Honestly, not trying to annoy anyone, not trying to start a row! I see MM's name regularly appear on Best 15's and so on and so forth....I have to say, for a fella who gets so much praise and is supposed to be this behemoth mixture of Peter Cavavan, George Best and a Minotaur, I just dont see it.
I have seen more big games pass him by than anything else. I dont think he has been anywhere near Donegals best player in recent years. Frank, Karl Lacey and the McGees would take that honour.
MM is a decent player, would he get in the Dubs team at 14? Of course he would!! But is he the second coming of Maurice Fitz? Not for me, not atall.

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 18/12/2015 14:29:42    1813487

Not a snowballs chance in hell is Michael Murphy over rated.

If anything he's under rated. The man is immense.

Super player. He'd walk into the Dublin team ahead of almost anyone imo.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13704 - 18/12/2015 14:45:26    1813493

I couldn't agree I think Murphy is pound for pound the best footballer in Ireland. I think if he was from Dublin we would be talking about him as the next coming of our Saviour. He can do it all and this is mostly his downfall . He can kick frees from 50 yards kick scores left and right make tackles catch as good as any player in the country. I honestly think whether he was playing at midfield centre forward or full forward he would be in the top 3 in all of them positions in the country.

I don't agree that games pass him by I just think he is expected to do it all. He is expected to win ball out the field and also be in around the square to kick the scores. I think Donegal would be average without him.

dubshurling7 (Dublin) - Posts: 1017 - 18/12/2015 14:48:13    1813496

fair enough bucks
still hasnt changed my mind tho, i still dont think he is the player ye are saying he is, but I totally get that I am in a minority here.

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 18/12/2015 15:00:48    1813500

Michael Murphy is an immense footballer who is probably a victim of his own versatility.
He has been playing senior county football for 8 years now but is still only 26 years of age. I remember his debut against Leitrim in a qualifier in Carrick on Shannon. I'd heard great things but was still somewhat skeptical about a 17 year old starting for Donegal. With his first touch he got in on goal and rocketed a shot to the roof of the net. Case closed!
Since then I have seen him produce countless virtuoso performance fro club and county. The obvious highlight is the goal against Mayo in 2012. It was a magnificent goal in its own right. But when you put it into context, it was a massive score. Captain of a county starved of success with supporters almost delirious with nerves. He emphatically almost dictated the outcome of the match with one symbolic strike! At no point after that goal did I think Donegal were going to lose to Mayo and I imagine his fellow players felt something similar.
Murphy will rightly go down in history as one of Donegal's best ever players and will be regarded similarly nationally.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9115 - 18/12/2015 15:10:24    1813502

Best forward in the country. I don't get what you cant see. Have you the lights off?

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 18/12/2015 15:15:24    1813508

Looking from the outside in I think he is top class. I don't know how to rate him among the top forwards in the game, but one way I'd look at it is would he improve the starting XV of both finalists from 2015?

I say yes.

His kicking from a standing position is excellent, he is strong, reasonably quick, good fielder of the ball and uses his backside to great effect. Looks like a huge man yet has the skills and artistry of a small light player. Very intelligent too. An excellent player.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 18/12/2015 15:27:01    1813512

It's all about opinions I suppose, for me I never really got the whole Declan O'Sullivan thing, decent yes but would of had half a dozen other Kerry players in front of him, never the player I feared when Tyrone went to play Kerry. Now I know I'm in the minority and I saw where Philip Jordan tweeted this week that he was the best he ever marked so I realise that I've probably got this one wrong but there you go..... all about opinions1

benched (Tyrone) - Posts: 534 - 18/12/2015 15:29:03    1813516

Hes not overrated in my opinion. If the thread were is he the best forward ever, or better than the likes of Colm Cooper, then that would be another story.

I think when you factor in the fact that he is played at mid field a lot, when his natural position is in around the square, or the fact that he is often double marked by great defenders, and the fact that he can be very isolated at times up front, then he is doing very well indeed. I also think his dead ball game is as good if not better than sheehan's. I would love to see stats about both players. It is a part of the game that is often overlooked in terms of real nerve and skill.

To summarize, he is a great footballer, and imo he is not overrated.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 18/12/2015 15:41:26    1813524

The 45 he scored against Tyrone last May was as good a score from a dead ball I've ever seen. It was a tight game in which Justy McMahon had rattled him (by fair and foul means but we'll not go there again!). The kick was tight on the sideline on his 'wrong' side but he nailed it! Unreal bottle and technique.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9115 - 18/12/2015 15:52:24    1813527

Liam he has carried Donegal through a lot of games over the last 4/5 years and he is a leader on and off the field. If there was a transfer market he would be my first purchase. He can play anywhere from 8 to 15. His fielding is as good as any midfielder in the last decade an example would be Galway last year with a monster of a catch. He can kick points from 50 yards in open play or frees and he has a skill set that he can create space against tight marking defenders to get his shot away. By the time he retires I expect him to have another all ireland in his back pocket.

Jackos_Wacko (Kerry) - Posts: 417 - 18/12/2015 15:56:00    1813529

Without doubt the outstanding forward in the country over the last 5 years, would not only get in any team in the country, but he would be the 'focal point'

Ciarrai Abu (Overseas) - Posts: 1050 - 18/12/2015 16:20:19    1813532

Class player!

KerryKillers (Dublin) - Posts: 711 - 18/12/2015 16:46:32    1813539

this guy posts th same crap every time - "....honestly not trying to start a row here..." and comes out with some halfwit statement.

Murphys the best around, end off, and everyone knows it

redhanddefender (Tyrone) - Posts: 913 - 18/12/2015 16:54:23    1813541

My favourite player outside my own county.An animal of a man.Not dirty,but strong as an ox.Skill to burn.Deadly striker of a ball.One of the best free takers in the game.Genuine leader.If there was a transfer market in the game he'd be worth 100 million.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 18/12/2015 17:25:31    1813542

Mighty player. Best around debtable but top top player.

Adamski (Dublin) - Posts: 339 - 18/12/2015 19:00:50    1813550

He has a huge range of skills but it has to be said a fairly poor scoring record from play over the last few years. Some might argue this is because he is marked by the opponents best defender, or has played in various positions, but he seems to struggle to make an impact when tightly marked which could be due to lacking some pace over the first few yards. Excellent free-taker though and reads the game very well.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 18/12/2015 19:13:54    1813553

If their was a transfer market would be one of first guys on my list,Top player who does it in the big games.
I have never seen articles that went over board on his abilities.
I think someone needs to have another wum thread going.

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 18/12/2015 19:38:54    1813557

Superb player, a tank of a man and I would love to have him on the Tyrone team. Never overrated.

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 18/12/2015 21:09:52    1813570

Great to see ye all agreeing with me anyways chaps :)

Redhanddefender, boohoo!

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 19/12/2015 11:50:29    1813576