What left back problems?
Martin O’Neill has never had any qualms with playing Robbie Brady at full back. The rest of us have, O’Neill never did.
The Dubliner has been playing there all season with Norwich and, although the club are having a tough time of it – especially of late – Brady has continued to shine.
A goal in the draw with West Ham and a man of the match display in the defeat to Leicester at the weekend has propelled Brady to the top of our form table, making hay while the Everton players were given a rest week.
Alan Judge though is the biggest mover this week, jumping from 18th to ninth.
Two goals and an assist in his last three games has flung the Brentford player into the current form-based starting XI.
Along with Anthony Pilkington, who bagged another two at the weekend, the pair have barged their way into the top 10 rankings of Irish players and they’ve done it playing in the championship, where we’re only giving them credit for 80 per cent of their actual ratings – to account for standard.
Eunan O’Kane was the only man to drop out of the top 30 this week, replaced by Stephen Quinn who is back starting regularly for Reading.
A reminder of the stipulations:
- Only league games are considered (based on the WhoScored rating each player receives).
- Stats only include Premier League and Championship performances.
- Each player’s last three league games constitutes their form rating.
- 0.5 will be deducted for each match a player misses in his own ‘Last Three Games’ period.
- To account for standard, Championship players will be rated at 80% of their form.
Injury continues to stifle Wes Hoolahan so the Norwich player drops out of the form team for the first time but Jon Walters storms back in after one week outside of it.
With midweek Championship games taking place, a number of players have hit serious form. Shane Duffy has overlapped Richard Keogh and Paul McShane and puts himself into the form team.
Anthony Pilkington is a top 10 player but we needed a ‘keeper and we needed a defender – we’d prefer to have those at the Euros. Despite another defeat, Villa goalie Mark Bunn reclaims his place.
Here is the Ireland team based on current form.
Darren Randolph, Richard Keogh, Ciaran Clark, Jeff Hendrick, and Wes Hoolahan are the five current starters under O’Neill outside of the statistical XI.
