Even though he was talking about a different sport, Al Pacino reportedly described football as “a game of inches.”
Michael Mols nearly ended his career by avoiding landing on Oliver Khan, and Robert Levandowski’s flight to join with Blackburn Rovers was cancelled due to a volcanic explosion that produced an ash cloud.
Although it may not be exactly on the same magnitude, Jacob Murphy’s transformation from a Rangers target to a man now being considered for an England international is still a tale worth telling.
From Rangers target to Newcastle hero, Jacob Murphy’s journey began when manager Steven Gerrard sought a right-winger to balance out Ryan Kent on the left.
As Rangers circled, Murphy was not only not featured by Steve Bruce, the Newcastle manager at the time, but he was also hardly ever included in squads.
Until Eddie Howe altered tactics and deployed Murphy in a more defensive wingback role, even a change of management didn’t significantly impact the team. The need for Murphy to play defense decreased with Kieran Trippier’s arrival because Howe now recognized the speed, hard ethic, and final ball quality of a player who almost left St. James’ Park for free, with Rangers at the top of the list to sign him.
After scoring against Arsenal and sending the Toon to Wembley for the Carabao Cup final, the £12 million signing extended his contract and is now a Toon hero.
To think that, considering his reputation as a Premier League failure, several Light Blues supporters questioned such a move.
Murphy, a member of the Rangers, possesses patience.
Murphy’s narrative serves as a reminder of how erratic football can be, which is why it works. With Nicolas Raskin, a player who was benched as recently as the end of the previous season, Rangers supporters have witnessed their own rebirth this season.
Even though his compatriot was perfectly fit, Philippe Clement completely removed him from the team, citing poor performance as the reason. Raskin is now perhaps Rangers’ most crucial player and a key component of the team’s overall strategy. Similar to Murphy, who was almost a teammate.
Leave a Reply