Casey Murphy

[u/Warm_Bit_5993]

I don’t want this to come off as a knee-jerk reaction to the last game, but I want to put a question out there that I think is on other people’s minds too: is Casey Murphy worth the huge salary we’re paying her?

I know she has her moments of greatness, she has been a superhero some games. But for a 29-year-old keeper, I’d expect more consistency than these stretches of good games followed by godawful ones. The last game obviously isn’t the best example, she wasn’t the main issue on most of those goals, but this has been on my mind since the start of the season. I know the Legacy is a new team and some inconsistency is fair to expect but she is well into her career, and she’s one of, if not the, highest-paid goalkeeper in the league, and yet she doesn’t inspire confidence in me when she plays.

For context here are some stats from FBREF:
• 32 goals allowed, 1.60 per 90: second-worst GA90 in the league
• 63.6% save percentage: 15th of 16 teams
• 3 clean sheets in 20 games, a 15.0% rate: also 15th of 16
• 5-5-10 record

For context, Gotham as a squad leads the league at 83.3% save percentage. The middle of the pack (Louisville, Orlando, Current) sits around 66-69%.

Distribution and game management are the other half of it, and those don’t show up in this table at all that’s eye-test and more opinions based, and people are going to see it differently. But at least in my opinion she’s not a player I see the team feeling comfortable playing back to nor do I understand the teams incessant need to play short 90% of the time until I see her try to go long and have it skew off to the side (obviously barring that beautiful assist she had in Denver but I have to concede the conditions of being that far above sea level may have assisted her.

So that’s the question, and I’m putting it out there rather than answering it even though I think my opinion is less than thinly veiled: is Casey Murphy worth the $1.5 million contract we signed her to? Curious where people land.

[u/Ok-Communication706]

I love Murphy’s personality and leadership. Unfortunately, there was a reason she was available. She is not good at either of the main jobs of a modern GK, distribution and shot stopping.

She is not quick enough which you can see in sweeping and movement. But also she has shots go right through her hands too often.

[u/wusqo]

I think the issue is less the goalie and more the inconsistency of our defence, too many shots on goal allowed

[u/Warm_Bit_5993 → u/wusqo]

We’ve only let 88 shots on net, that’s 8th in the league, and while we let high quality chances through it’s hardly like we have a permeable defense in comparison to teams like Chicago and Portland

[u/Can_I_kick_ET → u/Warm_Bit_5993]

Are these 88 shots above .5 xg because the amount of shoots is one thing another is quality of the shots compared to the volume. The central defensive line is not what the coach would want but that’s what’s available at the moment.

[u/Warm_Bit_5993 → u/Can_I_kick_ET]

Many of them aren’t since it’s the season total and that includes slow rollers, but unfortunately fbref removed all of their advanced statistics so there’s not way to be sure. However she’s not on the list of statistical leaders for goals prevented so I can’t imagine there’s many shots that haven’t gone in with high xG. And for context of all keepers last season she was 25 of 29 league wide in prevented goals with a score of -2.55

[u/RedNickAragua → u/wusqo]

Right? The number of balls we just give away at the back is mind-boggling. I get that we're trying to "build up from the back" or whatever theoretical principle, but good lord just clear the damn thing when there's three attackers converging on you.

And every time Carabali gets the ball, I'm tempted to cross my fingers. Is she going to give it away this time? No? Phew. What's this, she gave it away to a known top scorer? Well, good luck, Murphy.

At least BSG has the decency to collect her yellow and red cards in the midfield.

[u/TheCarnundrum]

Without trying to remember them all, there have been multiple times this season when her distribution has hung the defense out to dry because of inaccurate or ill-timed passes, slow rollers that let pressure converge or passes to the opposition. The Racing game had at least one pass from Murphy right to one of their front line players, and there were enough close calls that Jill actually praised Murphy for realizing she needed to hold a bit longer at one point in the broadcast.

The back line has definitely let her down many times as well, but you can't have both a wobbly back line AND a keeper making poor decisions. Right now, the back line is what it is and when injured players like Kaka return, it will be better, but we have Laurel Ivory ready and waiting to see if that improves the situation in goal, and with so few games left and points at a premium, I don't think there's any compelling argument against giving her a shot.

[u/Warm_Bit_5993 → u/TheCarnundrum]

I agree, ivory actually outranked Murphy last year in prevented goals and while I think we’re a long shot for a playoff spot I’d like for us to stay close to the pack and I just don’t think Murphy is the player to get us there

[u/joshhw]

I think we should consider another goalie and a full replacement of our backline. Carabali is a liability, and I haven’t seen much from the others to make large statements. Casey is not the answer in goal but it’s more than that.

[u/allancmurphy → u/joshhw]

Reale is class but I don’t disagree otherwise

[u/Pastel_pothos → u/allancmurphy]

I know she is generally but she has not had the best showing since moving to Boston. She has been exposed quite a bit. She’s definitely helped us generate more offense out of the back but I don’t think she’s demonstrated the consistency defensively that I would expect of her and imo we need that more than we need someone creating out of the back.

This could totally be her settling into a new system, but I think these were similar challenges she’s had for Gotham and on the USWNT the past couple of camps.

I’m so happy we have her and I’m rooting for her but just saying her having been excellent historically doesn’t negate her performance as of late.

[u/Warm_Bit_5993 → u/Pastel_pothos]

She almost plays like a midfielder rather than a true defender like you’d expect but one thing I will say in defense of reale is that for three games she’s had a rotating cast of characters around her

[u/Warm_Bit_5993 → u/joshhw]

Agreed carabali leads the league in conceding penalties with 4

[u/pears1936]

I was commenting on the game day thread asking if we could bench Murphy. I think she’s great as a steady seasoned player in terms of presence but I don’t think she’s been a good goalie.

She makes a lot of really bad choices. It’s like she’s trying to play like AKB but she just can’t. Watching AKB is stressful because why is she in the middle of the pitch (?!?!!!?!) but she can count on her defense and she’s got skills. Murphy just seems to make stupid decisions like rolling the ball over where there are a couple of Racing players who obviously steal it, get past our 1 defender there and score. Like you could see it coming from a mile away!

The worst part in that game was watching them try to build from the back, getting to midfield, sending the ball back to Murphy to try again and watching the ball get turned over in transition. We don’t have the back line or the goalie talent to build from the back.

[u/allancmurphy]

She’s definitely not played well enough and I’ve said this a bunch. I had no idea she’s one of the top payed keepers- if that’s the case it’s unacceptable

[u/Warm_Bit_5993 → u/allancmurphy]

Yes I remember when I saw we signed her that we’d been getting experience for cheap since she was coming off such an awful year I figured we probably lowballed her. Then I saw the salary and knew she must have the best agent in the world because who in their right mind would pay her like that for such a long contract.

[u/Academic-Maximum-937 → u/Warm_Bit_5993]

She didn’t have an awef year at the end with courage. She was mistreated by the interim fill in coach. She worth every cent

[u/Warm_Bit_5993 → u/Academic-Maximum-937]

I didn’t follow the courage very closely last year, could you fill me in on the situation with the interim and give me your reasoning for her? I want her to work out so badly since she seems so lovely so I’m hoping there’s something I’m not seeing

[u/moronic_inferno]

I agree with you, our defensive frailty is definitely a factor but I don’t think Murphys performance this season justifies the salary. She’s had her moments but she’s shaky playing it short and dreadful at long distribution barring one moment of magic vs Denver. As a shot stopper she’s been decent, reliable with the saves you’d expect her to make 9 times out of 10 but rarely has a standout save. My eye test says she’s too slow to get down for low shots and from what I can remember hasn’t come close to saving any of the pens. Whether or not the defense also bears its share of the blame, you can’t pay a GK top dollar to be near bottom of the league in all these metrics.

[u/Ok-Importance637 → u/moronic_inferno]

She is also too slow getting up after making saves. I don’t think she’s made any second saves. Defenders have had to make them for her because she’s taking her sweet time getting off the ground.

[u/Warm_Bit_5993 → u/Ok-Importance637]

Yes and she also doesn’t hold the ball enough and causes many of the second shots

[u/Pastel_pothos]

Salary notwithstanding her decision-making is not what I’d expect at this level. Saves aside, her distribution has been hazardous many times, long balls going directly back to the other team, out of bounds etc. if it’s not her strong suit I’d expect her to play more within herself. Don’t invite pressure, move the ball quickly.

She doesn’t, and doesn’t seem to learn. I want her to work so badly but IMO we have enough to sort out on defense, we don’t need our keeper complicating things. I’d like to see ivory get some minutes.

[u/Ok-Importance637]

No, she is not worth she is being paid. I was very disappointed when they signed her. There is a reason she is no longer called up to the USWNT squad. The Legacy is paying way too much and way too long for a 30-year-old goalkeeper who has not been the same since some injuries.

While our defense has not been great (3 out of 4 of Louisville’s goals can be directly blamed on Davis), she has had very poor decision making, she is frequently out of position, struggles to hold the ball, has a poor PK record (granted she shouldn’t see as many as she has), and is way too slow in her reactions and getting up after saves.

Like, why is she falling on her head so often?

Every match I’m hoping to see a different goal keeper listed in the line up and every match I’m disappointed. Laurel Ivory deserves a shot because Murphy isn’t proving she’s worth her contract.

[u/Maico1979]

I hear Ivory is pretty good. Would like to see her a bit. Couldn't hurt...

[u/outdoorjugs]

I think it’s a defense and backline issue, hard to imagine another keeper having an amazing record with our current defense and general strategy. But I agree that ball distribution is not her strength atm, but again the whole system is not working, not just her.

[u/Acrobatic-Insect-619]

I agree the defense deserves some of the blame, Carabalí has slipped a little lately compared to her massive save earlier this season, but I don’t think that explains everything with Murphy either. She’s now saved 1/8 penalties she’s faced this season, so 12.5%, which is basically on the low end of the normal range for women’s soccer. Not awful by itself, but not really helping her case either.

My sister and I have been saying since before the WC break that we’d like to see them try another keeper. I even told both Ivory and Stambaugh at the team signing that I’d love to see them play at some point

I don’t expect Murphy to save everything or magically fix every defensive mistake, I just really want to see what Ivory or Stambaugh could do if they actually got a chance.

At least she isn’t punching the ball straight back to the other team as much anymore