EPL transfers: Milner, Ireland swap deal
On their kamikaze mission in transfer market, Manchester City has signed another English midfielder from Aston Villa, James Milner. However, this time Mancini did not create troubles for him by buying the player, rather Stephen Ireland has left the City of Manchester Stadium to Villa Park.
This deal had its repercussions before it was finalized. Martin O’Neill, the former Villa boss resigned, as he could not stop the City’s moves to sign Milner. Last year, the similar manoeuvres led Villa to lose one of their biggest players, Gareth Barry, to Manchester City. Therefore, out of desperation O’Neill resigned from Villa job, showing a state of helplessness at Villa Park.
The deal has finally been done, as both players have moved to their new clubs. It is kind of a reversal of fortune for both players, right now, as they move into each other’s position in their old clubs. In case of Stephen Ireland that position was on the bench, which seems to be the fate of James Milner, at the moment.
Although, Milner was guaranteed a permanent spot in Villa’s starting line-up, but there were other reasons that led his move to Manchester City. Milner believed that playing for City would improve his chances of getting a better position in Fabio Capello’s English squad. Although, Milner went to South Africa with the team, and played in three matches; he did not have a great outing with his English team.
Milner was played in the outside midfield position and the role did not suit him very well. Also, he showed a lot of inconsistency in his delivery of crosses, and showed no intent of scoring a goal. Therefore, Milner believes that he needed to join City in order to get around a lot of quality players. He said that this would improve his game, which would, in turn, place him in a better position for England’s future squad. Apart from that, Milner also wants to win some trophies, and with Manchester City’s new owners, trophies are the only things on their minds right now.
On the other hand, Stephen Ireland will be placed in a better position than his previous one. Last year, amongst plenty of good players, Ireland did not get a lot of chances. Last season, he started only 16 matches for City, while he came as a substitute in 6 games. Previously, he was a vital part of the team, as he played 35 league matches in 2008-2009 Season. There was no doubt that Ireland was a great player for City, but due to their transfer policy the club is being crowded with new players. Therefore, Ireland felt that it would be better for him to look for his future at some other place.
Speaking to the press, Ireland was very critical of his old club, City, and his boss, Roberto Mancini. He said that despite his dedication during the training sessions, he was always overlooked for a spot in Mancini’s starting eleven. He said that he felt left out of the team, for a whole year, which meant that he did not feel any emotions on the success or failure of Manchester City. Therefore, he felt right with joining Aston Villa, which would ensure him his place in first team.
Also, the caretaker manager of Villa, Kevin MacDonald, has been coaching Stephen Ireland before, as an assistant coach to his national side. This seems to be a perfect switch for Ireland, who had a little taste of football during the last year.
James Milner is very optimistic about his move to Manchester City, but the truth is that even he is not sure of his place in first team. City needed to get rid of some of their players, rather than buying or switching players. The team remains over-crowded with stars, and in place of Gareth Barry, Yaya Toure and David Silva, there is still less chances for Milner to make it to the top.
Maybe this move is not so life changing, as Milner has thought it to be. If he fails to perform in first few matches, this might ruin his entire career. Once he goes on the benches, there are plenty of players waiting in line. This way, Milner might not get a second chance in Manchester City.
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