Stephen Ireland is a player that I rate very highly. There is certainly no doubt that when he is playing to his full potential, he can be a very good player indeed. The only question is how good can Stephen Ireland be in a Villa shirt. There is only one way to find out the answer to that question, and that is to give him a sustained run of games. I'm very excited at the prospect of Ireland at his best, but it's clear to see that he still has a long way to go.
Last season was a complete disaster from start to finish for him. Houllier never took to him and was subsequently banished to the reserves before picking up a few niggly injuries and being forced out on loan to Newcastle against his will. It's fair to say that had Houllier have stayed this season, Ireland would have left in the summer, if anyone would take him that is.
Thankfully though Mcleish has come in and is trying to get the best out of him. He is still far from his best but the fact that he has started a few games already this season is a very good sign. I can see gradual improvements from him game by game. Especially in the Wigan game he was getting much more involved than in previous games which suggests that he is growing in confidence. The final pass/shot is still far from great but I feel that given time that will come back to him and soon we will see the Stephen Ireland we saw at Man City.
The rating is very tough to decide because if I was rating him on his Villa career so far it would be shocking but I need to consider his potential so it will be an average overall score.
Rating - 6.5/10
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