Why Burnley made a huge mistake by not signing Cardiff’s Josh Murphy

Back in May, a report from The Sun had claimed that Burnley were interested in signing Cardiff City winger Josh Murphy. However, a deal didn’t materialise and the 24-year-old stayed put at Cardiff City.

Josh Murphy joined the Bluebirds from Norwich City last summer and bagged three goals and an assist, but couldn’t save the club from top-flight relegation.

Despite his modest return of goals and assists, he was one of the club’s rare bright sparks throughout the last campaign, and his decision to stay put even after relegation would have provided a huge boost to Neil Warnock’s Cardiff.

Burnley, meanwhile, have had a decent start to the new Premier League season, picking up four points in three games.

After the opening day victory over Southampton, the Clarets have lost against Arsenal and drawn with Wolves. Sean Dyche would be happy with the start but he knows his team have to improve a lot if they are to avoid another relegation dogfight.

Dyche’s team are hard to beat as his players drop deep in numbers when defending their own half. They compress the pitch, shrink the middle, double up in wide areas and rely on individual flair and skill to create scoring chances.

Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood have formed a solid partnership upfront, but they aren’t silky, pacey and agile strikers that can dance past players and score goals.

Barnes and Wood are traditional centre-forwards, strong in the air and excellent at hold-up play. The duo heavily really on services from their teammates, especially crosses from the wide areas.

As far as the wide department is concerned, the Clarets have Johann Berg Gudmundsson, Aaron Lennon and Dwight McNeil. McNeil enjoyed his breakthrough campaign last year and is expected to play a bigger role this time around.

That said, question marks continue to hang over Gudmundsson and Lennon’s quality. Truth be told, Dyche should have bolstered his wide department over the summer by bringing in Josh Murphy.

Read More Burnley news, click here: Burnley latest news

Predominantly a left-winger, Murphy can also play on the right, as a no.10 or a second striker. He is blessed with explosive pace and dribbling skills and is noted for his ability to outwit the defenders with his intelligent movement in and around the penalty area.

The former England Under-20 international is an exciting player who can get the supporters off their seats with moments of brilliance.

Verdict

The 24-year-old’s versatility would have given Dyche a number of options in the attack this season and his ability to both score and create should have helped Burnley climb higher up the table.

All in all, Murphy would have been the right fit at Turf Moor, but as things stand, Dyche has made a huge mistake by not signing the Cardiff star.