That’s what Teamtalk seem to think. It’s not a bad call considering how long the pair of them have been out. AJ gets a lot of flack for not scoring enough goals – I saw someone on another site today had suggested that he hadn’t done enough to justify regaining a place in the side – but I think a lot of his work is deceptive. Both he and Bobby Zamora work defenders so hard during the course of a game that I’m convinced we create a few more chances as a result.
Murphy has been the one who has made us tick in the last couple of seasons. It’s surprising that we’ve such a relatively good run of form without the captain, but it certainly means that Roy will have a few things to ponder in future when he signs off that Fulham teamsheet. For one, Chris Baird has shown that he’s more than capable in a central midfield role that many of us hadn’t seen him in too often. I don’t think Jonathan Greening has been as poor as some of his knockers have made out but it does look rather like he’s still feeling his way a little.
Common sense would dictate that after such lengthy lay-offs both Murphy and Johnson won’t be thrown straight into what is likely to be a physical contest against Bolton. That would give Baird and Greening another chance to flourish – or perhaps Etuhu could come back into the reckoning – and leave Roy’s only real poser surrounding who to play up front if Zamora’s groin isn’t right in time. Clint Dempsey’s two goals on Wednesday have made a compelling case for him to partner Erik Nevland – allowing Zoltan Gera to slot into midfield – and I fancy that’s the way Hodgson will go.
I agree that AJ should return up front once he’s healthy — but with two more home matches next week (a must-win against Sofia and a tougher test versus Sunderland), it certainly makes sense to give them both additonal rest. Regarding Murphy, even pre-injury he’s been a dissapointment and I don’t think it’s a surprise that our strong run has been with him in the stands. I think the other players defer to him too much — and Greening’s arrival has allowed Duff, Gera, and Dempsey to take more control.
And a bench surprise — I bet we see David Elm as a sub at some point during the next three matches. Time to get him in the mix before assessing our transfer window needs.
Think that’s a bit harsh on Murphy. Yes, he hasn’t been at last year’s levels but a lot of sides have put a man on him to prevent him from having as much influence as last season. If anything, I felt he didn’t get forward enough in the early part of the season but that was a general team malaise that didn’t help us when we weren’t finding the net with regularity.
It’s obviously always tough when an athlete’s career is winding down (and they lose a step or two physically), but unlike some older players that make up for it with a heightened sense of smarts – I don’t think Murphy has displayed that craftiness this season. I don’t remember him ever making so many bad passes in past years, and his play during the Wolves away match was an embarrassment (even compared with the other players, which is saying a lot). That frustration is also showing up with him taking it out on referees and whining about missed calls. Hopefully getting a chance to watch how the team’s been playing will help. And I’m not saying he shouldn’t play, but with all of the other midfielders stepping up their games over the past weeks, I don’t think he should be an automatic lock for every important match.
I don’t know – I think Murphy’s still got some real creativity in him. He’s laid on a couple of goals this season with some perceptive passes that have started moves. I must admit I haven’t seen him chasing after referees all that much (he’s always struck me as quite restrained in that regard, perhaps on Roy’s instruction). He’s not an automatic pick but he’s been key for us in the past and I think he can be again. With the likes of Duff now in our midfield, perhaps the burden of creativity won’t fall squarely on his shoulders any longer.