Quote Originally Posted by cardiff55 View Post
I wonder what is going on with these three players. All three not travelled to America, Smithies ends up playing with the youth / under 23 team at Larkhall last night. We paid £3.5m for him and now prefer Joe Day! I know Day will be back up but he's League 1 at best. Surely Smithies must be on his way or has fallen out of favour with Warnock for whatever reason.

No Healey or Connolly in either squad. Connolly was Player off the Season a few years ago and where is he now. Maybe he is injured? Whatever has happened we've heard nothing from the club. Same goes for Healey, good enough for a Premier League squad last year but nowhere to be seen at the moment. Perhaps both are in talks to move elsewhere?

And Brian Murphy? Last I heard we were negotiating a new contract with him. Then we sign Joe Day and play Smithies in the youth team! Not a word from the club on Murphy either., I know he's only a back up 'keeper but he must have left I assume? And if Smithies goes we'll need another 'keeper too.

It's all gone quiet on these players.
Ok. So this is obviously from someone who doesn’t follow the club thoroughly enough to actually know these answers.

Connolly was player of the season a couple years ago however, he has been called something like twinkles toes or glass ankles by Warnock as a result of the numerous ankle injuries resulting in his inability to consistently play - he will play one match and get injured etc. Warnock knows his experiance so as a result probably keeps him as a dressing room player. He also is happy (as a result of these injuries) to not pkay week in week out.

Smithies picked up an injury towards the end of last season which resulted in him not being on the bench towards the end of last season (meaning Brian Murphy had to be on the bench). No word from the club has come of this which makes me suspect this is a long term injury or he’s being moved on, not being the quality Warnock expects of a goalkeeper (there was a Birmingham rumour recently)

I’d expect the latter reasoning is probably the reasoning behind Healey’s disappearance as he hasn’t lived up to any expectation and knocking on a bit.

The most embarrassing one you missed was that Brian Murphy was released by the club. He was “having discussions with the club” but having not heard anything from it from about 6 weeks ago - I presumed it ended without a result.