Stephen Ireland to Newcastle Confirmed

It was reported earlier today that Stephen Ireland had failed his medical on Tyneside, nullifying his loan deal to Newcastle United, but Miles Starforth of The Shields Gazette has confirmed that the loan is on after all.

The move has received mixed reviews from the Toon Army, with supporters of the move saying that a change of scenery could help the troubled midfielder regain his old form, while detractors say that he's already received his second chance at Aston Villa. I'm firmly in the second camp. I haven't seen anything from Ireland since arriving at Villa that makes me think he has the potential to turn things around. Perhaps more importantly, Hatem Ben Arfa will render Ireland useless when he returns from injury.

However, since he is a officially a Magpie now, I'll of course throw my support behind him. Maybe he will regain his form. Maybe Alan Pardew will notice that he is proficient with the left foot and he will become a Jonas Gutierrez replacement.

I never thought in August that I would be cheering for Stephen Ireland and not Andy Carroll. The same poll from yesterday is attached below.