Murphy must realise his playing career is over and back the young brigade in United
A season billed as one of rebuilding for Galway United has seen its foundation come under serious pressure as the club stumbles towards its worst-ever finish in the League of Ireland, with little sight of brighter days ahead.
United have lost 12 of their 17 league games so far this season – the joint worst record, along with bottom-of-the-table Wexford – meaning that with 10 games of the campaign still remaining, the focus can already turn to preparing for next season.
That was probably the plan anyway – a long-term outlook – with United operating off a reduced budget from last year meaning the majority of the squad are on amateur terms, but no-one would have envisaged at the start of the season that it would be such a disappointing 2019 campaign.
The finger of blame can be pointed in many directions, starting with the senior players in the squad, experienced campaigners who haven’t come within an asses’ roar of playing to their ability this season.
Bringing in a number of young and inexperienced players meant United manager, Alan Murphy, was relying on individuals with League of Ireland experience to take a leadership role and guide those youngsters. From the evidence on the pitch so far, that hasn’t happened.
Yet Murphy himself is also culpable. Not only has he played some players out of position, but he has stuck with that tactic despite the evidence suggesting it isn’t working – for example, playing Stephen Walsh as a left-back has been an utter disaster, but time and again that is where the club captain has been positioned.
United have conceded six goals in their last three games – five of those goals came from down United’s left flank, while the sixth was by a player who ghosted in unmarked from wide on the United left to tap home at the back post. A clear sign that something is not working in that part of the pitch.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
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