Ireland to never play for ROI again.

MisterAnarchy

The guy is obviously a complete imbecile.
He really should get a good PR agent to represent him .
Look at the arrogant waffle he came out with today :

Stephen Ireland insists Premier League footballers are fully deserving of their lavish wage slips.

Ireland instantly became the biggest earning star in the Aston Villa dressing room when he signed for the midlands club earlier this week, but he has no qualms in insisting the likes of Robbie Keane, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney are worthy of their lavish earnings.

"It's not up to me to argue what any footballer should be paid and I don't have any problem in saying I'm worth the money I'm getting now," insists Ireland, who has just been handed a multi-million pound severance payment to leave Manchester City and join Aston Villa.

"I was City's Player of the Year last season and things went well for me, so I earned the right to be paid the same as most of the other players who were in the team around me every week.

"A lot of my team-mates were on much bigger money than me at City for a long time and I'd say I have only been on what I would call decent money in the last year or so. People like Micah Richards and Michael Johnson earned more than me at times when they were not even in the first eleven.

"The reports say Yaya Toure is earning £220,000 a week at City this season and it's not his fault if they want to pay him that much. He's got every right to take the money that's offered to him and anyone would do that if they were in his position.

"People find it hard to get their heads around the sort of money footballers earn, but the television money is there and the owners at City are happy to pay these wages, so there's is no reason not to take advantage of the situation."

Paparazzo

I was City's Player of the Year

He does like reminding people of this.

gosplan

#15 wrote: »

WHAT?

Perhaps overrated but I struggle to remember any mistakes he made.

Reganio 2

peterswellman wrote: »

It's a privilege to play for Ireland.

Why is it a privilege to play for Ireland? It should be a privilege to play for the FAI who don't care about anything except lining their own pockets? It should be a privilege to play for a bunch of fans that will turn their back on you the 2nd you have a bad game, even though you are playing for free? It should be a privilege to play with people who bully you for 1 reason or another? If you were being bullied in your football team, you wouldn't hang around would you. If you are so proud to be Irish and its such a privilege to represent Ireland, go join the army.

I hate this you should want to play for Ireland crap

Paparazzo

Reganio 2 wrote: »

Why is it a privilege to play for Ireland? It should be a privilege to play for the FAI who don't care about anything except lining their own pockets? It should be a privilege to play for a bunch of fans that will turn their back on you the 2nd you have a bad game, even though you are playing for free? It should be a privilege to play with people who bully you for 1 reason or another? If you were being bullied in your football team, you wouldn't hang around would you. If you are so proud to be Irish and its such a privilege to represent Ireland, go join the army.

I hate this you should want to play for Ireland crap

You're representing your country, if you're in the best 11 in the country you should be proud to do it. Comparisions with the army don't make sense. And you're not playing for the FAI, they just organise it. As for the fans, Ireland as a country sell a hell of a lot of tickets for games. Considering we usually don't qualify for major competions and we have a small population, I think the fans are quite good!

If I worked with a group of lads and was bald, and then one day came into work with a full head of hair I would fully expect to get the piss taken out of me.

Reganio 2

Paparazzo wrote: »

You're representing your country, if you're in the best 11 in the country you should be proud to do it. Comparisions with the army don't make sense. And you're not playing for the FAI, they just organise it. As for the fans, Ireland as a country sell a hell of a lot of tickets for games. Considering we usually don't qualify for major competions and we have a small population, I think the fans are quite good!

If I worked with a group of lads and was bald, and then one day came into work with a full head of hair I would fully expect to get the piss taken out of me.

Just cause you are the best at football means you should suddenly develop a love for representing your country? No it dosn't. You are representing the FAI when you are playing,wheter they like it or not. Just cause they sell a lot of tickets again dosn't mean they are great fans, United is as sell out nearly every week and they are widley regarded as quite shocking fans. Also why would you risk your job (Playing for Villa/City) to play for a team that as you say usually dosn't qualify and you are risking injury if you play for them?

Dub13

Coillte_Bhoy wrote: »

As a Mod maybe you should not be bringing Robbie keane into it.

Why.....?its a forum and we are chating about football.Not sure why you feel you need to point out I am a mod.

I am on my phone now will come back to Lloyd's points when I get home.

#15

Paparazzo wrote: »

You're representing your country, if you're in the best 11 in the country you should be proud to do it.

Why?

Paparazzo

#15 wrote: »

Why?

Do you not think that playing in the biggest tournament in the world should be something a footballer should want to do?

#15

Paparazzo wrote: »

Do you not think that playing in the biggest tournament in the world should be something a footballer should want to do?

Yes.

You're representing your country, if you're in the best 11 in the country you should be proud to do it.

Why?

Pauleta

To be honest if i were playing games every week for a club i would love to be able to take a week off every month or so rather than trekking to the likes of Armenia to play a game for free. People have to realise that international football means feck all to some people. The world isnt a swarm of bees. People think differently, have different interests and priorities.

peterswellman

Reganio 2 wrote: »

Why is it a privilege to play for Ireland? It should be a privilege to play for the FAI who don't care about anything except lining their own pockets? It should be a privilege to play for a bunch of fans that will turn their back on you the 2nd you have a bad game, even though you are playing for free? It should be a privilege to play with people who bully you for 1 reason or another? If you were being bullied in your football team, you wouldn't hang around would you. If you are so proud to be Irish and its such a privilege to represent Ireland, go join the army.

I hate this you should want to play for Ireland crap

Because you get the chance to represent your country on the world stage. I for one am proud of my roots and IMO it's a privilege to play for Ireland. It's obviously Ireland doesn't feel the same.

You're wrong on a number of points...here. You don't play for free when playing for your country, you still get paid a small(in footballing terms) sum .

Bully him? A little bit of a pisstake, if it bothers you that much at least have the balls to be truthful about it. Not running off making excuses.

How do you know i'm not in the army? Assumption, the tool of the idiot.

Reganovski

Not sure whether this has been posted already.

But I heard from a reliable source, I.e. a man who knows a man who knows another man, that Stephen England believed that Mancini didn't play him because he is great friends with Tardelli and Trappatoni. And if he didn't want to play for them, he wouldn't play under Mancini!

gosplan

#15 wrote: »

Yes.



Why?

Given that most Irish footballers would have followed the national team all their lives, that's pretty much like asking why would a Liverpool fan be proud to play for Liverpool?

Do you really need an answer?

gosplan

Reganio 2 wrote: »

Why is it a privilege to play for Ireland? It should be a privilege to play for the FAI who don't care about anything except lining their own pockets? It should be a privilege to play for a bunch of fans that will turn their back on you the 2nd you have a bad game, even though you are playing for free? It should be a privilege to play with people who bully you for 1 reason or another? If you were being bullied in your football team, you wouldn't hang around would you. If you are so proud to be Irish and its such a privilege to represent Ireland, go join the army.

I hate this you should want to play for Ireland crap

So do you feel the same about all forms of international sporting representation?

Or is it just because we have an incompetent FA and a team of big mean bullies?

steelcityblues

I don't usually wish for a footballer's career to fail or be underwhelming, but Stephen Ireland has reached the point of no return, that I hope in his case - it does end up just like that.

Reganio 2

gosplan wrote: »

So do you feel the same about all forms of international sporting representation?

Or is it just because we have an incompetent FA and a team of big mean bullies?

Nope just football. I have played for Ireland in a different sport and I was proud to.

#15

gosplan wrote: »

Given that most Irish footballers would have followed the national team all their lives, that's pretty much like asking why would a Liverpool fan be proud to play for Liverpool?

Do you really need an answer?

Yes.

The statement was that Stephen Ireland should be proud to play for Ireland.

To use your analogy, we are working on the assumption that he cares about the Irish team as much as a Liverpool fan cares about Liverpool FC.

Not everyone is patriotic, and to suggest someone should be patriotic or nationalistic is idiotic.

It's a more general point though, not strictly related to football.

#15

Reganovski wrote: »

Not sure whether this has been posted already.

But I heard from a reliable source, I.e. a man who knows a man who knows another man, that Stephen England believed that Mancini didn't play him because he is great friends with Tardelli and Trappatoni. And if he didn't want to play for them, he wouldn't play under Mancini!

Stephen England, ffs

Vincent Vega

Reganovski wrote: »

I heard from a reliable source, I.e. a man who knows a man who knows another man, that Stephen England believed that Mancini didn't play him because he is great friends with Tardelli and Trappatoni. And if he didn't want to play for them, he wouldn't play under Mancini!

I wouldn't say thats unlikely actually.

tonycascarino

Reganovski wrote: »

Not sure whether this has been posted already.

But I heard from a reliable source, I.e. a man who knows a man who knows another man, that Stephen England believed that Mancini didn't play him because he is great friends with Tardelli and Trappatoni. And if he didn't want to play for them, he wouldn't play under Mancini!

Lets hope Aston Villa appoint an Italian manager.

peejay1986

I'm a huge supporter of the Irish national team but to be honest I don't give a **** about the Stephen Ireland case. People can say he's a prick and he loves himself and whatever they want but to be honest what does that matter?

I'd love to see him playing for the national team What happened in the past has happened. If we didn't move on from mistakes then we are worse off ourselves. He's a brilliant footballer. Someone who could improve our squad massively. He also plays in the position we are arguably in most need of a decent player.

people can say what they want about loyalty and what not, but to be honest if he came back to the national team at all that shows great bottle and tells me he must really want to play for us. The lad is still young, he was barely in his 20s when he did what he did. People have done far worse and not got as much abuse as he has.

I'd never say I hate someone over what he did in the world of football. It's a ****ing game people. Those of you hoping his career fails are no better than imagine him to be.

BaZmO*

For a player who's only achievement in the game is being known for football's answer to Harold Shipman, he's certainly got a gob on him.
He was also mouthing off about the Man City players being too flash..... bit rich coming from the man with the pink Landrover.

gosplan

#15 wrote: »

Yes.

The statement was that Stephen Ireland should be proud to play for Ireland.

No it went like this.

peterswellman wrote: »

It's a privilege to play for Ireland

Reganio 2 wrote: »

Why is it a privilege to play for Ireland? It should be a privilege to play for the FAI who don't care about anything except lining their own pockets? It should be a privilege to play for a bunch of fans that will turn their back on you the 2nd you have a bad game, even though you are playing for free? It should be a privilege to play with people who bully you for 1 reason or another? If you were being bullied in your football team, you wouldn't hang around would you. If you are so proud to be Irish and its such a privilege to represent Ireland, go join the army.

I hate this you should want to play for Ireland crap

Paparazzo wrote: »

You're representing your country, if you're in the best 11 in the country you should be proud to do it

#15 wrote: »

Why?

gosplan wrote: »

Given that most Irish footballers would have followed the national team all their lives, that's pretty much like asking why would a Liverpool fan be proud to play for Liverpool?

Do you really need an answer?

#15 wrote: »

Yes

So my answer is this. Given that most Irish footballers would have followed the national team all their lives, pulling on the Irish jersey would bring immense pride as it elevates you to a similar status as many of your childhood heros.

When we we are young, we imitate the football players that we aspire to become. For many people these players come from the national team.

I get that you consider yourself a thinking man and don't like the idea of blind and irrational patriotism. However, for a young kid to go from playing in goals and giving himself a running commentary of how he's really Packie Bonner vrs Romania, to one day walking out at the Irish number 1 wearing the same shirt that Bonner wore would obviously bring enormous pride.

If it was simply patriotism, then the same kid would be just as happy to play field hockey for Ireland ... but they wouldn't be. It's fulfilling a childhood dream.

super_furry

This again? Look I know Mr Ireland feels the need to scream and shout about how 'poorly treated' he was by the Irish set-up and how none of it is his fault every few months, but do we really need to rehash the same tired old arguments?

We should move on even if he doesn't.

Samba

He's the epitome of what's wrong with the modern day Footballer and tbh he doesn't deserve the attention this thread is giving him.

I can understand this type of sentiment coming from players who play for big clubs and who are in the latter stages of their career but in his case, there's no excuse.

He's a little drama queen (i'll play, oh no wait, I won't, but maybe I will, actually i'm retiring) and come the Euros if we qualify and perform at our best, we might see this little turncoat change his tune. I hope if this ever transpires that he will be told where to go.

Dolph Starbeam

No shock really, i had got over it and not expected him to come back anyways, yes he is a quality player but thems the ways, if he'd rather win the PL than the WC then we don't need him, i can't imagine any other player in the world saying that, well maybe Anelka.

Again in his interviews i was reading over the weekend it was all talk about international football, i can imagine he is as sick of the talk about it as we are, he did go back to the thing about the FAI only being interested in players from Dublin and being from the country myself i think he is right, i know the majority of players are playing in Dublin but the rest fo the country, where i'm from anyways does get ignored, in all the years i played underage football i never once seen an FAI coach, though when i was playing golf i started at 10 and almost once a month the club arranged a special GUI coach to come give us lessons on top of our weekly lessons from the club pro, this is the case in most clubs no matter where they are in the country, ok that was a bit of off topic but but i do understand his beef with the FAI there, i'm not sure where he got the figures, he probably made them up but he said that looking at the underage teams 98% of the players are from Dublin, i don't believe for a second that thats because they are all better in Dublin its becasue they are given a better chance in Dublin.

I know this still won't be the end of the Stephen Ireland talk though, it will come up again some time soon.

Anyways as said earlier in the thread James McCarthy is the future for Ireland, he looked so good on the ball against Chelsea.

DirkVoodoo

Can't really add anything else, all the previous posts echo my own sentiments about the lad: quality talent but a bit of a spoilt brat and I think he loves the "please, please come back Stephen". I can see him throwing all of his toys out of his R8 at the sight of all those man city youngsters with their expensive watches: "No one else wears expensive watches, that's my thing!"

Time to take the "Stephen" out of "Ireland" and look to the future.