Jacob Murphy has responded to his critics after scoring his first goal of the season in Newcastle United's 1-1 draw with Fulham at Craven Cottage, insisting he knows what he brings to the team and that it is effective.
The 31-year-old winger fired a 25-yard strike past Bernd Leno with his left foot to give United the lead on Saturday. The goal was his 26th for the club since joining from Norwich City in the summer of 2017, and he is now in his tenth season at St James' Park.
Murphy is expected to sign a new contract before the end of the season after head coach Matthias Jaissle said the club turned down transfer bids from Nottingham Forest over the summer. Jaissle has valued Murphy's leadership in a squad lacking experience, and the former England under-21 international hinted he has felt underappreciated externally for the role he has played.
Murphy defends his role and performance
Speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle, Murphy said his position in the squad has not changed in recent years and that he has always been seen as a leader, even when the team had many high-profile names last season. He said he tries to influence people, keep the boys in check, set the standard and communicate as much as he can, but that it requires total buy-in from everyone.
He said it is the responsibility of the older players to show the younger lads what the league is about and what it takes to compete, adding that the Premier League is the top league in the world and that the team is learning the importance of that, which takes time.
On his performance against Fulham, Murphy said he had a specific role that he carried out very well, giving the team solidity and good structure, and that on another day he would have walked away with two assists and a goal. He added: "I think for some people my playing style may not be for them but I know what I bring and it is effective. Believe me."
Goal a highlight despite frustration
Murphy said the strike will be a good addition to his goal catalogue. He said it was good to see it go in and that at that point the team was probably thinking they would walk away with three points, which they were disappointed not to get.
He felt the team created some really good chances and put in a strong showing, describing the point as a step in the right direction. He explained that he looked up to see if a team-mate was in a better position, and when he could not see one, he knew he was in a good position to shoot.
However, he admitted it was frustrating that Rodrigo Muniz bundled home an equaliser for Fulham just three minutes after Murphy had put United ahead, forcing the two sides to share the points.
Team commitment praised
Murphy said the equaliser was frustrating, especially as he felt the team was front-footed and committed to the game plan. He said they will watch the footage back to find ways they could have stopped it, but there were positives to take from the match.
He said Fulham are not to be taken lightly, describing them as a really good team that plays a really good brand of football, but that United limited their strengths. He said everyone followed the game plan to a tee, stifled Fulham's patterns, and turned the game in their favour, adding that he hopes everyone can see the commitment from a group of lads who are really trying.
