Ireland stunned Portugal in their 2-0 World Cup qualifier win on Thursday evening to keep their hopes alive – and it proves David Moyes needs to make an Everton tactical tweak.
A Troy Parrott double for the Boys in Green prompted a famous night at the Aviva Stadium, and when Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off on the hour, it proved to be a walk in the park from there onwards for Heimir Hallgrimsson’s men.
David Moyes will have been looking on in anticipation, seeing Everton duo Seamus Coleman and Jake O’Brien star for their nation, where they’ll make the World Cup play-offs if they beat Hungary on Sunday afternoon.
And having excelled in their respective positions, gaffer Moyes must make a tweak to his Premier League tactics after what was on show in Dublin.
Seamus Coleman and Jake O’Brien were immense for Ireland vs Portugal
Seamus Coleman lined up on the right-hand side in a wing-back role, and at the age of 37, he could have had his work cut out against Diogo Dalot and Joao Felix with Ireland desperate for a win. But he held out and performed a masterclass to get fans onboard.
O’Brien, meanwhile, played on the right-hand side of a three-back, partnering Dara O’Shea and Nathan Collins to bring home all three points.
Coleman received plaudits from Ireland fans for his tireless effort, with one fan even suggesting that the FAI build a statue of him outside of the Aviva Stadium.
And O’Brien, finally moved to his usual centre-back spot, kept a clean sheet – Ireland’s second in a row, and just their third clean sheet of 2025. O’Brien had the last laugh over Cristiano Ronaldo after they had a run-in just over a month ago.
Playing in their respective positions, it’s unsurprising to realise that Ireland picked up points and Moyes needs to implement that at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
David Moyes has been abandoning Seamus Coleman but it’s time to bring him in
Jake O’Brien has been playing at right-back for the majority of the campaign with Coleman being benched, and Nathan Patterson being injured.
However, the veteran showed he can still do it on the biggest stage, and not being used in the Premier League may have sent the Toffees a huge reminder that he can still be used.
O’Brien is a natural centre-back, and with Jarrad Branthwaite still returning from injury, he could also be used alongside James Tarkowski.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 10 |  Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace | 11 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 17 |
| 11 |  BrightonBrighton | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 17 | 15 | 2 | 16 |
| 12 |  BrentfordBrentford | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 16 |
| 13 |  EvertonEverton | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 13 | -1 | 15 |
| 14 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 14 | -3 | 12 |
| 15 |  FulhamFulham | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 16 | -4 | 11 |
Michael Keane does add goals, but he can be rather suspect defensively and O’Brien keeping Portugal out shows that he’s a valuable asset at centre-back.
Everton have only kept three clean sheets in the Premier League this season out of 11 games, and that subtle tweak could be the catalyst for strong form going forwards.
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