How Glenn Murray’s form compares to his World Cup rivals
There’s been plenty of talk about Glenn Murray and the England squad. It was sad to see he didn’t make Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions in the recent friendlies against Netherlands and Italy, and it seems to be his dream might be over.
There were plenty of World Cup tips saying to back his 25/1 odds and there still are. The 34-year-old needs to keep doing what he’s doing and you never know. He’s the fourth highest scoring Englishman in the country this season, but how does he compare against England’s other potential strikers going to Russia?
Harry Kane
Naturally, you can’t really compare the two. Kane will go to the tournament as the main focal point of England’s attack and may well be given the captain’s armband by Southgate. Nobody is going to take that away from the Spurs striker and most of England’s hopes will be on him.
Jamie Vardy
Jamie Vardy has become a staple in the England squad now and rightly so. Like Murray he’s had to earn his stripes, coming through the ranks and has proven himself every time.
That’s a good omen for Murray and should give confidence to Southgate that others could follow suit. Murray is a completely different player of course, much more confident with his back to goal. When bodies need throwing forward and long balls are hacked towards the front, we know who we’d rather have winning headers.
Equally, if a games getting stretched, Vardy is the man to get in and behind a defence.
Marcus Rashford
Still a young lad, there are plenty of mistakes in Rashford and while it’s fairly obvious he’ll go to the tournament, the experience of Murray would likely be more valued than the Manchester United man. Rashford has played very little football since the turn of the year and Murray also has scored just 12 goals in 42 appearances. Murray’s record stands at 13 in 31.
Again, like Vardy there’s a time and a place for Rashford and of course he’d be a lot more dangerous running at pace. If they need an out ball though, again Rashford isn’t the man.
Danny Welbeck
Another player built in the same way as Rashford and Kane, except with few goals, more injury worries and a severe lack of form. There was outcry when Welbeck beat the likes of Glenn Murray and Callum Wilson to the squad and it’s no wonder.
Welbeck has scored just seven goals in as many games as Murray, the majority of those coming in cup competitions and has looked far from sharp when he has played a prolonged period in a game. Murray offers a far better alternative to Welbeck, and Southgate could end up regretting his decision should he take the Arsenal man and be left with no options when it comes to switching tactics.
