Because Connolly is a very good player, as shown by the fact that Adkins yet again brings him on ahead of Lee. Connolly was the best thing since sliced bread not long ago. A bit of iffy form recently, and suddenly half the city has turned against him.
You want who will perform in a game. If a player is in bad form, they should be dropped, as they are not performing well, and someone who is should be given a chance ahead of them.