It’s the last chance for some of the players to claim a spot on the plane to France.
It’s the first chance for some of the players too.
Martin O’Neill has named a squad of 33 to take on Switzerland and Slovakia on Friday and Tuesday and all eyes are on these March friendlies to see who’ll put their hands up and impress.
Each week, we’ve been keeping you updated with the form of the Irish players in England. With the like of Johnny Hayes, Robbie Keane and Kevin Doyle playing their football in Scotland and America , they are outside the ranking jurisdiction but here is the top 30 Irish players right now.
Jon Walters’ goal and assist at the weekend has seen the Stoke legend barge his way back into the top 10 and back into a very decent looking form-based team of 11.
Shane Duffy’s screamer for Blackburn was topped only by his celebration and another man of the match performance for his club sees the Derry man keep his place in the statistical XI.
Elsewhere, David Meyler has fallen out of the top 30 having been dropped by Hull again, while Harry Arter’s unfortunate injury means he will miss out on chance to benefit internationally from his fine club form.
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.
If you really just wanted to stick religiously to the stats, ignore Arter’s injury and throw caution to the wind, you’d have a seriously attacking line-up but you’d have to go with a back three and two of those defenders would be Seamus Coleman and Robbie Brady.
It would be ballsy. Very ballsy.
