Paul McShane and Stephen Ward.
What do you reckon?
On current club form, the two lads have made their way into the Ireland defence, if Martin O’Neill was choosing his team based purely on statistics.
Paul McShane didn’t have the best of nights against Slovakia – despite featuring high up on our Euro 2016 power rankings consistently – and it might have arguably scuppered his chances of making the plane for France.
We still respect the Reading man though.
'I'll just keep going' – Whatever you think of Paul McShane, he deserves serious respect https://t.co/xo9PYl3LDJ
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) March 30, 2016
There’s just one more game left against Holland before Martin O’Neill names his final 23-man squad and brings them to Cork with him so the end of the club season is final for the Euro 2016 hopefuls.
Each week, we’ve been looking at the club form of the Irish players in the top two divisions in England but, with a number of injuries and absences this week, there’s been a lot of change in the top 30.
We predict Martin O'Neill's 23-man Republic of Ireland squad for Euro 2016 https://t.co/bTi64x1pzW
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) April 2, 2016
John O’Shea didn’t play for Sunderland.
Wes Hoolahan only got nine minutes for his stupid club at home to Newcastle.
Robbie Brady bagged another assist and stays top of the leaderboard whilst Greg Cunningham has barged his way into the top 10.
The Preston defender has been in decent form and, although he’s played most of his games at left back, we’ve moved him to the centre where he’s played six times for his club because we just couldn’t do without Stephen Ward who continues to turn it on for Burnley.
Such is our lack of goalkeepers playing regularly that Rob Elliot is still ahead in the rankings despite being ruled out for the summer but Keiren Westwood should overtake him next week.
Shane Duffy’s red card for that cracking goal-line save has worked against him as Paul McShane returns to the starting form team.
Aiden McGeady is perilously close to making his way into the first 11 too as Jon Walters’ injury is telling on his slip down the table.
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.
Here’s the team on current statistical form.
That front six is actually the same line-up and shape that O’Neill went with against Slovakia, except Wes Hoolahan played in the Wes Hoolahan role.
Robbie Brady came into that role at half time with Wes pushing forward for Long but it’s good front six that you could play as a flat five across midfield if you wanted with Brady and McClean out wide. It’s an interesting back four.
