Versatile fullback Robbie Brady has been at the centre of attention of from a host of clubs in the Premier League this summer. The interested clubs include Leicester City, Southampton, Stoke City, West Brom, West Ham and Burnley. With all these clubs in the mix, Norwich has put a £20m valuation on the player to ward off interests. One club which hasn’t been put off by the demands of Norwich is Burnley FC. The Clarets, have reportedly put in an opening bid which has been rejected by the Canaries. With Norwich being relegated last season it will be hard to keep a player like Brady amidst so much interest and Burnley is planning to return with an improved offer. Let’s look as to why the player is in demand and have a SWOT analysis.
Strengths
The Republic of Ireland international is one of the most versatile players around and can play in a number of positions especially on the left-hand side. The 24-year old has a tasty left foot and is a delightful crosser of the ball. Very adept in executing the role of a traditional winger or full back, the player is a set piece specialist and his team work and defensive contributions often make an impact as significant as his efforts in the opposition half. The player is also very reliable and consistent and never lets his shoulder drop during the hard times and more often than not gets himself involved in the attacking exploits of his team by contributing all he can to the cause.
Weaknesses
The biggest weakness of Brady is his short passing, which certainly needs improvement and is still not at the level at which the overall gameplay of the player himself warrants. While the versatile winger is able to impact the game when he has players in front of him, he is poor in situations where he gets himself ahead of the game or when he gets released on goal. These are the two main areas where he is left short and would need to improve in the future.
Opportunities
Even though Brady was not able to save Norwich from relegation, he is one of the few players on the team who can hold his head up high after his performances last season. The fullback was not only the most consistent performer on the pitch for the Canaries but was also their most efficient outfield performer and he increased his reputations further in the Euro 2016. Brady was one of the stars of the campaign for his team and for Coach Martin O’ Neill scoring two goals, one of which was a historic winner against mighty Italy, a goal that ensured Republic of Ireland’s passage into the knockout stages. After such an impact, the player would be certainly hoping to be playing in the top flight and develop his game as well as reputation even further.
Threats
Burnley manager Sean Dyche has so far not spent a lot of money on signings but Robbie Brady with his valuation can be the marquee signing for the newly-promoted club. If Dyche is a superstitious man however, he may want to consider that Brady has been relegated from the top flight for the last two seasons, having been a part of the Hull City side that went down in 2015 and that may be a worrying statistic, given that the Clarets have been unable to secure a second successive campaign in the Premier League on the two previous occasions they have been promoted.
With some more added pressure, it would be a big challenge for Brady to perform as he would also look to end the streak of not being relegated with three different teams in three years.
