OPINION
Former Newcastle United star Nolberto ‘Nobby’ Solano is naive to claim that attacker Jacob Murphy could be a key player for Rafa Benitez’s side if he simply put his mind to it.
The 43-year-old is his first column for the Chronicle tipped the 23-year-old pacey winger for success at St James Park and suggested that it was only a mental hurdle currently standing in his way.
“For me Jacob Murphy could be a key player for United if he puts his mind to it,” wrote Solano for the newspaper.
“He’s got the pace and the potential, believe me.
“There were a couple of situations on Saturday where he just needed to look up and see what the options were.
“But he’ll get better because he’s got a good attitude.”
While Murphy may one day tear it up in a Magpies shirt, that day doesn’t look like being anytime soon as he clearly has a lot to learn.
Solano acknowledges that the speed demon needs to get better as he backs him to improve due to his attitude but he’s barking up the wrong tree by stating that Murphy simply needs to focus his mind on being a key player in order to transform into one.
The 23-year-old is no doubt fully focused on being an important player in Benitez’s side but he doesn’t seem ready to feature in the Premier League week-in-week out as he simply doesn’t have the quality to do so at this stage.
Murphy’s crossing ability is dubious at his best, his decision-making is not where it should be, and he’s not exactly the greatest tacker of the ball when he ends up tracking back to aid his side’s defence.
The winger is clearly a bigger work in process than just someone who needs to believe in themselves, and the reason why the speed demon appears currently on a leash has nothing to do with him not having his eyes on the prize.
Therefore Solano is naive to claim that Murphy could be a key player for the Magpies anytime soon as Benitez is keeping Murphy on a leash due to him not having all the skills in place to be a fixture of the first-team, let alone a key player.
