EVERGREEN MURPHY SETS SIGHTS HIGH
VETERAN striker Daryl Murphy is looking for 20 goals this season to get Nottingham Forest into the Premier League.
The 34-year-old has already bagged seven and taken Forest to the fringe of the promotion places.
Manager Mark Warburton is challenging Murphy to hit the 20-mark ahead of this afternoon’s big battle with Cardiff, who entered the weekend in second place.
If he pulls it off, it will be Murphy’s best goals haul since he got 27 league goals for Ipswich in the Championship in 2014-15.
“I think Murphy could be a 20-goal striker,” says Warburton. “He’s at seven now and he will be frustrated he missed a couple of goals early on. He’s hungry.
“Here we are at game 18 and a lot left. It’s the job of the medical team and the sports science guys to look after Murphy, wrap him in cotton wool when we have to and roll him out for the games.”
Murphy has already had one big disappointment with the Republic of Ireland failing to make the World Cup finals and he doesn’t want another.
“I think I can get 20 goals,” he says. “If I’m judging myself on goals, I should have 10 already at this stage of the season with the chances I’ve had.
“I’m my own biggest critic. I’m here to score goals.
“At my age it’s difficult to play every game. The gaffer has been brilliant with me and he gave me a few days off before we played Norwich on Tuesday night.
“It was emotionally and physically draining with Ireland (losing the play-off against Denmark). It was hard and to lose was devastating, mentally draining.
“I felt the benefits of a rest. I want to play every game I can, but I know my body well enough and I’m old enough to know when I can give it all and maybe when I’m holding someone else back.
“It’s about being clever, seeing what games we have, and making sure I’m 100 per cent ready.”
Forest’s away form is patchy, but at home they are roaring along. The 1-0 win over Norwich courtesy of Murphy’s winner was their fourth successive victory by the Trent.
“We play some very good football, we create chances,” says Murphy. “We also give a few sloppy goals away, but against Norwich it was a really solid performance.
“I train with these lads every day and the quality is top-notch. It’s starting to gel together now.
“When we’re at home we want to get at the opposition, we want to put the pressure on them.
“We love playing at home, the fans have been brilliant all season. I’m sure the place will be rocking on Sunday.
“Cardiff are a good side, they’ve had some very good results and will be full of confidence. They’ll be physical and dangerous.”
Forest crowds are up over 4,000 as the city warms to the young side Warburton has built and Murphy is leading.
“We play exciting football,” says Murphy. “We have young players who are brave. They want the ball and want to try things and the fans react to that
“The Norwich win was massive for us because the table is so tight. Any team that goes on a run could be right in the mix.”
Warburton says Murphy is playing a big part in looking after kids in a team that has an average age of 23.
“We are two points off the top six,” says Warburton. “All you can say is that we are going to work as hard to be as high in the league as we can come the end of the season. To make any predictions is foolish.
“It’s a young team, there is a lot of young talent there and they are growing. They are being very well mentored by the likes of Liam Bridcutt, David Vaughan and Murphy.”