At present, there are numerous clubs across the EFL whose sole target is to achieve their respective ambitions of promotion, a play-off place or survival.
However, that hasn’t stopped the rumour mill from working its usual speculation as we edge further towards the summer transfer window.
Josh Murphy’s form at Oxford United
Oxford United have been one of League One’s strongest outfits across the season, and despite a blip after Liam Manning’s well-documented departure to Bristol City last November, Des Buckingham still has the U’s in a strong position to solidify an eventual place in the play-offs.
Buckingham has a highly-talented squad at his disposal for League One level, and one of those comes in the form of Josh Murphy, who has previously graced the higher echelons of English football, where his twin brother Josh now finds himself at Newcastle United in the Premier League.
His first season at the Kassam Stadium after signing a two-year contract wasn’t exactly ideal, featuring just 23 times all season – only ten of which were starts, registering no goals and just three assists.
It took the Norwich City academy graduate some time to get going this campaign also, despite an injury-hit period between late December and early February.
However, since his return, the 29-year-old has been in red-hot form for the play-off chasers. Since notching his first goal of the season in a 4-2 win over Wigan Athletic on February 12th, Murphy has gone on to record five more goals and three of his four assists so far this term – with half of those eight goal contributions coming in the last two games – emphatic 4-0 and 5-0 victories over Burton Albion and Peterborough United.
