Our analysis of the Group E teams picks up pace now as we turn our afternoon attentions to Republic of Ireland. Martin O’Neill’s troops get their tournament underway on Monday June 13 against Sweden at 5pm before squaring up to Belgium five days later at 2pm and finishing up with a head-to-head with Italy on Wednesday June 22 at 8pm.
Road to Qualification
Ireland finished third in qualifying Group D, just four points behind winners Germany and three off Poland after chalking up five victories and three draws in ten matches.
O’Neill’s men scored 19 times and conceded on seven occasions, though 11 of those strikes arrived against whipping boys Gibraltar. Indeed, outwith that pair of matches, Ireland found the net more than once in just one of eight group fixtures.
Defensively, two of their four clean sheets were also picked up against Gibraltar, though Ireland were fairly resilient nonetheless, and conceded more than a single goal on just one occasion – a narrow 2-1 defeat in Poland which forced they into a two-legged play-off against Bosnia. After drawing 1-1 on their travels, O’Neill’s side won 2-0 at home to clinch a place in the summer tournament.
Casting an eye over their recent friendlies, Ireland have played five times across the previous 12 months. Undefeated against fellow finalists England (0-0), Switzerland (1-0) and Slovakia (2-2), they also clinched a 1-1 draw against Holland last week before O’Neill’s decision to hand a number of fringe players the chance to impress backfired in their final friendly and resulted in a 2-1 home loss to Belarus.
Most Appearances Robbie Brady, John O’Shea (11), Jeff Hendrick, Wes Hoolahan, Jon Walters (10), Robbie Keane, Shane Long, James McCarthy, James McClean, Glenn Whelan (9), Seamus Coleman, Aidan McGeady (8).
Most goalsRobbie Keane, Jon Walters (5), Shane Long (3), James McClean, Aidan McGeady (2).
Most assists Jeff Hendrick, Wes Hoolahan (3), Robbie Keane (2), Seamus Coleman, James McCarthy, Aidan McGeady, Darren Randolph (1).
The Key Targets
With Robbie Keane still an injury concern after picking up calf complaint in training last weekend, Shane Long looks a secure pick up top. Versatile enough to feature wide right in a 4-3-3 or through the middle if O’Neill opts for a 4-2-3-1 set-up, the Southampton forward ended the season in fine form with three goals and as many assists in the final six Gameweeks. Priced at 6.5 in the Uefa game, Long – who netted three times in just 308 minutes over the qualifiers – is the most popular Irish player and is owned by 4% of Fantasy managers.
Robbie Brady’s delivery from the left looks key for Ireland’s prospects. The Norwich man created more chances than any team-mate and, as the main man for dead-ball duties, led the way by some distance for crossing. Brady was also top for successful tackles but O’Neill’s decision to occasionally utilise him as a left-back may deter many from investing in the 6.0-priced midfielder.
Joint-top scorer in qualifying, Jon Walters also produced more attempts on goal than any team-mate and, like Long, can be utilised out wide or through the middle by O’Neill. After missing training due to a calf complaint in midweek, though, his acquisition – at 7.0 and listed as a forward – looks a little risky.
Between the posts, Darren Randolph is the easy on the budget option at just 4.5 in Uefa. Having started five of six matches prior to the midweek loss to Belarus, the West Ham number two seems to have climbed above Shay Given in the pecking order and should certainly provide us with plenty of save points, though clean sheets look very debatable.
The Long Shots
O’Neill’s recent friendly line-ups seem to have cast question marks over his preferred options in the final third. Wes Hoolahan earned three assists over the qualifiers and also registered double-figures for shots and key passes but there are question marks building over his pitch time. Priced at just 6.0, the Norwich playmaker – who had started eight of the qualifiers – seems to have fallen down the pecking order of late and has been named in the XI in just one of the last four.
Aiden McGeady (6.0) and James McClean (5.5) have both started two of those recent four friendlies and – as evidenced by a couple of goals apiece in qualifying – they could deliver the points if afforded the pitch time.
If he can prove his fitness in time, Robbie Keane’s wealth of experience could still prove a valuable weapon in Ireland’s attempt to make it to the knockout stages. Joint-top scorer in qualifying with Walters despite playing over 450 minutes less than the Stoke man, Keane’s 7.5 price tag is likely to deter most, though.
Glenn Whelan may be one to consider as a budget enabler in the DraftKings offering. The combative Stoke midfielder – who managed ten key passes – should excel when it comes to defensive actions, as he sat first and second for interceptions and successful tackles over the qualifiers.
Considering the calibre of opposition forwards, there’s an understandable lack of faith in Ireland’s backline. Whilst Seamus Coleman’s 5.5 price tag seems somewhat on the steep side in the Uefa game, his all-action displays down the flank could benefit from the DraftKings scoring system. John O’Shea (5.0) looks another secure pick in the back-four but the cheaper Randolph will at least have save points to bolster his appeal should O’Neill’s men fail to keep out their opponents.
Euro 16 Statistics Now Available
Our Members Area now contains full Opta data for all the 24 participating nations in Euro 16. It includes statistics covering the Qualifying Rounds and all the friendlies for the last 12-months – we will also be providing statistics throughout the tournament from June 10, updated minutes after the final whistle of each match.
This Euro 16 statistics are provided in addition to the regular Premier League season package. New memberships are now available for the pre-season price of just £12.50 and will expire on June 1 2017. Full details on the benefits of membership can be found here.
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Further Analysis
Group A – Albania, France, Romania, Switzerland.
Group B England, Russia, Slovakia, Wales.
Group C Germany, Northern Ireland, Poland, Ukraine.
Group D Croatia, Czech Republic, Spain, Turkey.
