Josh Murphy development unexpected after ‘tremendous’ Portsmouth claim
Josh Murphy has proved his doubters wrong after becoming an integral part of Portsmouth as they fight for Championship survival.
The 30-year-old has been pivotal with his goal contributions as Pompey fight to avoid relegation to League One this season.
John Mousinho has done a brilliant job at Fratton Park, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see other teams eyeing his signature.
The English manager has Murphy to thank for the massive turnaround at the Hampshire outfit after a poor start to the season.
Portsmouth heroics from Murphy prove critics wrong
Murphy has exceeded expectations at Portsmouth with his performances this season, Justin Peach says.
The podcast host thought the 30-year-old would be a dud after completing a move to Pompey last summer.
| Competition (2024/25) | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Championship | 34 | 6 | 10 |
Peach has been proven wrong by the Englishman after a tremendous spell at the Hampshire outfit in recent months.
Speaking on The Second Tier Podcast (20 March), the co-host said: “I didn’t expect Murphy to have the season he’s having. I expected him to be a dud. And to be fair, in the first few games, it looked like that might be the case, but, my goodness, has he been tremendous. He really has been fantastic this season.”
“I did not expect Josh Murphy to have the season he’s having” 👏
— Second Tier podcast (@secondtierpod) March 20, 2025
“I’ll happily take the L” 🤷♂️
“He’s been tremendous” 🙌
Who’s been the “surprise” player of the season in the Championship?@JustinPeach27 says Portsmouth’s Josh Murphy👇
🔗 https://t.co/3vX06CB4So#Pompey pic.twitter.com/GCfvUWMaeT
Mousinho delighted with Murphy impact at Fratton Park
Mousinho will arguably be delighted with Murphy’s impact at Portsmouth this season as they have clawed their way out of the drop zone.
The 30-year-old has been a pivotal part of Pompey’s team and started in their 2-1 loss to Preston at Deepdale on Saturday (15 March).
Portsmouth find themselves 17th in the Championship, four points above 22nd-place Derby County.
The Hampshire outfit will evidently need to put their best foot forward in the final stretch of the campaign to avoid relegation.
Fratton Park’s faithful will be counting on Murphy to score and assist more in the most critical stage of the season.
The Englishman’s status at Portsmouth can’t be understated, as he’s the third-highest goalscorer for them in all competitions.
Callum Lang and Colby Bishop are the other players who have contributed considerably to Pompey’s attack in the current campaign.
Mousinho has time to reset during the international break, but the Hampshire outfit will have a tough test against Blackburn Rovers on 29 March.
Portsmouth have some tough fixtures ahead with teams in the top half of the table, and they will definitely need Murphy at his best to get positive results.