Stephen Ireland has assured anxious Manchester City fans that manager Mark Hughes will take the club to the top end of the Barclays Premier League now that he has rid the club of the players who tried to undermine him.
Ireland has emerged as one of City’s success stories since Hughes arrived to put the spark back in the midfielder’s career.
And the 23-year-old became the first player of the new era to speak publicly about the way players such as the Brazilian Elano openly tried to engineer a revolt during Hughes’s early days.
Ireland said: ‘Last year he was fighting his corner all the time. That’s why he’s needed time.
‘Not many players were pulling in the right direction — the kind of players who are not here now. The fact that they have gone clearly shows they were not more important
than the gaffer.
‘In the first meeting the gaffer ever had at Carrington he gave a speech saying, “We are going to do things differently and either you get on board or you’re going to find yourself in a hard place and it’s going to be very difficult”. Some people just didn’t change. Some players were 28 or 29 and it was all new to them, this new regime.
‘How can you get to that age and not have a regime of being professional? To me, you just do the simple things right. That’s what the gaffer’s added to us.’
Some City fans are concerned that the bright start to the season has been followed by five draws that have seen the club drop to sixth. But Ireland believes Hughes was right to get rid of players like Elano, no matter how talented they may have been.
‘There was talk about Elano and players like that when they first came here,’ said Ireland.
Good riddance: Ireland is pleased Brazilian Elano (L) has left Manchester City
‘They were getting all the credit but I didn’t think Elano did enough to earn that credit. He’d played seven or eight games and everyone was saying “We haven’t seen a player like this in a long time”.
‘He got all the praise and publicity and I felt, as hard as I was working, even when I was giving 110 per cent, I never got that recognition.’
With Elano now playing in Turkey and another Brazilian, Jo, on loan at Everton, City’s most expensive signing Robinho remains the only member of last season’s clique left.
Despite concerns over how long Robinho will stay, Ireland certainly believes the South American is now in a better environment.
‘I’m not being harsh on Elano and players like that, who were good people and were good friends when they were here, but them leaving has been such a blessing for Robinho because he’s really come out of his shell,’ said Ireland.
‘They all used to stay in this little clan and you didn’t see much of Robinho — but now he’s different.
‘We were actually having a conversation last night about the club. He thinks deeply about the club. He seems really happy and contented, even his family appear settled
and he looks to be very at home. Since he came back in the summer he’s been a different person. He’s been a character in the dressing room and around the training ground.’
Out of his shell: Ireland insists Robinho loves City life
City do not plan to sell Robinho this January, but it is unlikely he will stay beyond the summer.
Whether he does or not, Ireland is sure City will continue moving forward — although he admits he sometimes finds it difficult to recover from bad results because he takes his job so seriously.
Ireland said: ‘I’m one of these players who live inside my head quite a lot. Certain things don’t go my way and I really start thinking about situations too much.
‘When we drew with Burnley everyone was devastated. Some people hold on to things a lot longer than others and I’m one of those. Maybe it’s one of my downfalls.
The best thing is to move on but I don’t. It’s something I have to get out of my system because if I hold on to things too long, it’s not good.
‘I guess I’m a bit grumpy and snappy with my family and that’s a bit unfair because, after I’ve finished my job, I should leave what happens behind.
‘The more experience you get, the better you get. But it’s a big stage and we are trying to do something here which is massive so you have to take it seriously.’
Altogether now: Ireland firmly believes Manchester City, currently in Abu Dhabi, will come good under the guidance of Mark Hughes
Hughes and a City reserve team will face the United Arab Emirates national team here on Thursday night in a game which will be watched by club owner Sheik Mansour. The Sheik met Hughes and his players at training on Wednesday night and will today watch a City game for the first time since buying the club last year.
Hughes said: ‘It was a special moment when he met everybody and it was important this happened. I think he will be at the game as he’s very keen on his football and it will be good for him to be here.
‘He has a huge knowledge of English football and I know he’s continuing to look at his involvement with us as a long-term thing.’
Robinho will not be involved after travelling to Doha to have his injured leg examined by Brazil team doctors. He is unlikely to be fit for the match with Liverpool at Anfield a week on Saturday.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... z0Wd4b9nNp
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MORE IRELAND BOLLOX
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footba ... ution.html
and nicely twisted stuff in the MIRROR http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Po ... 19337.html
Ireland's team-mate defender Nedum Onuoha could turn his back on England and instead play for Nigeria.
Daily Star http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/vie ... eyed-Ned-/
TRANSFER BOLLOX
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is weighing up a January loan move for Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko. Daily Mirror
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has been given the go ahead to launch a £12m double raid for Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson and Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa.The Sun
Liverpool have been told that West Ham striker Carlton Cole will cost the Anfield club £20m.The Sun
Arsenal are keeping tabs on Barcelona's Israeli winger Gai Assulin.The Sun
Former England defender Sol Campbell, who walked out on Notts County in September, will be signed by Newcastle United in January. The Sun
Everton lead the chase for Benfica's £13m-rated defensive midfielder Javier Garcia. The Sun
Southampton are set to bid £500,000 for Macclesfield forward John Rooney, who is the younger brother of England and Manchester United star Wayne. The Sun .
WAG OF THE DAY
http://www.thespoiler.co.uk/index.php/2 ... a-andrioli
OTHER BOLLOX
Manchester United winger Nani has accused his club manager Sir Alex Ferguson of mismanaging his career. The Sun
The Football Association are poised to offer Fulham manager Roy Hodgson the job of coaching Great Britain's football team at the 2012 Olympics in London. Daily Express
Former Peterborough manager Darren Ferguson has dismissed claims that he already has another job lined up after leaving the Championship club on Tuesday. Daily Express
Plans for a radical overhaul of the Premier League, to include the introduction of Scottish sides Celtic and Rangers, are expected to face rejection at Thursday's Premier League chairmen's meeting.
Daily Telegraph
AND FINALLY
England star David Beckham says he plans to stay in the United States even after he retires from the game, because he enjoys his "normal life" in Beverley Hills.
More bollox later!
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