Connor Chaplin

Hindsight is indeed wonderful.

There's no way that anyone could state that at that time he left, no matter what, that Chaplin was the best striker we could possibly have got on our books.

He wasn't even a guaranteed starter with us. He's done a lot better at Ipswich than he did with us, for whatever reason.

Woodrow's bank manager might agree he's gone on to better things.

 

You can't compare league one & championship stats. We've played some absolute dross this year - very rare anyone in the championship is dross. Loads of players have had blinding seasons in league one and failed any higher up. It's a huge gap. Brentford, Bournemouth, Watford, Norwich compared to some of the crap teams this season in Forest Green, Morecambe, Sheffield wednesday, Accrington stanley - it just isn't fair comparing. We're here because we deserve to be here like any other club here, but judging individual statistics from one league to another isn't a fair reflection

 

I liked Connor, really took to the area as well.

 

Been honest he wasn’t very good for us. He had one freak month & match where everything seemed to go in but for the most part offered little.

Probably one of many players where we signed them several years before their peak.

 

Last season he got just 11 in 40 odd games. So people wishing we'd kept him when he was a fringe player for us, would have held on to him two more years, paying him the wages in the hope that what he's doing for Ipswich this season, he would have done for us.

 

Just watched his hattrick and it's a good 'un. He could have had four but let his teammate's shot roll into the back of the net when he could have easily got the final touch. Not sure, having already bagged himself 3, if he was allowing his teammate to score or if he thought he was offside. Ipswich looked very good.

Chaplin left at the end of the 2020-21 season, after we'd made the play-offs in The Championship. He didn't add a lot to that team. I thought he looked poor in a lot of games he played. I wasn't sad to see him go. Was he better than any of the replacements? Yes, much better, but that doesn't mean selling Chaplin was a mistake, it means the players we signed were a mistake. Having said that, Cole has played well this season and scored plenty of goals because, like Chaplin, he's dropped down a division.

I was quite impressed with what Chaplin said when he left us, I wish him all the best and it's good to see him doing well, he's had a great season. He would have certainly added something to our team had he still been here. But I still wouldn't want him in the Championship, I think we're capable of signing players more suited to that level. There's a good chance Chaplin will be playing there next season so he may well prove me wrong. I certainly won't begrudge him that if he does.

 

I like the Wendies mentioned in the crap teams.

 

The difference between the leagues is huge now, especially looking at how much better we are than any of the teams in the bottom 3rd of this division. Some strikers seem to score goals at any level, like Jamie Vardy or Ivan Toney. Others are prolific in the lower leagues, but can't seen to make the step up, for whatever reason. I don't have enough football knowledge to understand why some players hit a ceiling and which ones it would be, but history and statistics tell us that Devante Cole's level is a very capable 3rd tier striker, but no better. Norwood would appear to have all the attributes to play at a higher level (age notwithstanding) but nobody has given him that chance as yet, and there are probably good reasons for that. Chaplin is definitely young enough that he could possibly score consistently at a higher level, though it's by no means a given.

 

He contributed a lot to the champ season when we stayed up on the last day under struber. I’d say he’s champ quality with the right service

 

I couldn't resist

 

Who could?

 

He’s the best Striker in the Division. Wish him well but just hope he doesn’t turn us over when we play them.

 

He’s a rat.

 

What's odds of him getting clapped and then banging a goal against us, hopefully gets booed.

If we can boo hourihane who is more of a club legend in my eyes than Chaplin then that will be stupid in my opinion.

 

Why?

 

Celebrated his goal against us like he’s just won World Cup. Which is fine. It was the going out of his way to chelp at Collins and Andersen that I thought was poor.

They may have been a good reason for it but I doubt it when you look at his previous from his time with us and before then at other clubs.

Horrible little sod. Lost no sleep when we flogged him. Don’t mind as much when they back it up but he’s never been a championship footballer and apart from a daft month where he got about 6 goals in a month he did bog all for us.

 

Not sure about the Andersen thing, but after the game he said 'it was against my big mate (Barnsley keeper Brad Collins) so I’m happy with that.' I think he was just giving a playful dig at Collins.

As for his character, to my mind everyone has always said what a lovely lad he is. Don't forget, his disparaging comments about us were to do with the conveyor belt of players, and probably aimed at Conway and Lee.

 

It was a cracking goal so why not celebrate in front of his own fans. He made a point of not celebrating in front of the Barnsley fans. His comments were about being treated like a piece of meat by the club, which is fair enough. He had total respect for the supporters and he was well liked in the dressing room and by most fans, not you obviously, for his 100% commitment. I much preferred him to Woodrow but that's me, the games all about opinions. To say he did bog all for us apart from scoring 6 goals in a month is a bit like "What did the Romans ever do for us?"