Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , former Premier League midfielder Danny Murphy has leaned on his own experiences as a midfielder to name the footballer he thinks is the best in the world in his former position.
Murphy who played two seasons with Tottenham discusses the Thomas Frank tenure at the club so far describing it as a "mixed bag" but highlights one injured star who could transform the clubs season when he returns.
The Fulham centurion offered his perspective on if Conor Gallagher has made the right move with Aston Villa, lauds Daniel Farke for his work with Leeds and offers some candid advice for Harry Wilson and if he should leave Craven Cottage.
Midfield Debate
The Best Midfielder In The World Is….
When looking at the best midfielder in the world, I'd go with Jude Bellingham. Not that I don't think others are brilliant footballers like Declan Rice, who is so consistent, he's unbelievable, but Bellingham at his best is a complete game-changer.
He can grab games by the scruff of the neck; he can win games with amazing goals. He can do every aspect of midfield play. Scoring goals, making goals, and being a match-winner is a wonderful trait that not many midfielders have.
I mean, some people call him more of a forward, I suppose, because he plays as a number ten a lot, but I still think he comes under the midfielder bracket, and he'd probably just edge it for me.
The Best Midfielder in Football Is?
Premier League
Frank’s “Mixed Bag”
I think it's been a mixed bag, hasn't it? Their away form at the beginning of the season was terrific, and they had some really good performances. I think Thomas Frank would have anticipated doing better than he has, of course, and I think the fans would have anticipated a better start for him. The biggest issue for him has been that at home, when they've lost games, their confidence has oozed out of them, and the pressure when they play at home has just got to a point now where some of the players are really struggling with it.
When you're on a bad run and you're struggling a little bit, any manager, especially an experienced one like Thomas Frank, is going to experiment a little bit. He's going to try different personnel. He's going to try a little different tweaks in the formation and the tactics because you're trying to get some wins, and you're not really thinking, ‘Right, I'm going to create this identity. We're going to play this one way all the time.
He's kind of desperate at times to get a result. Some of Tottenham's performances have been back-to-the-wall pragmatic, you know, and then other times they try and go on the front foot, and they end up losing. So they'd go the opposite way the next week. So I think he's been experimenting and trying to look at the players who he's only just become manager of, of course, and work out which ones he wants, which ones can do the job that he wants.
The other point is that when you're going through that bad run, you want to be able to hang your hat on a couple of players who you know are going to, for example, when I look at the Tottenham squad, one player who would always get on the ball, always, is James Maddison. Now he's injured. If you had Madison, you could put him as a 10 or in the middle of the pitch and go, ‘Just get on that ball and get us playing and calm us down.
He's the one who can do it. They don't have someone like him. Dejan Kulusevski's ability to hold the ball and keep it, and run with it. He's arguably been their best player for the last couple of years. Then you take away their best striker, Dominic Solanke. And okay, they've got Randal Kolo Muani in, they've got Richarlison who can play there. They've still got decent players, but three of your top players haven't been with him, and you have to take that into consideration.
My feeling is that if they can just get through this next month and get a couple of results and settle the restless fans down a little bit, I think you will see Tottenham improve as the season goes on. And you will start being able to see what Thomas Frank is about.
The reality is right now, it does look a little bit like they're all over the place. For example, they'll play at home to Chelsea, and they'll try and pass out and play good football, and Chelsea press them and keep winning it back and beat them easily. And then you'll see a couple of weeks later, they need a result, and they're playing long balls more direct, trying to get set plays, they're not making any chances, the fans are getting disgruntled.
It's a bit all over the place. I'm not sure he knows exactly his best team at the minute. And I think he's tweaking and thinking, ‘Do I change the system? Do we play three midfielders who are all runners, or do we play a number 10 in Xavi Simons?’
I keep seeing these changes because he's trying to work it out whilst getting results. But I think if they can just get through this little spell, there definitely will be a progression. He's an experienced manager, and I saw his Brentford team evolve, and it did take time for it to evolve. The problem in football is expectation. Everyone wants it now. I think they'll stick with him, and I think Tottenham fans, as the season goes on, will start seeing a better Spurs.
Gallagher's Decision
Aston Villa are flying and look a bigger draw than Spurs at the moment. I actually don't think Conor Gallagher is the type Tottenham need. They've got Lucas Bergvall, Pape Matar Sarr, and Joao Paulinha, aggressive, athletic midfielders. They need more creativity. But with Villa, they are amazing in how they've been able to maintain such a high level recently with not the biggest squad. Credit to the manager, when you watch Villa play, you can always see what they're trying to do. You can see how well-coached they are.
I think they've got some really good players who probably don't get the plaudits they deserve. People like Ezri Konsa he's been terrific. People like Boubacar Kamara, obviously, John McGinn is constantly playing terrific, just at that level of performance. But they've also got arguably one of the brightest talents in Europe at the moment in Morgan Rogers. He's hitting levels now that maybe some people never thought he would.
Physically brilliant, strong, quick, but technically superb and so two-footed, comfortable finishing on both feet. And they're just getting the best out of him, whether it be as a 10 or off the left. So, Villa are just progressing so nicely. And if Unai Emery is there, they're going to be competing at the top for years to come. It's refreshing to see someone break into that and really push.
I think they could have a really strong season, because they're still in Europe, of course, and arguably the favourites to win that competition when you look at the other teams in it. That's something I think, and the FA Cup is still there for them. There are lots of positives for Villa, and if you're a player looking at that system, looking at the way they play because they play good football, looking at the manager's ability to improve you, to make you a better player, then it's very attractive, very attractive.
Did Gallagher Make The Correct Call?
Farke Deserves A Hell Of A Lot Of Credit
Daniel Farke deserves a hell of a lot of credit. Obviously, he had the change of system that helped them and got Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring goals. But I remember, for example, the Sunderland game where they had an injury to deal with, and they were a goal down. He actually went back to a four to match Sunderland up because they were second best in the game, and got back into the game and should have won it from another tactical tweak that I didn't see coming; it was brilliant.
But the changing system is one thing; the other is the way he's conducted himself. You never hear him moaning or whinging. He's super positive about his players, about the chances of staying up, just the way he conducts himself. It's clever, actually. It's actually clever because you can't then use anything against him because of how positive he is and how well he speaks. Their confidence levels when they play have gone so high because of some good results. I actually think their performances recently have warranted more points.
They should never have lost at Newcastle. They had lots of chances and played really well in the game. It was a brilliant game. They've got some really good players. Anton Stach has been terrific. Calvert-Lewin, obviously, staying fit has been key for them, playing to his strengths, getting balls in the box. Ethan Ampadu, I think, has grown, looking like a real Premier League player and a leader in that team.
So there are so many positives for Leeds fans, but they won’t think they’re safe yet because if you have a bad run, the other team only needs a couple of wins, and the pressure starts again. But the way they're playing at the moment, you can't see them dropping, you can't see them not picking up points, I should say. It's been a really nice story, that one, because I think most people felt there was going to be an inevitable decline, Leeds losing games and getting rid of Farke to try and save the day and keep someone else coming in.
For him to prove people wrong is a great story, and actually, as I said before, he's very likeable, so I'm really pleased for him, and I'm enjoying watching Leeds play.
Wilson’s Next Step
Harry Wilson is a wonderful example of football intelligence because he's not the quickest, biggest, or strongest, but he finds brilliant positions, and his awareness and the pictures he sees around him are wonderful to watch. I agree with him that if you don't get the opportunity for a good run of games where you can feel free to play and be yourself, you don't show the best of yourself. He's as good a finisher as there is out there. He's a brilliant finisher and deserves lots of credit for the way he's kept his head down and got himself into the team, and is producing the levels he is.
I was thinking about his predicament, and the reality is you have to ask yourself as a player, ‘What level can I get to, and what team can I play in that's realistic?’ Do you want to play every week, or are you happy to be a squad member? Harry Wilson, as a squad player at one of the bigger clubs, would probably be realistic; someone would take him because of his goalscoring ability. The thing is, he's in his late 20s now and looks like he's really enjoying his football.
I think the best place for him is where he's at because he's going to play every week and is loved by the fans. If you move somewhere else, the grass isn't always greener. The other thing he's got now is a wonderful opportunity to monetise his situation because he's going to be on a free. Fulham will end up having to give him the type of contract they were never going to give him because of this run of form. If they don't, he's going to have options.
The difficulty is, if he wants to go to a better team than Fulham and has that opportunity, the reality is he's not going to play every week. So it's a balancing act for him. It's easy for me to say because I've finished my career now, but if I were him, I'd be thinking, ‘I'm enjoying my football, I'm playing every week, I'm adored by the fans. If the club look after me financially now, I'll stay,’ because I wouldn't want to go to a bigger club and not play every week, and I don't think he would either.
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