We've been spouting on about it for a while now but you're going to have another go. If anyone needs to be shoehorned into Martin O'Neill's squad at this late stage, it's Shane Duffy. Alan Judge may be tearing things up for Brentford and Chris Forrester is the flavour of the month following his excellent performance against West Brom but the reality of the situation is that we're fairly well stocked in midfield.
If we stick Robbie Brady as a left back, there's probably eight other midfield positions up for grabs in the final 23. Six of those are fairly well set and you'd have to think that Harry Arter and David Meyler have a decent grip on the other two.
As much as we may like to see an exciting attacking midfielder come in and shake things up during the March friendlies against Switzerland and Slovakia, it's unlikely to happen and we don't really need to see it happen. What we do need however, is someone to put some pressure on the defensive spots. With Wilson injured and Clark on the periphery of perhaps the worst team to ever play in the Premier League, we're short of options behind Keogh and O'Shea.
Shane Duffy has threatened to make a breakthrough for a couple of years now and now he's finally showing what he's capable of and it couldn't have come at a better time.
Blackburn have welcomed the Derry man back from injury and not before time. A 3-0 win over Fulham on Wednesday has put Paul Lambert's side well clear of the drop zone and a dominant display from Duffy alongside Grant Hanley at the back was capped off by his second goal of the season. It's also worth noting that, after ably deputising for Duffy at the back, Irish u-21 international Darragh Lenihan turned in another impressive performance for Blackburn having returned to his preferred central midfield slot.
That's Shane Duffy's second goal of the season, his first at Ewood Park and his first for Rovers with his head! 2-0
— Blackburn Rovers (@Rovers) February 16, 2016
Breaking down the likes of Belgium and Italy will be no easy task come June so if Martin O'Neill is so inclined, we could certainly do with this kind of threat from Duffy.
Elsewhere in the Championship last night, it was less than ideal for the Irish during the 0-0 draw between Hull and Brighton. Richie Towell didn't make the Brighton squad once again and David Meyler didn't make it off the Hull bench.
