Sport

Murphy deserves credit for giving Newcastle a different dimension

There is no centre forward in the Premier League better than Alexander Isak right now. As wingers go, Anthony Gordon is also up there as one of the best in the English top division. The pair have combined to push Newcastle United up the table and into resurgent form. The Magpies have an attack capable of hurting any opponent.

Jacob Murphy’s contribution to this is often overlooked. It shouldn’t be, though, as the 29-year-old has made himself a central figure at St James’ Park this season. Murphy deserves more credit for his impressive form and the role he is playing for Eddie Howe’s team. Isak in particular has benefitted from their partnership.

Initially, Howe used a left-footer on the right wing. This was frequently Gordon with Miguel Almiron another useful option. Both players were quick to cut inside and pose a goal threat with their shooting from the edge of the box. However, this would often congest Newcastle’s possession play in the attacking third.

By deploying Murphy on the right, though, Howe instead opted for a right-footer to give his team a different balance in the forward line. This has created more space for Isak and Gordon to exploit with the former in particular currently in the form of his life having scored 18 goals in his last 21 games for the Magpies.

“He’s (Murphy) old-fashioned in the sense that he’s a right-footed player playing on the right-hand side, which I think is a good dynamic for us,” said Howe about Murphy. “Probably Jacob’s stand-out quality is his crossing ability. He’s very good, whether it’s high crosses, low crosses, he’s got that ability to drive infield and then take the line and produce for us.

“Alex has been the beneficiary of that on a number of occasions this season. But not only that with Jacob, I think tactically he’s got a really high-level understanding of what the game needs, so we’ve asked him to do lots of various roles defensively. He’s delivered them absolutely brilliantly for us, so he’s very under-rated in that respect.”

Murphy has registered more assists in the league than any other Newcastle player this season. He is averaging 1.3 key passes per 90 minutes and is only getting more impactful as a difference-maker in his own right, scoring two goals in his last two Premier League outings. If the Magpies are to qualify for the Champions League again, Murphy will have played his part.

Newcastle are currently at a crossroads on and off the pitch. Their development since the Saudi-led takeover of the club has stalled in no small part due to the limits placed on them by the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules. The Magpies might be the richest club in the world, but they have had to manoeuvre carefully in the transfer market.

To take the next step, Newcastle require some of their current crop to reach an even higher level. Sandro Tonali has done this to give the Magpies another dimension in central midfield over the last couple months and Murphy is another player who is maximising his potential to get Newcastle closer to where they want to be.

Back in 2017, Murphy made the move to St James’ Park while Newcastle were still in the grip of Mike Ashley. His career to date has been an unusual one, going out on loan to West Brom and Sheffield Wednesday as recently as the 2019/20 season, but the 29-year-old has found his place in Howe’s team. He deserves more recognition for this.