Well fair enough, but many have said how well he played last night, in his MoM performance.I wish the lad well, but frankly he could score every game and put in 14 mom performances and he still wouldn’t get a new deal if I were gaffer.
Oh, I think he was decent last night. But for a player with his ability, he should be showing this week in week out.Well fair enough, but many have said how well he played last night, in his MoM performance.
He has taken a lot of stick, so praise when it is due?
He’s been pretty good most times he’s played this season. The question mark with him is his fitness.Oh, I think he was decent last night. But for a player with his ability, he should be showing this week in week out.
Think a new deal structured so that he only gets paid when playing would be a no brainer for us, but I imagine Murphy will get better offers.
"he only wanted to play when he fancied it."
They're all tremendous players who I love watching, though I'm a bit less keen on Browne than on the other two, given that he seems to go in circles rather than attack directly. But I hope decisions on who to keep are informed fully by intensive fitness assessments and predictions, rather than 'fingers crossed / he could be great if he recovers fully'.We have Murphy, Browne & Edwards all on deals which presumably expire at the end of the season.
All of them extremely talented, and when they are on the pitch among the best players in the league. But none of them get on the pitch enough. They all have a track record of consistently being unavailable for long periods, season after season.
I don’t mind if we take a punt on one for next season. But not all three. The fact that Edwards is even here suggests he might be the one we’re looking at taking said punt on. And that makes sense given that last season he did find a way onto Ipswich’s bench and occasionally contribute to one of the strongest teams we’ve seen in all the years we’ve been back in League One.
In which case, as much as I love watching Browne when he plays, and I’ve really enjoyed Murphy’s cameos this season - the other two have to go. (Or only be extended on terms so profusely benefiting the club and detrimental to them when they don’t play that there’s no way they wouldn’t get a better offer elsewhere and leave anyway - most likely from Salford)
Any top promotion challenging squad can support a fragile maverick or two. But we’ve got far too many. A huge part of our recruitment criteria this summer needs to be clearing out these fragile, damaged players and spending their considerable wages far more sensibly on substantially more robust playing options
What? He burnt past his defender a number of times, once to win a yellow card and again when he was harshly judged to have been offside - probably would have got his man sent off then. Also tracked back constantly and won the ball a few times, earning praise from Radio Oxford about it. MOTM from the sponsors (not that that means much, I admit!) and clear winner of the vote on here.I like Murphy but thought his performance last night was a bit tentative. Looked like a player easing himself back in and didn't really have a serious run at a defender and his tracking back and closing down was a bit flaky. The player that we saw in those closing stages at Reading, before injury, is the one we need to really have an impact. He was flying past defenders that night. Last night I felt he checked back a lot rather than having that confidence to go on the outside and show genuine pace. Really well taken goal though.
We have Murphy, Browne & Edwards all on deals which presumably expire at the end of the season.
All of them extremely talented, and when they are on the pitch among the best players in the league. But none of them get on the pitch enough. They all have a track record of consistently being unavailable for long periods, season after season.
I don’t mind if we take a punt on one for next season. But not all three. The fact that Edwards is even here suggests he might be the one we’re looking at taking said punt on. And that makes sense given that last season he did find a way onto Ipswich’s bench and occasionally contribute to one of the strongest teams we’ve seen in all the years we’ve been back in League One.
In which case, as much as I love watching Browne when he plays, and I’ve really enjoyed Murphy’s cameos this season - the other two have to go. (Or only be extended on terms so profusely benefiting the club and detrimental to them when they don’t play that there’s no way they wouldn’t get a better offer elsewhere and leave anyway - most likely from Salford)
Any top promotion challenging squad can support a fragile maverick or two. But we’ve got far too many. A huge part of our recruitment criteria this summer needs to be clearing out these fragile, damaged players and spending their considerable wages far more sensibly on substantially more robust playing options
EDIT - and I say this with no negativity towards Murphy at all. I gladly gave him a standing ovation last night. He was outstanding and a genuine pleasure to watch (even without his vital goal in the equation). He’s been good whenever we’ve got him on the pitch all season. Of that trio of players he has arguably contributed far more to our season than either Murphy or Edwards…
We have Murphy, Browne & Edwards all on deals which presumably expire at the end of the season.
If we could have all three on heavily weighted ‘pay as you play’ deals, where they’re earning the lowest possible amount when out injured, but when scoring and assisting they’re handsomely rewarded, I’d be happy with having all three next season. But I guess they’d prefer more financial security at other clubs, which is fair enough.We have Murphy, Browne & Edwards all on deals which presumably expire at the end of the season.
All of them extremely talented, and when they are on the pitch among the best players in the league. But none of them get on the pitch enough. They all have a track record of consistently being unavailable for long periods, season after season.
I don’t mind if we take a punt on one for next season. But not all three. The fact that Edwards is even here suggests he might be the one we’re looking at taking said punt on. And that makes sense given that last season he did find a way onto Ipswich’s bench and occasionally contribute to one of the strongest teams we’ve seen in all the years we’ve been back in League One.
In which case, as much as I love watching Browne when he plays, and I’ve really enjoyed Murphy’s cameos this season - the other two have to go. (Or only be extended on terms so profusely benefiting the club and detrimental to them when they don’t play that there’s no way they wouldn’t get a better offer elsewhere and leave anyway - most likely from Salford)
Any top promotion challenging squad can support a fragile maverick or two. But we’ve got far too many. A huge part of our recruitment criteria this summer needs to be clearing out these fragile, damaged players and spending their considerable wages far more sensibly on substantially more robust playing options