There are not many sporting transformations that can compare to that of Joelinton.
From kicking the ball into his own head to an almost uniquely attributed central midfielder in three years, the Brazilian is undoubtedly in a league of his own.
However, there is a one-time £12m ‘flop’ who is starting to run him close, especially in the context of his performances this season.
Initially branded that £12 million ‘flop’ following his transfer to United, Jacob Murphy didn’t really cut it, which resulted in him being farmed out on loans to West Brom and Sheffield Wednesday, both of which were fairly unremarkable – although he was the 2nd highest goal scorer at Wednesday in 2019/20 with nine goals.
Despite the two nomadic seasons Murphy signed a contract extension in the summer of 2021 in a deal that was quietly inked and could’ve been perceived as little more than Mike Ashley cost cutting.
However, Howe’s arrival in October 2021 heralded a sea change in Murphy’s Newcastle career. Whilst this is speculative, Murphy seems to have thrived with a renewed sense of purpose and clear, detail orientated instructions from his manager, compared to the laissez-faire approach of the previous incumbent.
Murphy’s transformation under Eddie Howe has been nothing short of remarkable – highlighted by his black and white statistical numbers. His record across all competitions for this season reads: 26 apps, five goals, eight assists.
He currently sits fourth in the Premier League’s leading assister’s charts (level with the much-hyped Anthony Elanga), he’s creating 1.69 goalscoring chances per 90 and, as an overall percentage, Murphy has been involved in 26% of United’s goals this season.
At 29-years-old we may be seeing ‘peek’ Jacob Murphy and extrapolating his data out across an entire season you would expect the onetime England U21 player to finish the year with seven goals and 11 assists. Eighteen goal involvements would be a stellar contribution from a player who was at one time considered a backup but as the literal only recognised right-winger in the squad, we all need the lad from Wembley to stay fit and contribute right up until May.
The 2024/25 will be a season marked by some exceptional Jacob Murphy performances, which have seen him evolve into one of Newcastle’s most reliable players.
He possesses great pace, has an eye for a pass (linking up well we Isak on multiple occasions translating their obvious friendship onto the pitch), and a relentless work ethic which has endeared him to the St James’ Park faithful, turning scepticism into admiration.
He’s had a couple of difficult weeks alongside his teammates but his contributions over that last two seasons have overall trended towards the positive – I’d thrown in the two goals in the opening nine minutes against Spurs in 2022/23 as another highlight of his improvement under Howe, although he has been playing at a higher level much more consistently this season compared to two years ago.
Murphy’s improvement is a testament to Howe’s ability to nurture talent, drawing comparisons to his previous success with Joelinton. I don’t think Murphy quite reaches those heights with an obviously lower potential ceiling, but he’s proof that we have a manager that improves players – something which many in the league simply don’t possess.
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