Source: Team_Talk
McLeish: Murphy has turned corner
irmingham boss Alex McLeish has challenged David Murphy to put a season of frustration behind him and come back firing on all cylinders.[LNB] Full-back Murphy suffered a broken kneecap 13 months ago and spent the majority of City's first season back in the top flight on the sidelines.[LNB]But he returned as a substitute at the tail-end of the campaign and now McLeish wants him to spend the summer building up his fitness so he is ready to compete for a spot.[LNB]McLeish said: "David tried to come back at various stages but had a really bad time with his kneecap problem.[LNB]"He had setbacks when he was looking to return and I know at one stage he was really low in morale, but then he turned the corner.[LNB]"He came back and had one or two wee niggly muscle injuries as opposed to the knee flaring up again.[LNB]"But at least he finished the season back in the squad and now he has got to go away in the summer and make sure he comes back really strong.[LNB]"It's important that the players all have a holiday, but they know the demands of the Premier League and they know that they must come back in good shape these days."[LNB]Meanwhile, McLeish has sympathy for another full-back in Gregory Vignal who is among the players he has decided to release after not taking up a 12-month option on his contract.[LNB]Vignal looked set to be first-choice left-back at the start of the campaign but was beset by a string of various injuries and could not regain his place because of the form of Liam Ridgewell.[LNB]McLeish said: "I'm sure it was a frustrating season for Gregory because I was frustrated about losing him for so long at different times with different injuries.[LNB]"He started against Sporting Gijon in the pre-season friendly and I said the position was his to lose.[LNB]"Then he took a hamstring injury in the next game and that was the start of his woes. Liam Ridgewell came in and played so well that, when Gregory was fit, I couldn't replace Ridgewell. We wish him well."
