When Josh Murphy signed for Oxford United in July 2022, there was real optimism among Oxford fans about their new addition.
Twin brother of Newcastle’s Jacob, Murphy has bags of Championship experience and even enjoyed a season in the Premier League with Cardiff.
However, his time at Oxford has been one of huge frustration. Injuries have taken their toll, form has been non-existent and many fans would like to see the back of him.
That said, this season, particularly under new head coach Des Buckingham, Murphy has shown Oxford fans just what he is capable of and he could become a key player for the U’s as the season heads into the second half.
Josh Murphy: Player in Focus
Football League Experience
Having made just shy of 200 Championship appearances, and 38 in the Premier League, Oxford looked set to be in for a treat when Murphy joined the U’s.
The winger enjoyed spells at both Norwich and Cardiff while also impressing during loan tenures with Wigan, MK Dons and Preston.
All in all, Oxford had got themselves a real player when he joined the club last summer.
Frustration Under Karl Robinson and Liam Manning
So much so that former manager Karl Robinson described the winger as “the best in the league.”
However, he also confirmed that signing him would be a gamble, given his injury record. As it happened, that was the case under both Robinson and his successor, Liam Manning.
Murphy managed to complete 90 minutes on just one occasion from 23 league games, with 15 of those matches containing less than 45 minutes.
Clearly, fitness was an issue and the signing was a gamble, and this prompted fans to turn their back on him and hope for an imminent departure in the summer after a season of woe.
Fruition Under Des Buckingham
However, under Manning, Murphy enjoyed a full pre-season, and this may have helped. While he wasn’t selected in the early parts of the season, he did feature under Manning in six league games while playing over 120 minutes in the opening two Football League group games.
Following the arrival of Buckingham, along with injuries to Marcus Browne and Kyle Edwards, Murphy has found himself thrust into the limelight once more. He has featured in every league game under the new head coach, completing 90 minutes once, while also getting valuable minutes in cup wins over Grimsby and Forest Green, respectively.
Goals and assists aren’t yet flowing, but the backroom staff are still managing his minutes. However, what is reassuring are his recent displays. The winger has changed games and been a standout performer when it has mattered. And with the injuries to Browne and Edwards, game time could be commonplace for the winger.
