Good man Stephen Ireland... (2 Viewers)

[Jerry Twig]

For the tenth time, who said they attacked him apart from speculating journalists?
Also Hector, I presume that by your reasoning Roy Keane should have been moddycoddled, pampered and adored back in Saipan?

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

For the tenth time, who said they attacked him apart from speculating journalists?

C'mon now, just because we don't have footage or sworn statements it didn't happen?
Anyone with a clear head can read between the lines, the miscarriage never happened, the assault did.


And, seconds out, Saipan, Round 10 million, ding-ding!

Good luck with that chestnut.

 

[Jerry Twig]

Stephen Ireland never said it happened, no-one in the Irish camp said it happened. The News of the World said it happened so that's good enough for you.
Right so.

PS - the Saipan reference is to the idea that we should pamper players or not. Sorry for opening old wounds

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

Stephen Ireland never said it happened, no-one in the Irish camp said it happened. The News of the World said it happened so that's good enough for you.
Right so.

Not going on the record is not the same as not saying it.
The Irish Times said it. And dry-balls Emmet Malone doesn't doesn't have the imagination to engage in wild speculation, so he's generally good enough for me.
When a broadsheet says "apparently" it means they've had confirmation (usually from more than one source so they're protected legally) of the event occurring, but just doesn't have anyone that wants to go on the record.
He even says that "team officials have privately admitted" the assault is the cause of S. Ireland staying away.
So, you know, the team are actually saying it happened. The FAI themselves.

The assault story doesn't sit with your opinion of S. Ireland so you're dismissing it and impugning any sources. Fine.

Personally I'd like S. Ireland back on the team post-haste, but if he doesn't, I think the blame lies more than at his door.


And people arguing about Saipan is like having someone do a Father Ted bit in the pub. Just endlessly, endlessly entertaining.

 

[Jerry Twig]

Re Saipan you clearly don't know of Hector's love of Roy Keane - the question was for him so don't worry about it too much.

The Irish Times said it so it must be true.
Right so.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

The Irish Times said it so it must be true.
Right so.

The team said it. As in "team officials privately admitted".
So it's the the FAI saying it happened.


I know that's kind of opaque, but I'll give you a few minutes with it. Let it sink in.

 

[Jerry Twig]

I get it, I really do.

So here goes - I see that something occured, but there's nothing to confirm it was assault. Like I said, Hunt's and Given's suggestion that he was ribbed liked everyone else is the story. The 'apparently' line is what it says, no more than 'apparently'. The suits, who I can only imagine were not warming the bench on the day in question, are 'privately admitting' that this incident is why Ireland is not coming back. That's very plausible. But it is Malone who is referring to it as an assault, not them.

I agree that it appears that he's not coming back over whatever happened, I just think people are hasty to assume that he's the victim.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

Apology accepted.

 

[oh shit]

this incident is why Ireland is not coming back. That's very plausible. But it is Malone who is referring to it as an assault, not them.

i don't see your point... are you saying the incident might not have involved physical abuse? cos the threshold of 'assault' is very low. if you as much as lift a hand to make someone think you're going to hit them, it's assault

I agree that it appears that he's not coming back over whatever happened, I just think people are hasty to assume that he's the victim.

what are you saying, that he deserved it, or that he should just stop gurning?

maybe the real reason is the 'supporters' reaction

 

[snakybus]

Whether it's true or not, it doesn't sound that bad.

Footballers regularly do worse shit than that. They're sports people for fucks sake, they're not dinky little indie kids who've never got in a fight.

Should Roy Keane have sued Brian Clough for punching him?

 

[oh shit]

Stephen Ireland's excuses remind us all of Freud's famous formulation of the logic of dreams:

A. borrows a kettle from B. and after he returned it was sued by B. because the kettle now had a big hole in it which made it unusable. His defence was "Firstly I never borrowed a kettle from B., secondly it was broken when he gave it to me, and thirdly, I returned it to him unbroken"

thus A. confirms exactly what he endeavours to deny: Stephen Ireland has broken our national footballing kettle

 

[kevin gallen]

Is Stephen Ireland really worth all the fuss? he is not that good anyway. When brady and stapleton meet with him and if he doesnt want to come back they should just forget about him.

no point if his heart is not in it.

 

[nofriendo]

Is Stephen Ireland really worth all the fuss? he is not that good anyway. When brady and stapleton meet with him and if he doesnt want to come back they should just forget about him.

no point if his heart is not in it.

I think they testing him. I remember they asked souness what he would do and he said that he would include him in a squad and make him be the one to pull out. if he pulls out then its the end of him (strange to hear souness talk sense i know) I do think that we need him in the squad. he is a decent player who plays regularly in a position where we have been lacking some quality at times.

but yeah, if his heart is not in it at least he is the one who has to pull out. you would hope that this would be the last chance given to him!

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

He scores a lot of international goals for a midfield guy.

That's something we need.

 

[Hector Grey]

Re Saipan you clearly don't know of Hector's love of Roy Keane - the question was for him so don't worry about it too much.

The Irish Times said it so it must be true.
Right so.

keano was pampered, he was adored. he was the only player in saipan who had his own room. nobody would say boo to him. he picked the games he wanted to play in. none of it was good enough for him. he didn't want to be there. roy keane invented pampering in the irish set up.

 

[Jerry Twig]

are you saying the incident might not have involved physical abuse?
he should just stop gurning?

maybe the real reason is the 'supporters' reaction

That's exactly what I'm saying. he should either come back or not come back, and clear the air either way.
As for your second point, I'm sure indeed that he's worried about the reaction. That's unfortunate, but it goes with the territory.

roy keane invented pampering in the irish set up.

and you endorse it?

 

[Hector Grey]

and you endorse it?

i don't endorse physical or emotional abuse in the workplace. stephen ireland could be the most talented irish footballer of his generation. to lose him cos of some semi-talented muppets want a larf?? it's like saipan never happened!! it's like vinegar hill never fricking happened!!

 

[Unicron]

he was the only player in saipan who had his own room.

You sure that wasn't pamperinghte poor bastard who would have had to share with him otherwise?

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

You sure that wasn't pamperinghte poor bastard who would have had to share with him otherwise?

Heh.

Laid on two goals on Saturday, did young Stevie.

Can we get George Mitchell over to have a word?

 

[Franco]

He used to room with Dinny Irwin for years. Then Irwin retired and nobody replaced him, or wanted to. Don't think there was much pampering going on.