Alive and well apparently: Wrong one? Ok then, the other one: No, she is fine too: The truth: I feel for the young lad and the missus but no need to tell lies.
Not to sound harsh but if he's prepared to lie about him grandmum who's to say he's not lying about the girlfriend?
Agreed - I know I wouldn't want to be placed in the position to choose between my family and my team. Quite sad.
I have a 100% sympathy for the lad and my thoughts are with him and his girl! I think this is just a case were one lie led to another and it got out of control. Lets not act like we're whiter than white here, Im sure we have all lied before thinking that it was the right thing to do.
From The Fiver today: "In the heady days of Irish football under Big Jack, players were mercilessly exploiting their dear old grannies in order to play for Ireland. It shows how far we've fallen when we now have players mercilessly exploiting their grannies to get out of playing for Ireland" Class..........
I don't have sympathy or believe him. This is not the first time he has lied and been caught. He lied when he was a U19 and here he has lied at least twice more. I simply don't believe the player. He is a promising player which makes it such a pity he is so untrustworthy. Maybe Richard Dunne can pull him aside and talk some sense into this idiot before he pisses his whole football career away.
Neither do I. If indeed his other half had lost their unborn child I'm sure that would be more than valid reason to be excused. So why lie? Has he got some compulsive lying problem? Not to mention the hurt and embarrasment he caused his family in front of the entire country.
"I have thought long and hard about whether I would do my country and myself justice if I joined up with the squad. Unfortunately, I don't believe I would on this occasion. "The support I have received from Mr Staunton and the FAI has been excellent and everybody at Manchester City has also been superb. However, I do not believe I can make a positive contribution to our efforts to qualify." Manchester City Manager Sven-Goran Eriksson added: “This is disappointing for everybody. Steve Staunton and I have been working together to help Stephen through a period which he is clearly finding very difficult. We together have left no stone unturned in our efforts to convince him he has so much to offer his country and that international football will greatly benefit his long term career." I really don't know what to think. The lad seems to lack stability. In any case, he is burning bridges. Hard to see him get another callup in the foreseeable future.
I think he needs professional help (and I'm not saying that in a nasty way). His behaviour has been bizarre to say the least.
What was the real story with him and Brian Kerr? Did Kerr not kick him off the underage team because of some sort of behavioral problems?
Not fair, FT. The kid is obviously having problems and is struggling. Just because it's a mental affect doesn't mean it's not as valid as a broken leg; the difference, of course, is that you can 'see' a broken leg. Yes, I know, he kitting out for City, but there's obviously a problem. He's a kid who's had more than a few problems in his life - some/many self-inflicted - but I'd give him the benefit of the doubt for the moment. EDIT: Charlton treated McGrath with similar type of kid gloves during his battle with the bottle. For all of Staunton's faults and failings, the handling of Ireland here has shown maturity, eschewing, as he did, the easy road of bollocking him from pillar to post. It would appear Ireland is more of a carrot than stick man.
A comparison which is borne out in an article in today's Guardian. http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2188414,00.html
We all have problems in everyday life but the show must go on. He needs to cop on and grow up a bit. Mind you that must be hard with him grieving over 2 dead grandmothers and his girlfriend's supposed miscarriage.
But that's my point. If he had a broken leg, you wouldn't tell him to grow up and get on with things; but because it's a mental thing, it's considered acceptable? A mental affect can be an extraordinary debilitating thing, but frequently it's not regarded as such because it can't be 'seen'. Some years ago, the moron that is Cathal Dervan took a lot of stick because he suggested that Roy Keane had nothing to be concerned about when diagnosed with depression. Dervan's attitiude was, "He's making plenty of money, married with kids, got a nice house and a good car, and plays in front of 70,000 people every week - what's he got to be depressed about?" He was completely oblviious to how debilitating and destructive depression can be. So, yes, on the face of it, Stephen Ireland 'looks' fine, but he's obviously not. And he shouldn't need a suicide attempt or to have to spazz out in his local supermarket to prove it.
And then again, maybe not........Jeez doesn't this story just get better and better? Now it appears as if he was pissed off because the boys took the piss out of him because he may have had......a hair transplant!!! Fuck me, if this proves out, he'll never live this one down on any terrace.
He's a disgrace. First the grandmother lies, then the jokes about the hair. Now this? He needs to grow up a little. And how can he turn it on week in week out for Man City while he feels slighted by his Ireland teammates over his hair?