STEPHEN Ireland will let his football do the talking at Fratton Park - and he will be keeping his shorts on if he scores!

City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is glad that the FA saw sense and decided not to charge the City midfielder for his Superman-style celebration after scoring the winner against Sunderland last Monday night.

Ireland's shorts-dropping took some of the attention away from his brilliant winner - his first in the league since Boxing Day - but it's his football ability that Eriksson wants to concentrate on.

Asked if Ireland had a goal celebration planned for the match at Portsmouth, Eriksson smiled: "I think he will keep them on tomorrow.

"But I really hope we have that problem, that he will score a goal or two."

And the City manager was bemused that such a light-hearted celebration might have provoked an FA investigation.

"He should not be punished too heavily for that," Eriksson said. "It's nothing - not even something to talk about."

Eriksson has been impressed with Ireland's professionalism on the training ground.

And he insists that the 21-year-old's top-class attitude makes him a joy to manage - despite the midfielder's well-publicised off-field problems.

"I talk football with him," Eriksson said. "He likes to play his football, and he's very good.

"He played very well against Sunderland, and I'm sure he will play well tomorrow as well. He's a young boy.

"He's had some problems now and then, maybe, but above all he's a very good player. And he's a good young man as well.

"He is not a problem at all. I say: 'Just go and play good football, Stephen.' And that's it." Tweet