Only because of the way Mac would have set the team up, if Ireland had played more advanced where Young was playing and pushed Young out wide to where Downing was then we would have still won imo. Mac is too blind to see that Ireland and Petrov get overran, and without NRC in there yesterday Evertons midfield would have had more of a field day than they already did.
Ireland is the most gifted player we have along with Young, so we need to accomodate him further up the pitch, and let him combine with Young and Gabby in more dangerous areas to really damage opponents.