Stephen Ireland Open Door or Slam it Shut! [mod warning post #645 / #713]

chopperbyrne

dogpile wrote: »

blah blah blah...more excuses!


the guy is a scumbag plain and simple

That's a bit harsh. So he doesn't want to play international football, he hasn't raped and murdered someone.

dogpile

chopperbyrne wrote: »

That's a bit harsh. So he doesn't want to play international football, he hasn't raped and murdered someone.

Whatever..he'll always have his defenders I suppose, which baffles me tbh

anonymous_joe

dogpile wrote: »

Whatever..he'll always have his defenders I suppose, which baffles me tbh

How is not working with someone you dislike being a scumbag?

If I was asked to work closely with someone I strongly disliked I'd refuse if I found I was uncomfortable with it.

rednik

He's a great player and we could certainly do with him but at this stage the press should put the story to bed and stop feeding his ego.

Agent Smith

playing for your country should be the greatest honor for a footballer

Stevn ireland deserves to have someone take a slash on him. what a fucking tool, think of all the players desperate to make it and this dick wont play?!?

Headshot

not another Steven ireland thread ......

eddiehead

Agent Smith wrote: »

think of all the players desperate to make it and this dick wont play?!?

Thats hardly his problem

dogpile

anonymous_joe wrote: »

How is not working with someone you dislike being a scumbag?

If I was asked to work closely with someone I strongly disliked I'd refuse if I found I was uncomfortable with it.

Thanks for quoting me and confirming it..


anyone who can't see through this guy and his antics is very gullible indeed

SantryRed

He started playing amazing ball after he quit the set up. He's not saying a word about Ireland(the team) and is just getting on with his job for the club he's getting paid by, fair play to him.

Mmcd

Agent Smith wrote: »

think of all the players desperate to make it and this dick wont play?!?

Surely he's making their job easier!

Iago

Sigh.......

Threads merged, warnings added and bans and red card infractions to follow for player abuse in this thread. Again talk about it like adults (if you really need to at this point) but leave the abuse out of it please.

briany

I was just reading the story about this on the back of the Evening Herald and at this stage, its a case of good riddence for me. He claims that Trappatoni sounded arrogant in his dealings with him but it's Stephen Ireland who comes off as arrogant in that article. At this stage, I wouldn't want him back because a return of his would cause tension in the team, yes the players in the team are professionals but I still think it would play on their minds in some respect and create a bad vibe in the team IMO.

Denis Irwin

Still wouldn't put it past him to 'change his mind' if we qualify for the World Cup. :rolleyes:

LeeroyJones

Denis Irwin wrote: »

Still wouldn't put it past him to 'change his mind' if we qualify for the World Cup. :rolleyes:

can't imagine Trap would pick him if he did make himself available between the qualifiers and the World Cup finals, it surely wouldn't go down well in the camp. If he wants to play in the World Cup he would want to speak up soon before the Italy+Montenegros or at very latest for the playoffs if thats our given scenario

briany

LeeroyJones wrote: »

can't imagine Trap would pick him if he did make himself available between the qualifiers and the World Cup finals, it surely wouldn't go down well in the camp. If he wants to play in the World Cup he would want to speak up soon before the Italy+Montenegros or at very latest for the playoffs if thats our given scenario

Yeah I agree, I think that it's too late for him to be accepted back, in this campaign at least. If he did decide to come back should Ireland qualify though, wouldn't be almost a reversal of 2002? Ireland's (arguably) best player wanting to come back and everybody is angry about it. LOL.

Mossy Monk

He doesn't want to play. Where is the problem?

Mint Sauce

Denis Irwin wrote: »

Still wouldn't put it past him to 'change his mind' if we qualify for the World Cup. :rolleyes:

and if he does that i hope el trap and the FAI tell him where to go

Pro. F

Just for clarity, here is what he said in the Evening Herald

Stephen Ireland wrote:

When I met Trapatoni for a chat I felt there was a lot of arrogance going on.

We didn't speak after that until this summer, when he called me. But I think he made that call for his own benefit, rather than mine. He said: 'Is it okay if I tell the press I've spoken to you and that there is a chance of you coming back?'

I said: 'You can tell people we've spoken and maybe we'll meet up in the future, but don't say there is a chance of me coming back because there probably isn't.'

Even with the prospect of the World Cup, it hasn't crossed my mind about going back. I never felt part of the squad and I never will.

When I watch Ireland games, it's weird. It's like was never part of it. I don't miss it at all.

His words show his extreme immaturaty imo.

He's now trying to put the blame onto Trap, which is disgusting. Calling Trap arrogant and saying he was making the call for his own benefit and not SH's. Did it ever occur to you, Stephen, that he might have been ringing you for the national team's benefit? I'm sure Trap wasn't offering him a shoulder to cry on, unconditional love and some smoke to be blown up his hole. Unfortunately it sounds like that's what S Ireland wants. He is acting like a spoiled child.

I've said previously, that I'm willing to believe that it's possible he had good reasons for dropping out. But this latest statement where he's trying to shift blame onto Trap and free himself of responsibility is pathetic and childish. I've lost all respect for him.

I would never have him back in a green jersey now without a complete apology.



*this is from the massively untrustworthy Herald, so it could yet turn out that he was badly mis-quoted.

Xavi6

Hold on a second, if Trap was trying to save face with the media by saying -

'Is it okay if I tell the press I've spoken to you and that there is a chance of you coming back?'

then Ireland has every right to deem that as being unacceptable with words being put in his mouth.


Players and managers often don't get on. If Ireland has the choice to play or not to play under a particular person that he doesn't want to then he can exercise that right.

Yes it's an honour and privilege to play for your country and I would give my left one to do it, but on the flip side I wouldn't stay in a job where I felt I couldn't work with my boss or colleagues. I don't think many people would.

Pro. F

Xavi6 wrote: »

Hold on a second, if Trap was trying to save face with the media by saying -

...then Ireland has every right to deem that as being unacceptable with words being put in his mouth.

Indeed, so all he had to say to Trap was 'no', which he did. You could interperate Trap's request as saving face or as paving the way for return. Don't forget there's a language barrier there too. I don't think it's that big a deal, certainly wouldn't be enough to keep someone from playing for their country if they actually wanted too.

Xavi6 wrote: »

Players and managers often don't get on. If Ireland has the choice to play or not to play under a particular person that he doesn't want to then he can exercise that right.

Yes it's an honour and privilege to play for your country and I would give my left one to do it, but on the flip side I wouldn't stay in a job where I felt I couldn't work with my boss or colleagues. I don't think many people would.

So how often have Ireland and Trap been talking then?

Ireland wants us to believe that in the few conversations they've had, Trap has been so arrogant, and his request to tell the media of a chance of a return, was so self serving that now he can't work with him? Come off it! Ireland must be one seriously delicate flower if that's all it takes for him to not be able to work with someone.

If he hadn't said anything here and so it was still the same old problem (whatever that might have been) that was keeping him from coming back, then i wouldn't mind. Because we can't be sure what the original problem was, it's possible that it's something justified. But to come out and imply that he is now unable to come back because he has discovered that he doesn't get on with the new manager is an obvious attempt to relieve himself of responsibility. It is shocking immaturity. He should hang his head in shame.

Handsome Bob

I just saw the headlines for tomorrow's papers on RTE. Trap is arrogant? I'll never play for my country again? What's wrong with this guy? What is so bad about the set up that compels this guy to say such things?

Bandit12

rednik wrote: »

He's a great player and we could certainly do with him but at this stage the press should put the story to bed and stop feeding his ego.

Nail head etc....

Spiritoftheseventies

If players don't have a problem with it, then thats fine with me. But for time being Trap should be chasing players who are making themselves available to him. And from what i saw of Andy Reid today, Trap needs to let bygones be bygones. Great pass for first goal today.

anonymous_joe

LZ5by5 wrote: »

I just saw the headlines for tomorrow's papers on RTE. Trap is arrogant? I'll never play for my country again? What's wrong with this guy? What is so bad about the set up that compels this guy to say such things?

Raises a few issues.

Bandit12 wrote: »

Please please lock this thread. Ireland does NOT want to play for his country. Let it go ffs people.

Tbh, man, I agree, but LZ makes a decent point. I'm bloody curious as to why he's so annoyed.

monkey9

This could quite possibly be the worst thread ever on the soccer forum!! I hate it. I hate it so much. After a while, it goes to page three or four, and then Stephen Ireland farts, and you just know that if you log onto Boards, this thing will be back on the first page.

HE DOESN'T WANT TO PLAY FOR IRELAND AGAIN!!!!!!!!! HE SAID SO HIMSELF!! SO SOMEONE PLEASE SLAM THE DOOR SHUT!!

If he plays for Ireland again or says 'i want to play for Ireland again, then by all means, set up a thread. Until then................MOVE ON!!

Mr.Nice Guy

If he doesn't want to play for Trap and doesn't feel right about the set-up then that's his business. I'm sick of hearing people having a go at him as it's the same stuff every time.

Ireland: "I'm enjoying my football. I think I'm doing well just concentrating on my club."

Random punter: "Who does this guy think he is?! He might as well call himself Stephen England!"

Zzzzz. Change the record, please.

Pro. F

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

If he doesn't want to play for Trap and doesn't feel right about the set-up then that's his business. I'm sick of hearing people having a go at him as it's the same stuff every time.

Ireland: "I'm enjoying my football. I think I'm doing well just concentrating on my club."

Random punter: "Who does this guy think he is?! He might as well call himself Stephen England!"

Zzzzz. Change the record, please.

What a ridiculous post.
It would be 'his business' if he didn't keep giving interviews about it and making statements in the press. If he didn't want to have a saga going on about this he could just not talk about it in the newspapers. But instead him and his da release a statement to the press every few months.

He has just made a statement in the press accusing the national team manager of being arrogant and self serving and implying that he now has an new reason for not wanting to play for the national team. He's not saying mundane, happy-where-i-am type stuff like you staid. He is stirring the story himself. Imo it's obvious that he is trying to shift the blame off himself.

[Edited to be more reasonable] For all the people complaining about this thread still going - no one is forcing ye to read it.

Mr.Nice Guy

Pro. F wrote: »

What a ridiculous post.
It would be 'his business' if he didn't keep giving interviews about it and making statements in the press. If he didn't want to have a saga going on about this he could just not talk about it in the newspapers. But instead him and his da release a statement to the press every few months.

He has just made a statement in the press accusing the national team manager of being arrogant and self serving and implying that he now has an new reason for not wanting to play for the national team. He's not saying mundane, happy-where-i-am type stuff like you staid. He is stirring the story himself. Imo it's obvious that he is trying to shift the blame off himself.

Here's a suggestion for you and all the people complaining about this thread being boring and pointless: Don't fùcking read it!

Are you kidding me? You think he wants to keep answering the same bloomin' question over and over? What, you think he calls up the papers and asks to be questioned about it?

"Hello, is this The Mirror? Yeah it's Stephen. I'm ready for another round of questions on will I or won't I return to the Irish squad. I'm free later on if that suits?"

Bloody hell, it is the media who keep going on about it not him. Wow how dare he give answers to the questions put to him. The very idea!

By the way, what I have a problem with is the ridiculous amount of vitriol that's being spewed all over the place. I wasn't aware the thread was designed to be an anti-Ireland thread. From what I can see it reads 'Stephen Ireland Open Door or Slam it Shut' so why shouldn't I read it?

Pro. F

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Are you kidding me? You think he wants to keep answering the same bloomin' question over and over? What, you think he calls up the papers and asks to be questioned about it?

"Hello, is this The Mirror? Yeah it's Stephen. I'm ready for another round of questions on will I or won't I return to the Irish squad. I'm free later on if that suits?"

Bloody hell, it is the media who keep going on about it not him. Wow how dare he give answers to the questions put to him. The very idea!

Since when does he have to give them an interview? He's a footballer, he is under no obligation to talk to them. If he is talking to the press it's because he wants to. And even if there is some extenuating circumstance where he has been forced to talk to the press, he could still have just repeated his position of not wanting to play and the head-down-and-happy-where-i-am line. But he hasn't, he has just implied that it's now Trap's fault that he won't be coming back. As i said before, we don't really know what went on previously so we can't really judge all that, but this ridiculous attempt to shift the blame in a new direction is pathetic tbh.

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

By the way, what I have a problem with is the ridiculous amount of vitriol that's being spewed all over the place. I wasn't aware the thread was designed to be an anti-Ireland thread. From what I can see it reads 'Stephen Ireland Open Door or Slam it Shut' so why shouldn't I read it?

That's fair enough. I'm not referring to you so. I thought you were complaining about the thread's existence like other people were.

Handsome Bob

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

If he doesn't want to play for Trap and doesn't feel right about the set-up then that's his business. I'm sick of hearing people having a go at him as it's the same stuff every time.

Ireland: "I'm enjoying my football. I think I'm doing well just concentrating on my club."

Random punter: "Who does this guy think he is?! He might as well call himself Stephen England!"

Zzzzz. Change the record, please.

He has just said that he will NEVER play for Ireland again, I think it's a fair request to ask him what exactly the problem is. It is a huge statement, a statement that suggests that there is a lot more to his decision than just a dislike for Trap.

Johnny Utah

Very disappointing. I'm one of the posters that has defended Stephen Ireland in the past. However, having read that interview*, S Ireland comes across as very, very immature and I can't defend him anymore. I like to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but at this stage, S Ireland just comes across as an immarture little pr1ck.





* (Assuming the Herald interview was accurate and S Ireland actually gave those quotes.)

bernardo mac

Ireland:"I'm enjoying my football.I think I'm doing well just concentrating on my club" Stephen is doing well at Manchester City but the statement,to me,suggests he is aware of his limitations re.taking the pressure and the extra burden of responsibility that international football involves.Maybe he is immature and hypersensitive but he is a fine footballer, but I'm not convinced he is a ninety minute man.And he is more keenly aware of what he can achieve,football wise,than we are.Basically it's about coping within boundaries for him.Then again ,football is a team game and any challenge can be faced and overcome together.Stephen I. is not prepared or confident enough to take on a greater challenge which ,unfortunately, he will regret.He may be limiting self development by staying local.

helimachoptor

Lads the reason he won't play for Ireland is because he wants to play either as centre half or a GK. Seriously I had a dream about it and that's what he told me.

BaZmO*

I think it's blatantly obvious to see that the reason why he doesn't want to play for us is because he just doesn't get on with the rest of the squad, or at least certain members. And tbh, the longer he stays out in the wilderness the harder it'll be for him to ever play for Ireland.

The biggest problem here is that he keeps making other excuses as to why he doesn't want to play and the press aren't helping with the constant speculating.

The Davestator

Once we have the two reids in midfield, we wont care about this ireland not playng for us. i hope he wants to come back if we qualify and gets told where to go

flanzer

Tubridy needs to get him on the Late Late to fess up or Tommy Gorman needs to interview him or something....

aidan24326

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Are you kidding me? You think he wants to keep answering the same bloomin' question over and over? What, you think he calls up the papers and asks to be questioned about it?

Nonsense. He's under no obligation to say anything to the press. They only keep stirring it up because he keeps giving them juicy quotes. If he wanted to give an answer, he could simply say 'I will not be returning to the national squad and do not wish to make any further comment on the matter.' He's perpetuating the circus himself, always making half-cryptic comments and never really giving a straight answer. He seems to think he has to give the press something.

Hank Scorpio

aidan24326 wrote: »

Nonsense. He's under no obligation to say anything to the press. They only keep stirring it up because he keeps giving them juicy quotes. If he wanted to give an answer, he could simply say 'I will not be returning to the national squad and do not wish to make any further comment on the matter.' He's perpetuating the circus himself, always making half-cryptic comments and never really giving a straight answer. He seems to think he has to give the press something.

This +1

Feck Ireland, hes a disgrace, and a fit stephen reid is twice the player he is

eddiehead

nuxxx wrote: »

a fit stephen reid is twice the player he is

Now I'm a huge S Reid fan but thats just not true, is it?

Hank Scorpio

eddiehead wrote: »

Now I'm a huge S Reid fan but thats just not true, is it?

I honestly believe if Stephen Reid had stayed fit for longer periods of time a top 4 club was have instantly signed him up

The guy just oozes class. Remember when the press why hyping up Glenn Whealan is our first 2 or 3 group games? That would because S. Reid made him look like a world beater. Listen to Souness talking about S. Reid and his ability.

Ireland is a better finisher than Reid, i know that, but in overall terms of what the Irish team need at the moment, Reid fits that bill and more.

S. Ireland maybe develop into a better player, but even judging from yesterdays match vs man utd, he had a very very poor game.

If a.Reid, S.Reid and Ireland were available all the time, S.Reid would be first my team sheet everytime.

Iago

As Ireland has firmly slammed shut the door to the Irish Squad I think the time has come to lock this thread.

If things change at some point post-Trappatoni we can have another discussion on the subject...if there's any appetite for it that is.