Mick McCarthy is the new manager of the Republic of Ireland, and he will inherit a squad that has massively under-performed at international level during the last year. Despite their lack of form for their country, a number of players continue to play well for their clubs, however.
If McCarthy is to improve the fortunes of the team, he may look to select players that are continually playing well at the their clubs, something that was not always the case under Martin O'Neill.
Here's how the English media rated the performances of Irish players at the weekend.
Irish Player Ratings
Seamus Coleman played the full 90 minutes as Everton squeaked by Cardiff City on a 1-0 scoreline, with the Liverpool Echo rating him as a 6/10, mentioning his much improved defensive display.
Greg Cunningham also played the entirety of that game, and Wales Online complimented his solidity in defence, giving him a 7/10 for his efforts.
Brighton were held to a 1-1 draw by 10-man Leicester City, with Shane Duffy's performance given a 7/10 by the Brighton & Hove Independent.
Matt Doherty was rated as Wolves' best player in their shock 2-0 home loss to Huddersfield, with the Birmingham Mail giving him a 6/10.
Michael Obafemi played the final 10 minutes of Southampton's draw 3-2 loss to Fulham, squandering a golden opportunity late on to equalise for his side. Cyrus Christie started the game for Fulham in his natural right back position, and Football.London were impressed with a much improved display (7/10).
Fell asleep at the throw in that allowed the cross in for Southampton's first goal but otherwise had a decent first half. Much improved performance from Christie who did very well going forward.
Frank Lampard's Derby County had an excellent 2-1 away win over Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, with Richard Keogh given a 6/10 by the Derby Telegraph for his part in the victory.
Alan Browne was in unstoppable form as Preston hammered Blackburn Rovers 4-1, registering a goal and two assists in the win. The Lancashire Post gave him an 8/10 for the display, mentioning his workhorse like qualities in the middle third. Callum Robinson also found the back of the net in that game, and his performance was rated as a 7/10 prior to being withdrawn due to a hamstring injury.
Darragh Lenihan did not have such a fruitful afternoon during that game however, with the Lancashire Telegraph rating him at a poor 4/10.
Enda Stevens was back in the left wing-back role for Sheffield United during their 2-2 draw with Rotherham, and The Star said he was a different player to the one who featured for Ireland in Denmark last week. They rated him a 6/10, having this to say about his performance:
Despite being proud to play for his country, the Republic of Ireland international cut a frustrated figure during their recent game against Denmark. But Stevens, who appeared to have been told not to cross the half-way line in Aarhus, was back to his rampaging best here and charged forward whenever the opportunity allowed.
John Egan and David McGoldrick also started that game for the Blades, and were rated at 7/10 and 5/10 respectively.
Ryan Manning and Richie Towell renewed their central midfield partnership for Rotherham, but were unable to reach the heights they have hit in recent weeks. Both players failed to make any real impact on the game, and were both given a 6/10 by the Yorkshire Post.
James McClean started on the left wing for Stoke City in their 2-2 draw with QPR, and the Stoke Sentinel gave him a 6/10 for his efforts, mentioning that he even 'left to polite applause for once' when substituted.
Millwall drew 1-1 at home to Bolton, with Shaun Williams playing the full game. Football.London gave him a 5/10 for his efforts, while Aiden O'Brien was rated at 6/10 for his performance after being introduced off the bench after 37 minutes.
Darren Randolph put in yet another masterful display for Middlesbrough in their 2-1 win over Brentford, with the Teeside Gazette giving him an 8/10. He was also labeled as the 'best keeper in the Championship by an absolute mile' by tv pundits.
Alan Judge got on the scoresheet in that game, and Football.London rated him at 8/10 and had this to say:
It was a stunning strike. The winger picked up the ball on the left, shifted it onto his right foot and blasted into the bottom corner. Although he definitely lacks pace, Judge has found other ways to create chances and is still a viable option for Thomas Frank.
Aston Villa came out on top in the derby game against Birmingham City on a 4-2 scoreline. Conor Hourihane started in midfield, earning a 6/10 rating from the Birmingham Mail.
Finally, Ronan Curtis was given a 7/10 by the Portsmouth News for his role in Portsmouth's 2-1 win over Scunthorpe.
