Every year when the new FIFA comes out one of the first things we do here at Balls.ie is go straight to Team Management and get a good look at the Ireland squad to see who has been given a boost and who has been judged to have regressed since the last one.
Yes, FIFA overall ratings mean nothing in the grand scheme of things but we can't help it, and after discovering how upset David Meyler was with his 69 overall rating, we pondered who else may have been shafted in the ratings this time out.
This year we were lucky enough to be invited along to a FIFA 18 capture event ahead of the game's release, and having examined not only the Ireland squad, but also the larger pool of Irish players available, we can exclusively reveal the ratings for the new game.
The main talking point is a ridiculous downgrade for Seamus Coleman. Despite earning an in-form card last season and enjoying his best ever goalscoring return, he has been downgraded from 82 to 81 and had his pace reduced by 10.
Elsewhere, the overall rating of Seanie Maguire is not going to go down well with League of Ireland fans.
Here are the ratings in full as well as their +/- in comparison to last year.
GOALKEEPERS:
Keiran Westwood - 75 (-1)
Darren Randolph - 74 (-1)
Rob Elliot - 69 (--)
DEFENDERS:
Seamus Coleman - 81 (-1)
Ciaran Clark - 76 (--)
Stephen Ward - 75 (+7)
Shane Duffy - 74 (+2)
Damien Delaney - 74 (-1)
Richard Keogh - 73 (-1)
John O'Shea - 73 (-3)
Greg Cunningham - 73 (+3)
Marc Wilson - 73 (-1)
Paul McShane - 73 (+2)
John Egan - 71 (+3)
Matt Doherty - 71 (+1)
Kevin Long - 70 (+4)
Cyrus Christie - 69 (-1)
Tommy Hoban - 69 (-1)
MIDFIELDERS:
James McCarthy - 80 (-1)
Wes Hoolahan - 77 (--)
Harry Arter - 76 (+2)
Robbie Brady - 76 (--)
Aiden McGeady - 75 (--)
Jeff Hendrick - 75 (+3)
Glenn Whelan - 74 (-3)
James McClean - 74 (--)
Darron Gibson - 74 (-3)
Conor Hourihane - 73 (+4)
Alan Judge - 73 (--)
Johnny Hayes - 73 (+3)
Eunan O'Kane - 71 (+2)
Liam Kelly - 70 (+9)
David Meyler - 69 (-3)
Jack Byrne - 68 (--)
Daryl Horgan - 68 (+2)
Callum O'Dowda - 67 (+1)
Alan Browne - 66 (--)
Chris Forrester - 66 (+3)
Richie Towell - 66 (-1)
FORWARDS:
Shane Long - 76 (-1)
Jon Walters - 75 (--)
Daryl Murphy - 72 (-1)
David McGoldrick - 72 (--)
Cillian Sheridan - 71 (--)
Kevin Doyle - 69 (--)
Adam Rooney - 69 (-2)
Sean Magurie - 65 (+3)
So after digesting those stats, here is a summary of our immediate impressions:
-The ratings of Seamus Coleman, James McClean, and Sean Maguire are unacceptable.
-David Meyler was right to be furious compared to the midfielders above him.
-The best Irish player to use in FIFA will be Aiden McGeady for the 8th year in succession.
-Liam Kelly of Reading is the player with the most growth since last season with +9.
-FIFA has finally put some respect of Stephen Ward's name with a +7.
Who do you think should be rated higher, and who do you feel is being done a favour there? Get in touch and let us know.
