Blues boss Paul Jewell has revealed that keeper Brian Murphy’s new terms with Town were worth less than the Irishman’s previous contract. The 28-year-old left the club last week having turned down the new deal and is believed to be interesting newly-promoted QPR.

Jewell said: “At the end of the day we offered Brian reduced terms and he has to do what he thinks is best for himself. I’ve seen him play a few reserve games and in training but I haven’t seen an awful lot of him. Football clubs always survive after players and managers have left.”

Murphy's offer is understood to have been around 10% lower than the deal he signed when he joined the club in January 2010 from Dublin side Bohemians.

The Town manager says that he’s not too disappointed to have his goalkeeping ranks reduced to Márton Fülöp and Arran Lee-Barrett, who has accepted a new two-year contract: “I’m quite happy with two goalkeepers. That’s one area where we might have had one too many.

“But we’re always looking for players in every position. I’m not unhappy with Márton but I’m looking to improve the squad all over the pitch.

“I’ve said to the players this morning, whether you’ve just signed a new contract or you’ve got two years left on your contract or your contract’s running down. If you want to be here, you’ve got show you want to be here.”

Despite the backing of his manager, Fülöp’s current deal comes to an end next summer and Jewell says the Hungarian’s situation and those of players in similar positions will be looked in the weeks to come, with the Town boss desperate not to repeat this year’s problems: “There’s no point in letting people’s contracts run out as they have this summer.

“If the players want to extend their contracts, great, if they don’t we’ve got to try and sell them and get other people in, it’s dead simple.”

Town are understood to be very much in the race to sign Coventry's out-of-contract keeper Keiren Westwood with Everton and Leicester also interested.

Photo: Action Images

suffolkpoker added 09:09 - May 10 Its about time that players think they will get a better pay check, everytime they get a new contract. If they dont deserve it.. they shouldnt get it we all live int he real world!! he has done nothing imo he is lucky to be offered 10% less
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KembleBlue added 09:18 - May 10 Agree above, and some sensible busienss sense from the whole management team. He's barely played (I know he's been injured) and should think what he has now compared to Bohemians. If he can get a better salary sitting on the bench or playing for QPR then good luck to him, but glad to see an end to escalating wages for no reason. Hopefully we'll see the end of this ludicrous 'player has option of third year' in contracts too.. stand your ground Town. Westwood would be an immense signign, very good keeper.

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parkinshair added 09:36 - May 10 "I'm not unhappy with Marton" Damned by faint praise.
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itfc1981 added 09:39 - May 10 is there a training course we can send Cleggy on?
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GreenwichBlue added 09:39 - May 10 No loss.
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cornishnick added 09:42 - May 10 I thought Murphy was a half decent keeper. Reduced terms is a bit of an insult though
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rosseden added 10:11 - May 10 ''Reduced terms is a bit of an insult though'' depends what you're being reduced from, bare in mind he was probabaly on £250k per year minimum. So reduced terms from that really isnt the end of the world to sit on your ass.....
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Superfrans added 10:31 - May 10 Good work. Murphy was signed by RK as first choice wasn't he - and now he's one of three keepers, at best second choice, at worst third choice. I bet he's been offered the same as ALB, who has been ahead of him in the selection order. Sounds reasonable to me. Good luck to him if he goes to QPR, but he'll be a number two there too. At his age, he should be looking for a number one position so he can stay in the Ireland squad and keep his career moving forwards.

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Karlosfandangal added 10:35 - May 10 Would have liked to keep Murphy and let Lee- Barrett go. Not sure why we are after Westwood if Jewell only want 2 keepers unless Fulop is on his way and he must rate Lee Barrett if he has offered him a two year contract
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rosseden added 11:06 - May 10 ''he must rate Lee Barrett if he has offered him a two year contract'' I suspect he was also offered reduced / cheaper terms, Fulop will be on his way as too much cash to lose next year, someone new in as number one, ALB as cheaper back up, Cropper as the third keeper when needed.... My simple maths says we ought to be about £300k per year better off with that set up that Fulop / Murphy / ALB / et al.....

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andygizmo added 11:17 - May 10 Cornish - Insult?? No - reality linked to his ability.
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comeonthegoodtimes added 11:23 - May 10 Westwood is quality. as it is now the end and Jewell has now had time in the job i feel we can now give our assesment on how we think he has started in his job. when he was named as our Manager i for one was a bit negative to his appointment but i'm pleased to say that from what i've seen and heard from him i've very confidant of next year, Pretty much all the supporters on here are behind him so Surely SC should be 100% behind him and try to get these people he is after in to our club, he has proven he has a eye for talent so a new season should be new beginnings for ITFC. GIve him the backing he requires, He gave RK £12m or so to build his team so why not splash the cash and let him bring in 6/7 good Championship players. I know people are going to say ' we don't want to put ourselves in debt' but come let's take the risk, lets really go for Westwood, Bullard and Co, Get rid of the 'I'm just here for the money' players, I know i've gone off the subject a bit but this is the time to start getting the players in for next season not August 4th.........COYB

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BrightBlue added 11:28 - May 10 Having released the GK coach PJ will be getting a new one in. We will see an improvement in MF and ALB. God only knows what the previous guy was doing with them, but I would say all 3 keepers lost ability and confidence!
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 12:22 - May 10 Rather agree with rosseden on this one when he writes, ''Reduced terms is a bit of an insult though.'' How many of us would agree to stay on at work for reduced pay - unless we were totally desperate? And if we don't think he's worth as much as he was before, why offer the bloke a contract at all?
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kerryblue added 13:05 - May 10 Reduced terms and twelve hours to make up his mind,in other words he wasnt wanted .He played better than Fullop and Lee B when he was in goal.
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comeonthegoodtimes added 13:12 - May 10 lee barrett is by far a better keeper than Murphy. LB just needs to learn to kick the ball properly. Good potential though
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GeorgiDoundarov added 13:45 - May 10 Not unhappy with this. Actually maybe this 10% lower contract offer was PJ's way of saying: "we don't need you". And to keep 2 keepers is a lot for me especially when we have the same number or less strikers?!
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DiamondGezzer added 14:26 - May 10 George ^ :- Maybe its a way of saying, ' Sign a ten percent less value contract and you can stay, otherwise we get someone else in ' i.e. Westwood, who they were probably chasing anyway. I think now, should Westwood come in, Fulop is on his bike !
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hucks216 added 15:10 - May 10 What Coventry fans think of Town's interest in Westwood... http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/coventry-city-fc/coventry-city-fc-news/2011/05/
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rosseden added 15:46 - May 10 every team in the division have the same issues with players leaving under the same conditions that mcauley and norris have done. thats just the game nowadays..... i do chuckle when i read that we have financial issues though when its coming from someone at Coventry who only two and a bit months ago were on the verge of administration..... oh well, time will tell, lets see who the spenders are this closed season and who can sustain it next year..... i wouldnt be surpirsed if we have at least 1, maybe 2 or 3 champ clubs in admin during next season..... Pompey - Cardiff - Coventry - Watford - Palace could all easily end up that way...... likewise, Leicesters bizarre set up could easily swing the same way as the Notts County one did when Sven was there....

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Ipswich24 added 16:04 - May 10 hucks216 see cov fans dont have great opinion of Ipswich hey
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hucks216 added 16:08 - May 10 Can't see why when their club is in an even bigger mess. I seem to recall reading somewhere that they don't get any of the turnstile money on matchdays as it goes to the company owning the ground - how true that is I don't know. Think it is a bit of the green eyed monster.
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jas0999 added 17:27 - May 10 You have to consider the 'wages' in relation to the business. It is all very well saying 'footballers get paid to much' - probably so - but that's the business. I simply can not understand offering reduced terms - why not just release the guy? Can anyone hand on heart say they - if they were on a fixed term contract - would accept say £1,500 a month, when they had been getting £2,000? This needs to be put into perspective. It seems very odd offering someone lower than they were on. It suggests PJ didn't want to keep him - so why not just release him? I would have left on principle!! I sincerely hope we therefore offered ALB lesser terms as he is nowhere near as good!

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rosseden added 18:41 - May 10 Jas - like i said before, we dont know what the starting point was, so its all relative..... He was bought in to challenge for the number 1 spot, hes not good enough in PJ's eyes, so thats where it ends..... I mean, If i earnt £250k to be a 3rd choice in my job, and they said, look, youre third choice now, so youre down to £200k, id think that fair enough..... its business at the end of the day. They offer the value they think your contract is currently worth. If i dont like it i can go, but i think its totally fair to offer reduced terms. I would be very surprised if ALB was on anything like as much as BM when he signed.... so again, in relative terms, if hes on £150k and he stays on that, fair do's....... i think theyre tryign to get some parity on the wages thing..... and thats fine.....

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theblueginger added 19:00 - May 10 reduced terms-i cant imagine he was on that much to start with.
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