How ‘pantomime villain' Josh transformed his fortunes
He was the ‘pantomime villain’ told he didn’t have a future last summer - only to later be offered the chance to become the highest-paid player in Oxford United’s history.
Now the man described as the best winger in League One last season has joined Pompey - and he’s being backed to become a Fratton Park smash.
According to Liam Rice, sports reporter with the Oxford Mail, the 29-year-old was the driving force behind their League One play-off triumph to follow the Blues into the Championship.
Once told he had no Kassam Stadium future under Liam Manning, it was last November’s appointment of Des Buckingham which transformed the pacy winger’s fortunes.
From February he scored eight times in 18 matches, including two at Wembley in the play-off final against Bolton, glittering form which inevitably created plenty of interest when his contract expired this summer.
But John Mousinho won the race to capture his former team-mate - and
Rice is convinced the former Cardiff man can continue to flourish with Pompey.
He told The News:
‘A couple of years ago,
Blackpool were flirting with Cameron Brannagan, so Oxford decided to break the bank almost and gave him a long-term deal, which made him the highest-paid player at the club.
‘Subsequently, this summer, they were willing to say to Josh: “You can be the highest-paid player at the club - therefore also in the club’s history”. We are not talking substantially more, but it was enough.
’From February onwards, he was Oxford’s key player and arguably one of the best players in League One, if not the best winger in the league. There were goals, assists, he had full-backs on toast every week.
‘Des Buckingham wants them to play with pace out wide, which suited him down to the ground. It culminated quite nicely with a brace at Wembley to win the play-off final.
‘Josh is quick, rapid, quite an old-fashioned winger who will knock it past his man and it’s a sprint race. He has things up his sleeve, like step-overs and all that sort of stuff, but doesn’t really rely on trickery to get past his man, it’s that sheer speed.
‘He was a right footer operating on the left wing, so had the option of cutting in onto his right foot from the left and getting a shot off. He’s happy to go outside or inside, but his pace is absolutely his biggest weapon.
‘Murphy was Oxford’s match winner from February. The tactic wasn’t quite about getting the ball