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New York Times
21-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Jacob Murphy interview: ‘I hope England are casting an eye on what I'm doing'
Jacob Murphy talks about 'callusing the mind' and it is an intriguing phrase. Just as skin can be toughened through manual labour, so the brain can be rewired to plough through difficulty. Although Murphy is speaking about himself, it applies just as much to Newcastle United, a club newly transformed from perennial losers into ice-cold winners. Advertisement Amid stiff competition, Murphy has a strong claim for Newcastle's most compelling story this season. He might be the Premier League's most underrated player (last month, The Athletic used his photograph to illustrate an article discussing that subject), and he is definitely its most meme-able, but reappraisal is overdue. How about this: Murphy is a Newcastle legend. By virtue of winning the Carabao Cup in March, the club's first domestic trophy for 70 years, he and his team-mates automatically become history boys. Yet winning has meant forward propulsion. Twelfth in December, they are now one game away from qualifying for the Champions League. How about this: only Liverpool's Mohamed Salah has set up more Premier League goals than Murphy's 12 this season, most of them made for Alexander Isak, and he has also chipped in with eight of his own. 'What I love most is helping to get the best out of my team-mates,' he says. How about this: Murphy is on the longlist for the England squad which is announced this week. At the age of 30, the notion of a full call-up feels like sweetest logic. Like Dan Burn, who won his first cap in those heady days post-Wembley, his career has been mazy, but he has risen within Newcastle's headlong rise. 'I hope England are casting an eye on what I'm doing because I feel my game would be appreciated in the setup,' he says. 'I'm a different profile to every other winger in the league; other than me, Brennan Johnson (of Tottenham Hotspur) is the only other right-footed right-winger and it brings a whole different dynamic. 'There's Harry Kane and Ollie Watkins and I'd love nothing more than to be putting it in dangerous areas for them to get on the end of. And then off the ball, there are a lot of attributes I think would complement the team. I'd love to showcase them.' Advertisement How about this: Murphy is categorically good enough for Eddie Howe's side, who he and Burn supported as kids. This is a battle he has had to fight, both before Newcastle's takeover and since, amid a rush to cast aside less glitzy players. This season represents the ultimate riposte but, in any case, he is at 'peace with myself'. 'When you're written off, you get to a point where you don't take notice,' he says. 'As long as the manager and my team-mates value me, that's it. So when people are cussing you out for not being good enough… well, your favourite player thinks I'm good enough. I know what I can offer.' What he offers is all of himself: running, harrying, swinging the ball in from the right and Isak meeting it. And there Murphy is, mouth wide open, sometimes acting up for the cameras but already contemplating what happens next and how he will get there. How about that? Murphy is sitting in a classroom at George Stephenson High School in Killingworth, not far from Newcastle's training ground. The club's charitable foundation has a permanent presence here and the winger takes part in a question and answer session with girls from year seven and then plays a bit of football. The pupils are enraptured. Whatever else he does, Murphy will forever be one of the men who reshaped Newcastle's identity, who brought one of football's longest waits to a close. Does he feel a sense of magnitude? 'It felt like it was meant to happen,' he says. 'We'd had the experience of losing a couple of years earlier (to Manchester United, again in the League Cup final) and I think everyone was ready this time. It felt organic. Not scary. Almost belonging. As soon as we started, you looked around at our players and felt safe. Even if we'd had to s***house it for the full second half, we were going to do it.' Advertisement Doubly impressive was the way a great release did not bring a giant exhalation; Newcastle went again. Beat Everton at St James' Park on Sunday and they will return to the Champions League for the second time in three years, which would represent a stunning success given Howe's first XI has not been strengthened for three transfer windows. 'What I love about this group is we just fly along steady,' Murphy says. 'That's weird. Everyone talks about living the moment, but we're always on to the next thing. Maybe once I've finished playing I'll realise how much of a big deal winning the final was. 'That's a change to elite behaviour. If you'd asked me 10 years ago what it would be like to win a trophy, I'd have said it would mean everything. You'd be happy with that. And then you win one and you can see why so many of the greats are always chasing the next one.' Guaranteed a place in the UEFA Conference League by virtue of their trophy, Newcastle have powered on towards the Champions League. 'To be involved in those iconic games is epic,' Murphy says. 'We also want to test ourselves. We think we're ready to compete there, but you earn the right. And it's just cool, innit?' The television camera is panning along a line of players. It is September 19, 2023, the day Newcastle return to the Champions League after an absence of two decades and it takes them to the San Siro, home of AC Milan. The stadium is throbbing. As the competition's theme music blares out, Sandro Tonali glances to the sky and Isak waves at someone in the crowd. Bruno Guimaraes manically chews gum. Murphy, though, is grinning. He puffs out his cheeks. His face speaks for an entire club and it emotes: 'Wow.' Chills. After a long 20 year wait. Newcastle hear the #UCL anthem for the first time in their return to the competition. #ACMNEW — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 19, 2023 Murphy is an expressive footballer. During Newcastle's resurgence he has frequently captured the zeitgeist of a club blooming in self-confidence; going viral is another attribute. When he watches this particular clip on a laptop, played back for a bit of fun, it prompts a surprisingly serious answer. Advertisement 'As soon as we got into the line-up the music shot on and it was like a flashback,' he says. 'I was back at Sheffield Wednesday on loan (in 2019), being left out of the squad for Stoke (City) at home. I'm in the Championship and not playing and at this rate, I'm never going to play for Newcastle again. 'I went to see Garry Monk, the manager, and asked him why I wasn't playing. He said: 'I want to see the Jacob everyone was excited about when he was young at Norwich (City)'. He told me he would help me get there and he did. I wasn't doing anything wrong — the team was playing well — but I had to fix it. 'I started reading self-help books, like The 5AM Club and The Slight Edge — my holy grail. It's about the compound effect of working hard, how when you start doing something, you're not going to see results straightaway, but the more you do it, the more results will come. To take it to another level, I had to get stronger and analyse football more. 'I already had a decent football brain, but I could make it better by watching every winger in the Premier League and seeing who I could nick attributes off. Before you know it, I'm on an upward curve, I'm playing well at Sheffield Wednesday, not thinking about anything in the grand scheme of things, apart from, 'Keep going'. 'I still feel I'm on that curve now. So I've gone from thinking I'm not going to play for Newcastle again and then all those years later the manager trusts you to start in the Champions League and I'm in the line and the music is on. That was mega. 'It was like, 'I did it'. I don't mean I'd completed football, because I can do more. Next season, we can win another cup. We can challenge harder in the league and close the gap to (Manchester) City, Liverpool and Arsenal. You can see it within touching distance. I really do think we're close.' This is part of Murphy's character, too. Before Newcastle's losing appearance at Wembley in 2023, The Athletic invited family members to write personal letters to players and Maxine, his mum, said: 'The normal Murphy way of handling success or anything good that happens is to say: 'Well that's just the start'.' Advertisement 'That leads back quite nicely to talking about being a legend because of winning the cup and I'm like, 'We can go and win another one',' Murphy says. 'I'm already on to the next thing. Can I get called up by England? Can I do well in the Champions League next year?' Finally, Murphy takes a breath. 'Anyway, that was why I was smiling,' he says. He is smiling now, too. We watch three more clips. The first takes us back to January 2023 and the first leg of a tetchy Carabao Cup semi-final against Southampton when Duje Caleta-Car is shown a red card late on. Murphy waves the centre-half on his way, receiving a dead-eyed stare in return. It is pantomime and it is poetry. 'I regret that, because it was a bit unprofessional,' Murphy says. 'I was annoyed because he was going around kicking everyone, so when he got sent off I was like, 'See ya'.' The second comes after a 2-0 home victory over Manchester United that April. Beforehand, Erik ten Hag had said Newcastle 'delay' games, suggesting they deliberately keep the ball out of play. Newcastle blitz them; as Murphy walks back to the tunnel, he taps an imaginary wristwatch. This team. ❤️❤️ 👀⌚️ @JacobMurphy95 — Newcastle United (@NUFC) April 2, 2023 'It was a bit of, 'Still think we're time-wasters?',' Murphy says. ''If you want a quick game, we'll make it a quick game. Maybe you don't want us to do it that quick, actually.'' Howe's streetwise team were hard-running irritants and Murphy's on-pitch persona embodies them. In 2021-22, the season of Newcastle's Saudi-led takeover, Murphy starts 13 league games. In 2022-23, when they finish fourth, it is 14. Last season, when he twice dislocates a shoulder, it is 14. Howe trusts him to close games out, to go down when necessary. His team-mates adore his willingness to work, the bubbly side that lifts a training ground. Advertisement This season Murphy has started 30 Premier League matches. He is still popular and still cheeky (he and Burn are engaged in a longstanding 'feud' of dressing-room pranks), but there is a heftiness to him now. He is respected, a smiling assassin. 'People don't see this side of him, but when you talk about standards, Jacob has become a hell of a leader,' Matt Ritchie, who left Newcastle for Portsmouth last summer, tells The Athletic. One little quirk: Ritchie has played alongside Josh, Jacob's twin, at Fratton Park this season. We call up Murphy's page on the Premier League website to look at his statistics. Is this the player he has always been, except now unlocked? 'It's the fruition of growth under Eddie,' he says. 'How Eddie wants us to play resonates with my game. In his first couple of seasons, we were trying to find ourselves, so that required more defensive work and helping out. I was used more to see out games, but even in training I was like, 'I'm ready to start'. 'You keep going, building trust with the manager and then more minutes start coming. People look at your goals and assists, but there are so many little details that make Newcastle. I've always loved doing that work because I know it's for the betterment of the team.' Murphy has become pivotal, but perceptions die hard. In his own words, he is 'not a flashy, dazzling winger'. He has played for 10 clubs, eight of them on loan: Norwich, Swindon Town, Southend United, Blackpool, Scunthorpe United, Colchester United, Coventry City, West Bromwich Albion, Wednesday and Newcastle. For some, he is still the player who couldn't make the bench against Stoke in the Championship and this brings us to the other clip. It is Leicester City at home on December 14 last year. Newcastle had lost 4-2 at Brentford in their previous game and a season is in danger of unravelling. Advertisement Murphy misses an early chance and St James' groans. When he opens the scoring in the 30th minute, he wheels towards the Gallowgate End clutching an ear and screaming 'WHAT?'. In the end, Newcastle win 4-0, the first of nine straight victories in all competitions. Aside from three FA Cup fixtures, Murphy has started every game since. 'I'm usually good with my emotional control, but that was a moment of, 'Guys, give me a break, I'm trying',' he says. 'It was callusing the mind, because when the ball came back to me — I can see it happening in slow-motion — I knew if I missed, the whole stadium would erupt. And then it was just relief. It was, 'You're on me, but you can't get to me'.' With Miguel Almiron now gone, Murphy, who has two years left on his contract, is the only natural right-winger on Newcastle's books. He has long been aware they are seeking reinforcements. 'I've proved I can contribute to a successful team,' he says. 'Whatever happens in the summer in terms of incomings, I see that as more competition. It will be someone I can work off, share the load with. I won't stop working hard to achieve success here.' Jacob and Josh had grown up near Wembley, kicking a ball around in the stadium's shadow, wearing Newcastle kits (his family, who hail from the north east, were 'crazy supporters'). Both joined Norwich, where they won the Youth Cup and graduated to the first team. Both played for England's under-age sides. 'When you're 18 and on an upward trajectory you think it's never going to stop,' he says. 'Then you meet the reality of football. I would never change my journey because it taught me lessons I needed. It's the same for Josh. He's a fantastic brother and I'm so proud of him.' Murphy's story is beautiful and important, because it demonstrates the value of perseverance. The same applies to Burn. 'I love that Dan has got a similar background,' Murphy says. It's a powerful message for the younger generation; coming through, you don't have to be the best player. Look at Dan now: he is just exceptionally good. People want to be dazzled with flair and tricky wingers and Rolls-Royce centre-backs, but sometimes putting in a good cross is better than a few stepovers.' Advertisement When Murphy joined Newcastle from Norwich for £12million ($16m) in 2017, it was a stunted club. Now he and they are liberated, flying along steady, chasing the next one, with background, age, price all immaterial as long as they are good enough. And, to repeat: this bunch of legends are categorically good enough. 'I'm a young 30,' Murphy says. 'I still feel 22. There's a stigma around being older in football, but until I'm slowing down, why can't I be in the thoughts of England?' How about this: Murphy is the best of Newcastle. And he is just getting started.
New York Times
22-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
A discussion of how things stand for Newcastle: No panic stations, but they need to get over the line
Newcastle United's class of 2024-25 are already legends and trophy-winners, and their blistering form post-Wembley has seen them climb to fourth in the Premier League. But this season has been one of toil as well as triumph, of inconsistency and dramatic defeats such as Saturday's 4-1 loss at Aston Villa, as well as long winning runs and historic results. As the Champions League race threatens to go down to the wire, Chris Waugh and George Caulkin discuss where things stand for Newcastle and how they feel heading into the final five fixtures… Caulkin: You were at Villa Park, Chris. There have been a few bad defeats for Newcastle this season — where did that defeat sit on the sliding scale? Waugh: It wasn't as stark as the 4-1 home defeat by Bournemouth in January, given it was away and against Champions League quarter-finalists. But once the second goal went in, it felt inevitable that Newcastle would concede more. It was very similar to Bournemouth in that it felt like Newcastle had almost gone over a cliff physically. Advertisement They came up against a side who had more energy and athleticism; Villa basically beat them at their own game. When this Newcastle side loses their trademark physicality and intensity, they are just not the same team. Certainly that appeared the case after the same XI had been sent out three times within six days. The second half was difficult to watch. That was probably 45 minutes too far. But it definitely did not signal panic stations for me. Caulkin: It didn't feel like some of those losses where you could question Newcastle's attitude. And it wasn't like Manchester City or Liverpool away, where they just didn't turn up. It felt more like hitting 60 minutes and then running out of gas. Waugh: No, it certainly wasn't like Fulham away in September. Villa are the form team in the Premier League and, having identified what Newcastle's weaknesses were and, with fatigue setting in, they ruthlessly exploited them. In the long run, Newcastle can learn lessons from this. They need to increase their squad depth and then rotate more next season once they are back in Europe. Villa's squad is borderline bloated and that is paying off towards the end of the season. They don't presently have a single player injured, which is a huge contrast compared with Newcastle in the Champions League last season. And it's not just about the depth itself; Unai Emery has found a way to change multiple players every game and it doesn't really make a difference to Villa's success. Newcastle just don't have the same depth quality-wise, which is largely down to the PSR (the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules) constraints of the past 18 months. It's worth pointing out that Villa have had PSR issues themselves and they have just kept spending, so there is a cost-benefit to what they have done. Advertisement When Newcastle are primarily playing week to week, they're able to beat anyone. But they do not yet have the capacity to really cope with the additional demands Europe brings. Caulkin: Ollie Watkins was brilliant for Villa. He talked afterwards about how furious he was to not start against Paris Saint-Germain. Ian Maatsen also came back into their team and scored. Emery left Pau Torres and Leon Bailey out of his squad. That's just not a luxury Newcastle have, even though their bench wasn't particularly weak in relative terms. Then you look at what Villa have done in the market. According to they've spent around £127million ($170.3m) and brought in £112m this season. The season before they spent £84m and brought in £83m. In 2021-22, they sold Jack Grealish for huge money and used it to spend big. That ability to trade and reinvest has meant a huge difference between the two clubs in terms of squad strength. Waugh: You're right. But Villa's wage-to-turnover ratio (96 per cent in 2023-24) is unsustainable and you suspect they'll need to do significant business again this summer, as they did last year, like Newcastle, to ensure PSR compliance. But they've also put themselves in a position whereby they now have a decent chance of getting back in the Champions League, which should help them financially. So it's risk for potential reward there and they've gambled more than Newcastle have. Newcastle got themselves into a PSR situation where they felt they had to act and bring in funds. Paul Mitchell's remit has been to make Newcastle's expenditure more sustainable and within the rules. That's partly why they haven't invested over the last three windows — because they consciously want to ensure they're in a healthier PSR position going forward. A huge summer awaits, regardless of which European competition Newcastle are in because if you look at Chelsea in the UEFA Conference League this season, they basically put out an entirely different XI in the early stages. In the Champions League, you need greater quality, like Villa had coming off the bench in Marcus Rashford and Donyell Malen. Newcastle don't have the depth to do either. Theoretically Newcastle have put themselves in a far better healthier PSR position to really make sure they can bolster significantly. Newcastle and Villa have adopted differing strategies, both of which have their pros and cons. Caulkin: It was the seventh game in a row Newcastle named an unchanged XI. It's difficult to argue with that approach when the first six were victories, including the League Cup final. That consistency of selection has won them a trophy and got them into fourth. Go back to that nine-game winning run in December and January that revolutionised their season and, again, changes were kept to a minimum. In those circumstances, can we really call it a mistake not to shuffle things around against Villa? Advertisement Waugh: Mistake is the wrong word. When you look at the bench, beyond Joe Willock, who hasn't had a brilliant season, and Anthony Gordon, who has been injured recently, the other substitutes haven't strongly pushed their case to be starting. That's not meant to be disrespectful to players who have been important to Newcastle's rise, but the difference between the first XI and most of the bench feels quite substantial at the moment. To make those changes when going to a side who have lost once at home all season would have been a risk, just as starting the same side three times in six days was. Jason Tindall insisted afterwards that if he'd made tweaks and Newcastle had lost, he'd have been questioned for changing a winning team. Such a difficult call really spotlighted for the first time how tough a situation he has been left in by Eddie Howe's unfortunate absence (due to pneumonia). Tindall is not the head coach, so does he really feel he has the authority to make such big decisions? It's a hard one for him. Physically, yes, with hindsight, changes possibly could have been made, but even looking at it now, I can't present a strong case for any of those left out to start. Caulkin: I agree. Because of the lack of depth in terms of quality and balance, the changes you could make are not necessarily in the areas you'd want. Gordon is the obvious one. When fit and on form, he's one of Newcastle's star players, but they went to Villa on the back of their biggest victory of the season and replacing either Harvey Barnes or Jacob Murphy, both of whom scored against Crystal Palace, would have been harsh. Gordon needs this competition. Ideally, you don't want to have automatic starters. In midfield there are good options — Sean Longstaff, Willock, Lewis Miley — but that area has been Newcastle's greatest strength. Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton have been exceptional since the cup final. Advertisement Villa targeted Newcastle's right on Saturday. Could Kieran Trippier have come out? Possibly, but then you're taking out huge influence and leadership as well as quality. I don't think any of these arguments are straightforward. Waugh: When Newcastle had just won the final, there were genuine questions about which way the run-in would go. Newcastle could have taken the psychological position that, 'We've won a cup, we're legends, we've been paraded through the city, and so the rest of the season doesn't really matter.' But the messaging from Howe and the players was: 'No, we want to be back in the Champions League.' Wow, have they gone again. For Newcastle to be fourth with five games remaining, having already won a cup… If you'd offered that to anyone associated with the club on March 1, they'd have snapped your hand off. Caulkin: Go back to late October and remember the sense of angst there was around the club. How a disruptive summer of change in the boardroom, that struggle to comply with PSR, failing to sign a first-XI player, uncertainty in the dressing room, all leeched into early results. Then fast-forward to December and that awful 4-2 defeat at Brentford. They were 12th after that! It felt like a knife-edge moment. Externally, there was chuntering about Howe's future and it became a huge week of reset. Consistency has got Newcastle into the position they're in. The way they've kicked on from Wembley has been remarkable and having given themselves this opportunity, they can't let it slip now. Maybe that's the point. Waugh: An obvious question, but how important is Ipswich Town this weekend now? Not just in terms of result, but response. Caulkin: It's massive, but I don't have any fear in that regard, even if my old Newcastle self is longing to add a caveat or two. They'll bounce back, because that's what they do. Advertisement My only qualification is that Howe is needed in the dugout. He's the leader, the driver, integral to everything. It was a great testament to him that players and staff responded to his absence with such vigour against Manchester United and Crystal Palace, but this is his team. Everybody hopes he will be back soon. Waugh: They do, especially given how ridiculously congested the Premier League is surrounding those final three Champions League qualification positions. Five into three doesn't go. How are you feeling about the run-in? Caulkin: I feel relaxed… Who is this person I've become?! But unlike most of their rivals, Newcastle have already secured their season's objectives. I don't want to describe what follows as a free hit, because the Champions League is too important, but they should be confident. They should play like the legends they are! I mentioned angst earlier. I certainly felt angst when Gordon ruled himself out of the final by getting sent off: 'There goes the trophy'. I was so wrong. Angst has been part of the Geordie psyche for so long — that if something can go wrong, it will — but this is a robust team now. Whenever they've put themselves in a difficult position, they've found a response. I do think it will go down to the wire because it's so close, but I feel confident. How about you? Waugh: I wouldn't say confident — the natural pessimist in me doesn't allow for that and Newcastle have some difficult games — but they have a great chance. Inside five days I've gone from writing about Newcastle chasing down Arsenal in second to discussing them missing out on the top five — that's how fickle I am! It's probably in Newcastle's interests if Arsenal are in the Champions League final by the time they go to the Emirates next month, as perhaps that will prove a potential distraction. With a trip to Brighton & HOve Albion as well, Newcastle's away matches are tough, in spite of their massively improved form on the road this season. Advertisement If Newcastle win their three home games, which I believe they can, that should be good enough, especially given one is against Chelsea. If you push me for a prediction, I think Newcastle will finish top five; probably fourth or fifth — which will more than suffice. Caulkin: The Carabao Cup and returning the Champions League would make this, without question, the best season in Newcastle's modern history. But it's strange… Wembley was probably my favourite moment following the club but I'm not sure this has been up there with my favourite seasons, even if there have been some ridiculous highs. When you throw in all the lows, the way it started and the negativity that lingered on from the summer, I don't think this compares with 2022-23 or even 1992-93 or 1993-94. What connects that fourth-place season under Howe and the early years of Kevin Keegan's first spell as manager was that wide-eyed sense of possibility and buzz, how every win felt like a miracle. This one has felt very long! And often like hard work. Waugh: Arguably, that makes it an even greater achievement. When you consider the circumstances in which winning a first trophy in 56 years and potential Champions League qualification would have arrived, it would be a brilliant managerial feat. Unlike two years ago, when fans would have recognised the rapid sense of progress even if it hadn't ended with a top-four finish, I think the abiding memory of this season will be very much outcome-based. If you spoke to fans in December, it definitely wouldn't have been a vintage campaign for anyone at that stage. For years to come, it'll now be one everyone recalls vividly for at least one, if not hopefully two, very big reasons. Caulkin: For them to be in this position is already a triumph given they haven't strengthened their first XI for three transfer windows, but now they need to make it count. What do legends do? They get it over the line.
