New strike pair David Healy and Daryl Murphy were in little doubt about what they want from their half-season loan from Sunderland to Town — to play games and to score goals. The duo were paraded at a Portman Road press conference on Thursday afternoon.

Healy says he and Murphy, good friends from their time at the Stadium of Light, can get the goals to lift the Blues from their current lowly position: “We’re both strikers and we love scoring and hopefully between the two of us we can come in and add some goals to the team.”

Neither has played many games for Sunderland in the recent past and Murphy, 26, says his reasons for moving to Portman Road are simple: “I just want to play as many games as I can and score as many goals as I can.”

Both players are pleased to be reunited with their former boss Roy Keane with Murphy feeling it will help them to settle into the hotel-based life of the loan player: “It’s easier when you’ve worked with a manager and a coaching team and have played with a lot of players that are here. It’s much easier for us to come here and blend in.

“We know what the manager’s like, we know what he wants from you, we know how he likes to play, and it was an easy decision in the end.”

Healy added: “Having worked with Roy and played with him at Man United, I think we know each other quite a bit, so he’s taken the chance to bring us down here. We know what makes him tick and, more importantly, what doesn’t make him tick!”

Asked why his domestic record continues to be poorer than his international form for Northern Ireland, Healy says that latterly it’s due to his lack of games: “Because I haven’t played! People always ask why my international record is better than my domestic record.

“When you’re scoring goals internationally, it’s not as if you’re playing week-in, week-out. You score a couple of goals and it’s two goals in two games, but you’ve only played two games in two months.

“Domestically, it’s our bread and butter and the sooner I get back and Murph gets back playing week-in, week-out the better for us both.”

Murphy, who was close to joining the club in the summer and previously when on trial in 2004/05, says his lack of goals is mainly down to the role he has played at Sunderland: “It’s about four years [since he last scored]! It’s hard but the number of games I’ve played as a winger doesn’t help because people look at my record and they think I’ve not scored that many.

“I’ve probably played 70% of my games at Sunderland as a left midfielder, so given a chance to play as a striker I know I can score goals and if I do play as a striker, I will.”

Healy, 30, says it may take a week or so for the duo to hit their peak: “To get match fitness you need to play 60 or 70 minutes and it might - I hope it doesn’t - take us a game or a couple of games to get match sharpness.

“We’re here for three months and hopefully within that time we can impress everybody and show the manager and the board why they brought us here and do as well as we can to push the club up the table.”

Both have played with plenty of members of the Town squad at Sunderland, while Healy has known Gareth McAuley since he was nine and was with Liam Rosenior at Fulham, while Murphy says his presence will strike fear into namesake and fellow Waterford native Brian: “I played with him in Waterford. I used like scoring goals against him. He used to dread it! You ask him about it!”

Healy says there have been no talks about making the moves permanent - his Sunderland deal lasts until the summer of 2011 and Murphy’s a year longer - but if all goes well, the Northern Irishman says it could happen: “We haven’t discussed it but if we do well and the manager’s happy, we’re happy, the board’s happy and, more importantly, the supporters are happy because we’re doing well, we’d never rule out coming to a club of this stature.”

Photo: Action Images

Wussinwhiteboots added 19:18 - Feb 4 It does not look like they have ever played together as centre forwards. I had assumed that we were signing a top notch, seasoned Premiership duo who had regularly played together. However neither have featured in any of SAFCs very poor ressies this season and neither have played a full premiership game YTD. Last time Murphy actually played they were stuffed by Chelski 7-2, he was on for for 72 mins and Healy played for the last 5 mins when they lost against Pompey in the Cup and had a goal(?)disallowed. I can hear the excuses now, "we've got to give them time to gell"!

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stainless added 19:30 - Feb 4 They are both decent strikers, maybe not premier quality, but Healy at least should look good in this league
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AJblue added 19:31 - Feb 4 I had assumed that we were signing a top notch, seasoned Premiership duo who had regularly played together. Well wuss, perhaps if you had a knowledge of football, you would know that that is not correct. However, as a pairing in the championship for us, they could well become a seasoned, experienced duo. Stranger things have happened like maybe you being positive for once!

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Bobajobblue added 19:37 - Feb 4 I don't know why, but I've got a really good feeling about Healy, especially in tandem with Walters, a possible legend, he's got a bit of the Bontcho about him.
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bluewall3 added 19:42 - Feb 4 you've got to give them a chance they both look good on utube
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newblue22 added 19:43 - Feb 4 Agreed injuredanimal !! What sort of NUMPTY would make a comment like Wussinwhiteboots ? How would any club let a premiership duo who had been playing together go out on loan, get back in your hole in the ground. I for one will be giving them and anyone else in a ITFC shirt my full support as I have done all season, if you don't like it go support/slag off/moan about another club!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

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blue_shoes added 19:48 - Feb 4 wussinwhiteboots bugger off back to norwich you cretin!
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bluekangaroo added 19:49 - Feb 4 Sign Nico Guglielmutti-Saenz immediatley - ........... and Yao (Say, BOOM BOOM's) mother.
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Wussinwhiteboots added 19:51 - Feb 4 I thought they would have been playing in together at least in the reserve! However Healy has never started a Prem League for SAFC scoring one goal in 13 sub appearances and Murphy has not scored a goal in over 4 years. So ID to clarify we are replacing Stead (assuming he will not be playing wide right) and Priskin the 5th and 6th top scorers in the CCC last year with 2 players who can't play for more than 60 -70 minutes in the slow paced premiership.

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ATHedley added 19:59 - Feb 4 Healy has in my opinion been treated unfairly and has never been given a consistent run in the team. Murphy has shown flashes of talent and almost always been played out of position but of the two he I would suggest is a championship player. Anyway looking at your position what does Injuredanimal expect? A top class striker don't make me laugh we (Sunderland) are in the premiership and have money to spend and those animals are as rare as hens teeth. I think the lads will do a decent job for you in your league but don't forget which manager was playing Murphy out of position.

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newblue22 added 20:00 - Feb 4 Sorry, have to say this but..........You really are a nob! Look at the stats for any prem striker and you will find the same results when they are not or have not been playing. Slow paced premiership? shame Theo Walcott was not up for a loan move, he might just be able to keep up with our fast footed CCC players
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Blueknight85 added 20:10 - Feb 4 wuss you are an idiota..didnt you read murphy has played mostly in left midfield at sunderland ...doh. and dont forget they have had darren bent to compete with.......and john stead was at sunderland but wasnt good enough to be kept. just because they havnt been playing at sunderland doesnt mean they are duff none of our squad would get in the sunderland team half of them werent lol and look at how good leadbitter has been for us. Also its all very well saying o so and so has been playing him out of position but ....a player might very well have a best position for themselves personally but when it comes to the team there best postion for the team might be somewhere else...(as a popular example) gerrard at liverpool when he was playing on a wing and not liking it...liverpool had shizer wingers but had a couple of good centre midfielders other than gerrard so it was better to play gerrard on the wing.

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pitseablue added 20:13 - Feb 4 Just hope the portman road faithful do not expect to much to soon. But we could do with a couple of wins to get us away from the drop zone, and maybe they do need to hit the ground running.
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stiffshorts added 20:26 - Feb 4 anything is better than the current sterile format eh?
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jbb added 20:35 - Feb 4 Correction to above, Murphy must have been misquoted. He scored the goal which secured Sunderlands Premiership survival v Middlesboro April 2008, a header from a corner. Prior to that, also 2008, he scored the Premiership Goal of the month (when playing on the right of a front three). Kenwyne Jones played in Murphys preferred position for past two and a half seasons. He has hardly played since Keane left (late 2008). His scoring record when he last played up front in the Championship was good.His main strength will be his ability, back to goal, to hold onto the ball in the attacking third, bring others into the game and score a share of goals as well. Not the quickest off the mark, but a bit quicker than he looks. Healy, as well as being a finisher, has like Murphy a better first touch than Walters/Stead. Both deserve a good run in team.

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runaround added 20:37 - Feb 4 The new signings could give the club the boost and the new club could give the players a boost in return. A new player always tends to create more interest and hopefully will breath new life into the team. If they hit the ground running it will be a great tonic for everyone. I just really hope they both start Saturday and we go at Boro right from the first whistle to get everyone up for it. I'm really looking forward to the match now!

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Liverpool_blu added 20:44 - Feb 4 I think both signing as going to provide us with a good option and both will score. Here is to climbing the table....
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upandtown added 21:00 - Feb 4 The only team that Healy has been given a consistent starting place for in the last few seasons is Northern Ireland. Not a bad goals return rate there. Why do so many Town fans search so high and low for negatives?
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GeorgiDoundarov added 21:02 - Feb 4 I cannot believe how many negative comments there are here?! What do we want? Rooney and Drogba? Come on! Get down to earth guys! For me until we actually get promoted to the Premiership we cannot expect to be able to attract great stars. While at Championship I think Healy is the best we can afford and the best who would agree to go down a division. Murphy... I am not so sure but still he should be on a very good Championship level. If these two cannot move us up in the table (I really dare to hope about top 6 still) I don't know who can do it. So GREAT JOB ROY AND GOD LUCK HEALY AND MURPHY! We need to support them in order to get the maximum out of them!

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PimsNumber1 added 22:06 - Feb 4 Saw them both in training today. They looked like they settled in real easy. healy looked very sharp , Murphy a bit of a shefki type mover who blasted a g few wide in training but Saturday is all that matters. I recon BOTH will start with walters returning 4-3-3 or maybe 442 with walters right midfield alb wright delaney mc A , rosenior colback norris,lead, healy murph and jonny

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arc added 22:34 - Feb 4 They're hungry, they're more confident than our other strikers (presumably!), and they have both shown they have the talent for this level. I'm more excited about these two playing against Boro than Priskin or John or Couñago or even Wickham. Are they superstars? No. Do they look like decent acquisitions for the rest of the season? Yes.
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nthstd added 06:59 - Feb 5 I'm bringing my Flag!
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maximoalex added 08:47 - Feb 5 So, Murphy's last goal was against Boro eh? Looks like a fairy-tale waiting to happen. Here's to Murphy scoring Saturday on his debut! COYB!
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BYRNE_16 added 09:13 - Feb 5 Sings "David Healy, da da da da, David Healy, Da da da da!"
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SomershamBlue added 09:34 - Feb 5 Is it only 'Town fans who could condemn new players before they've even got the shirt on? It may take them time to gel... ..or they may both score hat-tricks on their debuts. Who knows? Give 'em a chance.
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