Current Player #23 Josh Murphy

4 goals in 8 games and probably our best player over that time.
He is showing what a goid player, we assumed he was, but also has been fit for a lot of this season.
He sounded a sensible guy on the radio- long may his form continue
 
Such a shame its taken him 18 months to sort his head out and address his injury issues out .
A few cameos last season doesn't cut it .
He has become part of the problem over recent seasons ,why we fall short and don't reach the main objective .
Wierd how he has just started to show up when his contract is close to expiring .
He would be top of my released list along with a few others that are never available.
The club should do an internal review of its sports science & medical department at the end of the season .Players costing 400k and not fit to play a full 90 minutes over a 2 month period is just a bizarre way of operating .As a club we appear to be making the same mistakes season after season.
 
Up The Manor said:
Such a shame its taken him 18 months to sort his head out and address his injury issues out .
A few cameos last season doesn't cut it .
He has become part of the problem over recent seasons ,why we fall short and don't reach the main objective .
Wierd how he has just started to show up when his contract is close to expiring .
He would be top of my released list along with a few others that are never available.
The club should do an internal review of its sports science & medical department at the end of the season .Players costing 400k and not fit to play a full 90 minutes over a 2 month period is just a bizarre way of operating .As a club we appear to be making the same mistakes season after season.
Click to expand...
Might be overkill after they did it late last year, around the time Harry Routledge left.

Do agree that it then seems madness at this point in time to spend that on Goodwin. I mentioned at the time that he'd missed a fair few games through injury, the most worrying thing was it was across three separate spells. He's been in squads for five weeks and hasn't managed more than 45 minutes in any of his eight appearances, that seems a bit more than merely easing him back.
 
Up The Manor said:
Such a shame its taken him 18 months to sort his head out and address his injury issues out .
A few cameos last season doesn't cut it .
He has become part of the problem over recent seasons ,why we fall short and don't reach the main objective .
Wierd how he has just started to show up when his contract is close to expiring .
He would be top of my released list along with a few others that are never available.
The club should do an internal review of its sports science & medical department at the end of the season .Players costing 400k and not fit to play a full 90 minutes over a 2 month period is just a bizarre way of operating .As a club we appear to be making the same mistakes season after season.
Click to expand...

Murphy has been good to outstanding since returning to the first team late last season. Recently he has been scoring goals but he has been putting balls on a plate for team mates all season and could have easily doubled his goal involvement if others had taken their chances.

Of course he is out of contract in the summer, but the idea that he has only just put a good game or two together is simply wrong.

But seeing as you were tell us all that we need a plan b for the stadium and the Owners haven't got a penny to their names then I don't expect too many will take your latest nonsense seriously.
 
Scotchegg said:
Murphy has been good to outstanding since returning to the first team late last season. Recently he has been scoring goals but he has been putting balls on a plate for team mates all season and could have easily doubled his goal involvement if others had taken their chances.

Of course he is out of contract in the summer, but the idea that he has only just put a good game or two together is simply wrong.

But seeing as you were tell us all that we need a plan b for the stadium and the Owners haven't got a penny to their names then I don't expect too many will take your latest nonsense seriously.
Click to expand...
I'm neither bothered if anybody takes me seriously or not .
I've been around the block a little more than you .
It's a fans forum get over yourself we are all entitled to opinions that's what makes it more interesting.
 
Up The Manor said:
I'm neither bothered if anybody takes me seriously or not .
I've been around the block a little more than you .
It's a fans forum get over yourself we are all entitled to opinions that's what makes it more interesting.
Click to expand...
And if Murphy keeps performing on the scale he has in recent weeks and he is offered a new contract which accepts, what will you say then? As has been said he has played well in the last few weeks and is performing like we know he can most of the time he is a handful for RB/RWB
 
bazzer9461 said:
And if Murphy keeps performing on the scale he has in recent weeks and he is offered a new contract which accepts, what will you say then? As has been said he has played well in the last few weeks and is performing like we know he can most of the time he is a handful for RB/RWB
Click to expand...
I don't think he is reliable enough to offer a new contract .
We need players that are available over 46 games .
I think he will move on .
 
Scotchegg said:
Murphy has been good to outstanding since returning to the first team late last season. Recently he has been scoring goals but he has been putting balls on a plate for team mates all season and could have easily doubled his goal involvement if others had taken their chances.

Of course he is out of contract in the summer, but the idea that he has only just put a good game or two together is simply wrong.

But seeing as you were tell us all that we need a plan b for the stadium and the Owners haven't got a penny to their names then I don't expect too many will take your latest nonsense seriously.
Click to expand...
SE, there’s no doubt he’s definitely improved, but putting chances on a plate is stretching it a bit too far!

I just wish he’d shown this form/appearances a good few months ago.

New contract, I’m not sure, but let’s see what the next 7/10 games produces.
 
Last edited:
uptheus said:
SE, there’s no doubt he’s definitely improved, but putting chances on a plate is stretching it a too bit far!

I just do wish he’d shown this form/appearances a good few months ago.

New contract, I’m not sure, but let’s see what the next 7/10 produces.
Click to expand...
Get where you're coming from, but I'd much rather have him delivering at the business end of the season when we're still in the mix, than up to November and then going off the boil.
 
uptheus said:
SE, there’s no doubt he’s definitely improved, but putting chances on a plate is stretching it a too bit far!

I just do wish he’d shown this form/appearances a good few months ago.

New contract, I’m not sure, but let’s see what the next 7/10 produces.
Click to expand...
Was you not watching games before Christmas when he had a number of Man of the Match performances? Or the games at the end of last season when HD was unplayable at times?

But the fact you wanted to rest one of our best players in recent months for Greg Leigh who has looked pretty average during the same period says it all.

You've clearly decided that Murphy isn't good enough and nothing he has done or will do in the next few weeks will change your mind. Fortunately, it's not you picking the team.
 
Murphy is an odd one. Firstly, I think he’s a really decent bloke and I like a lot of the interviews he’s given. He wasn’t acting all big time when he was out of the side and it’s impressive how he’s knuckled down and bounced back from a lot of negativity and criticism. Moving on to his performances, the Cheltenham home game when he chased down the defender for an assist and then added another assist was the turning point. Since then he’s been much more consistent and reliable.

On his day he’s a class above but I do think we need to see a bit more to be fully convinced. For me, he’s still needs to do more to really impact games over 90 minutes. He’s weighing in with goals now which undoubtedly adds to the argument for another deal but I don’t quite yet subscribe to the view that he’s been so outstanding that a new deal is a given.
 
uptheus said:
SE, there’s no doubt he’s definitely improved, but putting chances on a plate is stretching it a bit too far!

I just do wish he’d shown this form/appearances a good few months ago.

New contract, I’m not sure, but let’s see what the next 7/10 games produces.
Click to expand...
He undoubtedly has pace which can frighten some fullbacks, and the ability to go past his man to the bye line. But I would seriously challenge the “putting chances on a plate” notion. He runs out of space on occasions and it’s not unusual for him to overhit the cross. Big improvement on early season certainly, but not a world-beater yet.
And he still owes us big time for a number of “non appearances” I feel.
 
At least he has an eye for goal. 4 in 8 now, and probably just as well given the district lack of goals across the forwards of late!
 
Murphy has clearly had a substantial
up turn in form, it is great to see.

I’m still not convinced that he’s be one I’d be handing a new deal, on similar terms to what he is on now though.

Over the course of his contract, one question the club should consider is whether or not he’s offered us value for money. Despite the recent performances, I’d suggest that JM hasn’t been worth his contract overall.

There is a mentality issue within this squad and it is my belief that we will require a substantial clear out in the summer with senior players being overhauled. JM would be one of those I’d be thanking for his efforts but moving on to pastures new.

Undoubtedly he’s a player when he turns it on, but i’d be surprised if he’s had more than 15/20 goal contributions in the time he’s been here. For a player of his reputation and salary, it isn’t an output that scream “NEW DEAL”.
 
ECYellow said:
Murphy has clearly had a substantial
up turn in form, it is great to see.

I’m still not convinced that he’s be one I’d be handing a new deal, on similar terms to what he is on now though.

Over the course of his contract, one question the club should consider is whether or not he’s offered us value for money. Despite the recent performances, I’d suggest that JM hasn’t been worth his contract overall.

There is a mentality issue within this squad and it is my belief that we will require a substantial clear out in the summer with senior players being overhauled. JM would be one of those I’d be thanking for his efforts but moving on to pastures new.

Undoubtedly he’s a player when he turns it on, but i’d be surprised if he’s had more than 15/20 goal contributions in the time he’s been here. For a player of his reputation and salary, it isn’t an output that scream “NEW DEAL”.
Click to expand...
Agree, but lest we forget it was Robinson who gave him a ridiculous contract in the first place, when it was widely accepted (iirc) he was a bit of a gamble, given his injury record and previous clubs.
 
I'm sure Mr Williams will be running a cost-benefit analysis across the whole playing staff out of contact this summer, and I think it'll come down to whether Murphy's willing to accept a decrease in his base wage, with more performance-related bonuses included (appearances, goals etc.).
 
ECYellow said:
Murphy has clearly had a substantial
up turn in form, it is great to see.

I’m still not convinced that he’s be one I’d be handing a new deal, on similar terms to what he is on now though.

Over the course of his contract, one question the club should consider is whether or not he’s offered us value for money. Despite the recent performances, I’d suggest that JM hasn’t been worth his contract overall.

There is a mentality issue within this squad and it is my belief that we will require a substantial clear out in the summer with senior players being overhauled. JM would be one of those I’d be thanking for his efforts but moving on to pastures new.

Undoubtedly he’s a player when he turns it on, but i’d be surprised if he’s had more than 15/20 goal contributions in the time he’s been here. For a player of his reputation and salary, it isn’t an output that scream “NEW DEAL”.
Click to expand...
I’d offer him something like a two year deal but would want it to be on significantly lower wages, I wouldn’t want to be paying over say £4k a week.
 
TailsWeWin said:
He undoubtedly has pace which can frighten some fullbacks, and the ability to go past his man to the bye line. But I would seriously challenge the “putting chances on a plate” notion.
Click to expand...

uptheus said:
SE, there’s no doubt he’s definitely improved, but putting chances on a plate is stretching it a bit too far!
Click to expand...
I’ve seen easily at least 5-6 chances which Murphy has quite figuratively ‘put on a plate’ for his teammates, who somehow contrived to miss them, during his time at Oxford. There’s probably way more but that’s a conservative estimate.

Examples off the top of my head are the Rodrigues one during the loss against Cheltenham when Murphy, on the left, beats his man and puts a great ball in straight to Ruben who is unmarked inside the box and yet puts it over, or how about the Bolton debacle when Murphy manages to break down the right hand side and fizzes a great ball in across the face of goal which Harris is too lazy/slow/sluggish to properly attack and so is inches away from turning in.

With better finishing Murphy could easily have an extra, say, 5 assists for us this season. Easily.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Northstandboy
Current Player #24 Josh Johnson
2
Replies
34
Views
5K
MarkG
MarkG
DannyW
Ex Player Josh Ruffels
22 23 24
Replies
466
Views
59K
Leysboy
Leysboy
O
Transfer News Josh Barrett
2
Replies
27
Views
5K
Foley
F
Sarge
General Josh Ruffels double century
2
Replies
28
Views
4K
unification
unification
D
General Josh Ruffels
2
Replies
36
Views
6K
derek
derek
Back
Top Bottom