| Euro 2016 |
|---|
| Host: France Dates: 10 June to 10 July |
| Coverage: Live commentary on BSports TV, BSports Radio, the BSports website and app. Live text commentary on every game on BSports website. |
03 Jun 2016
NI fans want Grigg & Lafferty to start
Northern Ireland fans think Michael O'Neill should play 4-4-2 at Euro 2016 - with Will Grigg starting alongside Kyle Lafferty.
Despite qualifying for their first European Championships mainly playing with one striker, the majority of users of BSports's team selector have gone for a more attacking line-up.
Almost 30,000 teams have been chosen so far, with West Brom defender Jonny Evans and Southampton midfielder Steven Davis getting the most picks - 28,000 apiece.
Lafferty - who scored seven in nine qualification games - is third choice (25,500), and in-form Wigan striker Grigg is the sixth-most selected player (21,000).
O'Neill's team finished top of their qualifying group and will take on Poland, Ukraine and Germany at Euro 2016.
Experience counts, defence key & Grigg on fire
Despite starting the final five Group E qualifying games, Hamilton goalkeeper Michael McGovern is very much the second-choice among fans (7,000 picks) behind veteran Roy Carroll (16,000).
Those playing just in front of the goalkeeper were also in the forefront of fans' minds, with West Brom centre-back Gareth McAuley and Manchester United defender Paddy McNair among the top five most selected players.
Grigg just missed out on the top five after a 28-goal promotion season for Wigan and 88th-minute strike in Northern Ireland's 3-0 warm-up friendly win over Belarus.
| Northern Ireland's Euro 2016 Group C games | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixture | Venue | Date & time | BSports coverage |
| Live text commentary on every game on BSports website | |||
| v Poland | Nice | 12 June, 17:00 BST | BSports TV, BSports Radio 5 live |
| v Ukraine | Lyon | 16 June, 17:00 | ITV, BSports Radio 5 live |
| v Germany | Paris | 21 June, 17:00 | BSports TV, BSports Radio 5 live |
The full list
In order of the most selections to the fewest, here are the most popular Northern Ireland players after almost 30,000 teams were selected:
| Most-selected NI players in 23-man squad | |
|---|---|
| 1. Jonny Evans | 13. Conor Washington |
| 2. Steven Davis | 14. Niall McGinn |
| 3. Kyle Lafferty | 15. Shane Ferguson |
| 4. Gareth McAuley | 16. Corry Evans |
| 5. Paddy McNair | 17. Josh Magennis |
| 6. Will Grigg | 18. Michael McGovern |
| 7. Craig Cathcart | 19. Alan Mannus |
| 8. Chris Baird | 20. Conor McLaughlin |
| 9. Roy Carroll | 21. Lee Hodson |
| 10. Stuart Dallas | 22. Aaron Hughes |
| 11. Oliver Norwood | 23. Luke McCullough |
| 12. Jamie Ward |
Don't agree? Select your Northern Ireland Euro 2016 XI and share via #MyNorthernIrelandXI
My Northern Ireland starting XI
Who do you think should start at Euro 2016? Step into Michael O'Neill’s shoes and pick your XI - and then share it with your friends using our brand new team selector.
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