Ketsbaia Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Ignoring his past loopiness: 1. we only have 4 fit midfielders 2. ireland > nobody 3. its only a loan....try before you buy! can't see how this is anything but a good deal. It's a good deal and I take him. But the question is: where will he fit in, in our formation? By all accounts, he was better playing off a striker at Man City. Luckily we're short of options up front too, so when Ben Arfa comes back we'll have Ireland, Ben Arfa and Nolan floating around getting on the end of Carroll's knockdowns. and sorry, towelie :-[ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cajun Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Ignoring his past loopiness: 1. we only have 4 fit midfielders 2. ireland > nobody 3. its only a loan....try before you buy! can't see how this is anything but a good deal. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_R Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Happy enough with this. We needed another body in midfield and we've got one. Still confused as to why Routledge left though, would have been better still if he'd still been here. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Shaun Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Happy enough with this. We needed another body in midfield and we've got one. Still confused as to why Routledge left though, would have been better still if he'd still been here. He wanted games. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Very, very happy with this but we need another body too! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRon Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Don't know why so many are concerned where we will fit him into the team. Our strikers are mediocre so if he replaces one of them it won't be the end of the world. I'd also be quite happy to see him challenge Nolan for the central midfield role. Nolan gets goals but Ireland's overall game is much better potentially. He could also be used on the right if Barton was out, so a very good signing IMO. # Ireland is not a striker and Pardew wants to play with two strikers. # He hasn't played well in a 4-4-2 as a central midfielder before and is more an attacking midfielder. # It won't do him any good playing him on the wing. He's a central attacking midfielder in a 4-5-1 formation. I hope he can adapt well here. To play with two strikers you need two strikers. We've got one who's not fit and the rest are substandard. So 4-5-1 won't necessarily be a bad thing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theregulars Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Happy enough with this. We needed another body in midfield and we've got one. Still confused as to why Routledge left though, would have been better still if he'd still been here. He wanted games. He's not good enough? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Carroll Ameobi/Nolan? Jonas Tiote Ireland Barton Jose Colo Willi' Simpson Harper I think this looks pretty minta, the only missing bit is the striker to link with andy.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
madras Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Carroll Ameobi/Nolan? Jonas Tiote Ireland Barton Jose Colo Willi' Simpson Harper I think this looks pretty minta, the only missing bit is the striker to link with andy.. look, you know the way this board works and that reads that you are going with 2 keepers and harper up front on his own. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skirge Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 At home -------------------Harper Simo--------Willi----------Colo-------Jose --------------------Tiote ---------Barton--------------Ireland Jonas-----------------------------------HBA -------------------Carroll Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Carroll Ameobi/Nolan? Jonas Tiote Ireland Barton Jose Colo Willi' Simpson Harper I think this looks pretty minta, the only missing bit is the striker to link with andy.. look, you know the way this board works and that reads that you are going with 2 keepers and harper up front on his own. shut it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tall Striker Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 At home -------------------Harper Simo--------Willi----------Colo-------Jose --------------------Tiote ---------Barton--------------Ireland Jonas-----------------------------------HBA -------------------Carroll You've come up with some utterly shit formations over the years, but this is quite comfortably the worst! Replacing the best crosser of the ball at the club with someone who cant cross on the right? Replacing a CM with ten league goals already with someone who has proved himself not as effective in the centre as he is on the right? Only having one striker? Bizarre. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest toonlass Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 I'll be happy enough with this if it goes through. With the likes of Nolan, Harper, Barton and Smith to give him the moral support he needs he could do ok. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdckelly Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 At home -------------------Harper Simo--------Willi----------Colo-------Jose --------------------Tiote ---------Barton--------------Ireland Jonas-----------------------------------HBA -------------------Carroll no nolan and barton in the centre? put barton on right and nolan where barton is and theres a strong team Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skirge Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 I like to be creative... fact is I think he will be on the bench unless we have suspensions or injuries Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnypd Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 To me Ireland seems like a fragile, eccentric loner and his mental state determines whether or not he'll perform on the pitch. Quitting the irish side because of a bit of banter does not sound like the kind of player who will fit in with "this group", who seem very jokey and take the piss out of each other. You just have to hope he takes this 2nd chance and fits in smoothly and quickly, otherwise it will have been a waste of time negotiating for him. Most of Ireland's performances for Villa have been Smith-like - at best anonymous at worst a hinderance to the side. It suggests he doesn't feel at all comfortable at Villa - i'm not sure why, it should've been a great opportunity to fit into a new side and put the City nightmare to an end. Yet he's actually gotten worse. He's not played well for 18 months so it's a big ask to get him playing well immediately. I hope there's some inner pride and defiance in there ready to combat the doubters who have all but written him off. In terms of finding a place in the side for Ireland, he has to be playing behind the strikers, in the position some want to place Nolan in. This probably means playing with one up front, or going 4-3-3, neither of which get the best out of Carroll. But while he is out i'd have no problems with playing Ireland off Shola, for instance. Apparently Houllier tried to play him deeper than this at times and he was a failure in that position. While he's probably not going to be in peak condition in the next few weeks, i still feel he has the quality to create and score goals. Personally I would've liked us to go for Taarabt, another who comes with his own, different set of mental issues, as i think he's the more talented of the two, but i'm looking forward to seeing how Ireland does. He's young enough to turn around his career from the downward spiral he has entered in the past couple of years. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stozo Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Like the Ben Arfa deal I hope we have the option to automatically buy. We be a crying shame if he rediscovers form here and then Vlla decide they want him back. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geordie Ahmed Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Happy enough with this - when his head is right he is canny player - if it doesnt work out then it isnt an issue for us Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
womblemaster Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 anyone got vid highlights of us vs villa.....i cant recall ireland doing anything in that game, did he have any shots on target? villa were bad that day tho, so maybe not a good way to judge him tbh. ...about the signing...when SI was at city he was in my fantasy F midfield, so the lad must have potential Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdckelly Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 anyone got vid highlights of us vs villa.....i cant recall ireland doing anything in that game, did he have any shots on target? villa were bad that day tho, so maybe not a good way to judge him tbh. they played him as a holding midfielder......... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_R Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Happy enough with this. We needed another body in midfield and we've got one. Still confused as to why Routledge left though, would have been better still if he'd still been here. He wanted games. He's not good enough? He wanted games - Improve, we know he's got the talent in there somewhere. He's under contract here and we need him so it's not his decision to make. He's not good enough - Improve. Even if he doesn't, he's still another body if we need him. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
womblemaster Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 they played him as a holding midfielder......... really?? thats mental, no wonder he wasnt happy! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cajun Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 What's the difference between a 4-5-1 and having a player playing off the forward. I have been against us going 4-5-1 with Nolan being the furthest forward midfielder because I don't think that suits him or us but if Ireland strictly plays off Carroll with no defensive duties is it still a 4-5-1? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skirge Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 ? -------------------Harper Simo-------Willi----------Colo-------Jose -----------Ireland-----------Tiote Barton-------------------------------Jonas ---------------------HBA -------------------Carroll Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geordie Ahmed Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 anyone got vid highlights of us vs villa.....i cant recall ireland doing anything in that game, did he have any shots on target? villa were bad that day tho, so maybe not a good way to judge him tbh. ...about the signing...when SI was at city he was in my fantasy F midfield, so the lad must have potential I vaguely recall him having a shot off target - other than that I think he just ran around in circles really Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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