Murphy was heavily criticised by several fans for many aspects of his game when he was at City - attitude, involvement, 'we bought the wrong brother etc'. He is often cited as one of two Warnock's bad and expensive buys.

This season, he is an automatic pick for Pompey and has performed well, scoring and making goals. In fact, his brother has also improved at Newcastle and has secured his place in the first XI.

Have the brothers just got better, the older they've become? Perhaps, but I think both if not loved, have felt appreciated by the home fans - and Pompey fans are vocal and almost on the pitch, so that Murphy will have absorbed the positive vibes.

At Cardiff, Warnock was often criticised for how he managed Murphy and his other expensive signing, Reid, and both have moved on with some success. But, maybe it is the critical fans who need to look at themselves. Could they have contributed to the poor performances of Murphy and Reid?

Yesterday, Murphy's performance was one of the key differences in the performance of the two teams.