing that on?

Remember, we're the club that got 34,000 every week into Maine Road when we were in Division 2. It would have been more had the ground been bigger. The fan base is most certainly there.

Ok il just say it,City are a small club and thaksin is gona throw away his money and ruin a club with great heritage and class imo.He will run city into the ground,mark my words and it will be a sad day in Football.

he is a thief,con artist and general bad person.He is a bad businessman,his career littered with failures.

It is commonly thought among political people,that the only reason thaksin bought city is to get elected in the next thailand elections.The premier league is very popular amongst thai people and Thaksin wasnt allowed in thailand for a long time(he only recently was allowed back in)so what better way to keep your public profile high amongst the thai people without being in the country,than be the hero of Thailand and own a western football club!.


I really like city but chelski are 1 in a million,Thaksin does not have the money abramovich has,so to throw millions in,he will be expecting it back.I can just see disater down the road.

Pigman II

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

I actually hope he joins Sunderland, gets relegated with them and follows the conveyor belt of Irish Sunderland players into obscurity.

Then I wont have to listen to the saga that is his life anymore.

amen to this. plus i'd enjoy watching a season of two of him getting his arse kicked up and down the pitch in the championship.

King John V

I certainly wouldn't like to see one of Ireland's most creative talents wasting away in the championship but I can see how people would get bored of reading about his life saga. As a nation with a small playing base I feel we have little right to take the moral high ground and simply dismiss one of our better players.

If he could overcome his personal issues think of the contribution he could make at club and country, scoring the occasional goal along the way.

PHB

Giving Keano 50 milllion was a risk, but it's a risk that has paid off. They are all but safe, probably need another win.

2 years ago, Sunderland were exactly where Derby are now. How many Derby players do you think are good enough to survive in the PL? 50 million still wouldn't get them up to scratch.

DSB

Xavi6 wrote: »

Remember, we're the club that got 34,000 every week into Maine Road when we were in Division 2. It would have been more had the ground been bigger.

dc69 wrote: »

Ok il just say it,City are a small club

SYSTEM ERROR - DOES NOT COMPUTE

Xavi6

2 assists today and for me an MOM performance. Finally got to play in his proper position and bossed the game. Superb.

estebancambias

Xavi fill us in on the City forums will ye?

dc69

Xavi6 wrote: »

2 assists today and for me an MOM performance. Finally got to play in his proper position and bossed the game. Superb.

dont know what game you were watching,I thought he played rubbish apart from an assist.He is lazy and if a ball wasnt straight to his feet he made no effort to get it.

It funny you say that cause I was just on the phone to mate at the end of the gmae,he reckoned he will be sold in the summer.Bad attitude imo lacks honesty of effort

Xavi6

What do you wanna know? The game just finished so those at it aren't back yet.

Xavi6

dc69 wrote: »

dont know what game you were watching,I thought he played rubbish apart from an assist.He is lazy and if a ball wasnt straight to his feet he made no effort to get it.

Are you serious? Lazy? He was the player who supported Benjani most in both halves. He played the ball for the first and third goals. He also played the ball through for Vassell in the red card incident. He made numerous tackles and tracked back every time a move broke down. Seriously I know people don't like him but when he has an excellent game give the guy his dues.

The reaction so far and during the game from City fans is that the two biggest scape goats at the club, Ireland and Vassell, were the two best players on the park today.

ziggy

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shane86

PHB wrote: »

Giving Keano 50 milllion was a risk, but it's a risk that has paid off. They are all but safe, probably need another win.

It hasnt paid off. They are as in danger of being relegated as 2 or 3 other sides. With the money pumped in they really should be higher. Craig Gordon is his only great buy tbh. Even Eamonn Dunphy, of all people, can see it.

Personally Id sooner see them go down than Reading if a choice had to be made.

dc69

ziggy wrote: »

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type "honesty of effort" into googoel and see what comes up? lol