With the Premier League season set to kick off on Friday evening, there will be quite a bit of interest in how the Irish players in the division fare over the coming months.
Some of our players will be expected to have big impacts, while others will be looking to bounce back after difficult campaigns last time around.
With that in mind, here are six burning Irish questions that will need to be answered during the upcoming Premier League season.
6 Burning Irish Questions In This Season’s Premier League
Was last season just a blip for Evan Ferguson?
From a long-term point perspective, this is probably the most important question that needs to be answered during the upcoming Premier League season.
Evan Ferguson is the most exciting Irish prospect to emerge since Robbie Keane, but last season did not really go his way. He started the campaign in an impressive fashion, although a mix of injuries and lack of form meant that he struggled to make much of an impact after the turn of the year.
It will be hoped that this was just a blip for the Meath man, something that is commonplace for a player of his age. In saying that, questions will probably be asked about his long-term potential if he produces another similar season.
Ferguson will also come into the campaign in far from ideal circumstances, with the striker still sideline due to the injury that kept him out towards the tail end of last season.
Will Jake O’Brien regret making such a swift return to England?
Jake O’Brien was perhaps the biggest positive story among Irish players last season, taking Ligue 1 by storm after his move to Lyon.
His form in France was always likely to result in some interest in his services this summer, with the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Juventus linked alongside a host of Premier League clubs. He would ultimately move to Everton for a fee of around €20million.
It remains to be seen if that will be the correct decision.
Prior to thriving on the continent, Jake O’Brien had found first team opportunities difficult to come by at Crystal Palace. Making such a swift return to England was a brave call.
While O’Brien certainly has the talent to be a success in the Premier League, Everton has not proven to be a breeding ground for success in recent times. Here’s hoping that the Cork man can reverse that trend.
Will the Irish contingent in the division grow before the end of the transfer window?
There will be plenty of intriguing Irish players to keep an eye on in the Premier League this season, but a few more could be added to the list before the end of the transfer window.
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Blackburn Rovers star Sammie Szmodics has been heavily linked with a move to Ipswich Town, with the two clubs said to be close to agreeing a fee. Dara O’Shea is also said to be keen on a move to Brentford, and while they have hit a stumbling block in their negotiations with Burnley, it is thought that a deal is likely to be struck.
You also have the case of John Egan.
The defender left Sheffield United all the way back at the end of June, with it being said that he turned down a number of contract offers from the club. It was reported at the time that a number of Premier League clubs were interested in signing him, although there has since been little movement on a potential deal.
Ideally, you will see all three of these players join English top flight clubs over the coming weeks.
Is there still some life left in Ireland’s aging right backs?
Seamus Coleman and Matt Doherty were once arguably Ireland’s two best players, not an ideal scenario when the pair played in the same position. However, a combination of age, injuries, and lack of form means that there is now quite a bit of doubt surrounding that right back spot in the Ireland team.
Coleman remains a top class operator whenever he is fit and available and is still a hugely important part of the Ireland team. However, he is now 35-years old and has had some serious injury issues over the last number of seasons.
As for Doherty, his club career has been massively disappointing in recent times. His move to Spurs was initially an exciting one, although it wasn’t long before he found himself out of the side. A disastrous short stint at Atletico Madrid would follow, before the player eventually returned to Wolves.
He was a bit part player at Molineux last season, something that looks likely to continue during the upcoming campaign. At 32-years old, you would have hoped to see the Dubliner in a better spot at this point in his career.
Hopefully the new season will prover that there is still a bit of life in the old dogs yet.
Who will stand out from Ireland’s numerous centre back options?
Looking at the current Ireland squad, centre back is the position where Heimir Hallgrimsson is likely to have the biggest selection headache.
Nathan Collins, Jake O’Brien, and Andrew Omobamidele are likely to feature heavily in this season’s Premier League, while they could also yet be joined by Dara O’Shea and John Egan. That is without even mentioning options outside the English top flight such as Liam Scales.
All of those players are credible options to start during Ireland’s UEFA Nations League campaign. Collins, O’Brien, and O’Shea look to be in the driving seat at the minute, although a strong run of form over the coming months from the others could well nail down their place in the international team under the new manager.
Can anyone cement their status as Ireland’s no. 1?
The battle to become Ireland’s long-term no. 1 is in somewhat of a strange spot at the minute.
Caoimhín Kelleher looks to have the jersey as things stand, with his form for Liverpool last season meaning he is Ireland’s most in-form goalkeeper. It was hoped that he would cement that status by securing a big move this summer, although such a transfer seems unlikely as things stand.
Gavin Bazunu could well have made his claim for the spot with Southampton’s return to the Premier League, especially if Kelleher remained as a backup at Anfield. However, with the Dubliner out injured for the next few months and not looking like a certainty to return to the Saints team when he does come back, his candidacy for the role is unlikely to be strengthened any time soon.
With Mark Travers also looking well outside the first team picture at Bournemouth, we could well have a situation where none of our three first choice goalkeepers play any league football before the turn of the year.
However, if one of them can get a run of Premier League games under their belt, a new manager may well opt to give them the no.1 jersey for the long haul.
SEE ALSO: Liverpool Transfer Report Has Major Implications For Caoimhín Kelleher
