37 years of age. Five appearances. Zero goals. Zero assists. Not named in the squad since the end of November. And now, he is training alone. Glenn Murray, who is in the closing stages of his career, hoped he would play a pivotal part in Watford’s push for promotion. Unfortunately for the Brighton & Hove Albion loanee, the move has not worked out.
Glenn Murray Exercising Alone Ahead f Move Away
Why Watford Initially Signed Him
Upon relegation from the Premier League, the Hornets were on the brink of turmoil. Most notably, club captain Troy Deeney was unwilling to commit his immediate future to the club. To ensure that Watford did not have a complete lack of depth in attack, the Pozzo family brought in Murray on loan. The target-man is pretty much a like-for-like replacement for Deeney.
Murray, who is in the last year of his contract with Brighton, knew he did not have a place in the Seagulls’ squad. The prospect of filling Deeney’s shoes seemed to guarantee Murray would see at least a fair amount of playing time. But, as Deeney did not depart, as well as the Hornets signing influential Stipe Perica, Murray quickly grew surplus to requirements.
Time at Watford for Murray
When Murray found the pitch for Watford early on in the campaign, he performed sluggishly. Murray was not lazy nor did he look like he was not putting in his best effort. Simply stated, he appeared as if his race had been run. At 37-years-old, it is hard to perform at a top-level.
Although Murray scored double-digit goals in the Premier League in 2018/19, the inevitable age-induced drop in form occurred in the 2019/20 campaign, where he only scored once. The Englishman, who once led the Championship in scoring, could not replicate his form of old.
A golden chance to rewrite the script presented itself to Murray at the end of Watford’s 1-1 draw against Wycombe Wanderers. In the last seconds of the match, Murray did well to peel away from his marker and struck the ball across the face of the net. The angle was tough, and the ball whistled just past the post. That is likely the last touch of the ball he will have as a Watford player.
Training Alone and Outlook for Glenn Murray
According to the Watford Observer, Murray is no longer training with the Hornets as he looks for options for the second half of the season. Other Championship clubs are expected to be interested in his signature. Neither Brighton nor Watford will have an issue in terminating his current loan deal to free up such a move.
Even though Murray is well past his best days, he is still one of the best strikers the Championship has seen in the past decade. Although his time with Watford was not successful, there is still a chance a move elsewhere will in what is likely the last season of his career. Form is temporary. Class is permanent. Perhaps his time with Watford was just a spell of bad form. Still, termination of the loan is best for all parties involved.
Main Photo
