Every contract offer comes with risk. However, Murphy has been good or better for a year now having been one of our better players under Manning at the end of last season, and arguably our best player consistently under Buckingham.
What?
10 games to go when Manning joined.
First 5 games he started 3 times and came on for nominal minutes in the other two. Of those 3 starts, a dot ball (I.e. a non event), a decent game but missed a pen to win and hooked at half time in the last for a dismal performance. From which point he was reduced pretty much to the bench (4 times out of 5) and in only one did he produce anything remotely decent - as an enforced substitute due to an injury to Goodrham. His only start after that was against the whipping boys of the division. So I’d argue in Manning’s 10 run-in he gave us one performance remotely close to the level now seeing, the rest he was completely ineffective or not used.
Despite that fantastic run, Manning then fought every possible reason to play him this season, featuring once, in the cup, in our opening 8 games, before finally getting a start at left back in a throwaway competition. After that it was more bench appearances, very often not coming on.
You could’ve just stopped at saying he’s been one of our best players under Buckingham. That’s true. But much like the debate with ciaron brown getting player of the season last year, context is everything. Manning clearly thought very little of him or didn’t trust him, hence reducing him to the bench mostly, and on a number of occasions would rather not use his 5th sub than bring him on regardless of whether we were comfortably ahead or chasing a goal.
All people are saying is that he’s a risk and quite rightly cautious about him staying given not only his personal record but ours as a club with players of this ilk. It doesn’t need ramming down their throats that he’s playing well, we can see that, but it doesn’t mean he is or has been a good investment for the club.
