The 2019/20 season has proved to be yet another disappointing campaign for Sheffield Wednesday. The Owls have managed to pick up just 15 wins in the Championship all season, 11 of which came before Christmas. Garry Monk’s men have lacked consistency, backbone, and the grit required to succeed in England’s second division.
However, one shining beacon of light in an otherwise gloomy season has been Jacob Murphy.
Sheffield Wednesday must secure Jacob Murphy
The on-loan man from Newcastle has impressed the Sheffield Wednesday faithful, especially with some of his performances post-lockdown. If Sheffield Wednesday are to be serious about mounting a playoff bid next season, then securing the services of Jacob Murphy for another year would be a promising start.
With only one game of the season remaining, Jacob Murphy is set to be the Owls’ second-highest goal scorer, with 8 goals in all competitions. Murphy has also managed to secure 4 assists, behind only Barry Bannan and Adam Reach. The speedster’s blend of raw pace and natural talent makes him an incredibly difficult player for defenders to deal with. It seems as though whenever Jacob Murphy receives the ball and is running at opposing fullbacks, there will only be one outcome; a ball into the box and a defender left straggling behind.
Of course, Jacob Murphy isn’t without his faults. He himself has missed some glorious chances for Wednesday this season, including a one-on-one against Birmingham in February which seemed harder to miss than to score. Patchy form in the earlier stages of the season also left a lot to be desired for Murphy, and there are areas of his game that could be greatly improved. However, no player in the Championship is perfect, and the balance sheet certainly favours Jacob Murphy.
He is the kind of figure which Sheffield Wednesday need if they are going to thrive in the league next season. A player who not only has the talent and skill to score and assist goals in the Championship but one who has bags of determination and dedication. The type of player which Sheffield Wednesday have greatly lacked since their relative success under Carlos Carvalhal.
Garry Monk has made it clear that he would like to bring Jacob Murphy back to Sheffield Wednesday on loan next season, and ex-Wednesday manager Steve Bruce hasn’t shown any intentions of incorporating the 25 year old into his squad.
Moreover, if the proposed takeover bid goes through at Newcastle, additional funding could place Murphy even further down the pecking order at St.James.
Monk must act quickly to secure the services of Murphy for next season before another manager beats him to it.
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