'Bang average': Conor Chaplin addresses his Portsmouth form - and why he needs time after Ipswich arrival
The Ipswich loanee has admitted he has not been at his best so far upon his Fratton Park return
Conor Chaplin admits he has been ‘bang average’ so far during his second Pompey spell.
However, the loanee is adamant he needs time to settle into a new club following four tremendously-successful years at Ipswich.
The 28-year-old has yet to get off the mark after returning to Fratton Park following a seven-year absence during which he reached the Premier League.
Asked to operate in a right-sided role he has never played before and perform alongside new team-mates, Chaplin, by his own admission, is still finding his feet a mere four games and four weeks in.
Certainly there were promising signs on Saturday from the ex-Barnsley man, with the Blues ending Middlesbrough’s undefeated start to the Championship season.
And the striker insists it’s ‘natural’ to take time to adjust, irrespective of his long and emotional history with Pompey.
Ipswich loanee: It’s going to take time
Chaplin told The News: ‘I don’t think it matters whether you know a club or don’t know a club. It’s a new team, new team-mates, a new way of playing, it is completely different from team to team.
‘It is always going to take time to learn what this team requires, exactly what the team wants, which I am hungry to learn. I’m trying to search for the best ways to impact them.
‘I’ve been bang average so far, to be honest. I want to impact the team more than I have done, but, at the same time I am realistic.
‘I know the expectation is massive in terms of excitement coming back to the club and I felt that as well, but I need to be realistic too. It is going to take time to learn how to impact the team in terms of the way the lads were playing.
‘I’ve played in an Ipswich side with the same players for the last four years, I know them inside out. It’s going to take some time to learn how individuals want to play - and vice versa. That is normal procedure.
‘On Saturday, I felt good. I felt more comfortable with the shape. I was more comfortable with a lot of things, but that’s normal, it’s just time, it’s just games.
‘It’s very fresh, very early. I want to be cautious and not be too harsh on myself, I need to be realistic in terms of this still being early doors.
‘But I am loving coming into training every day, loving it with the lads, such good lads. It’s a great group to be with and everyone works hard for each other.’
New role on the right
Having initially featured in his favoured number 10 role, operating behind Colby Bishop, Chaplin has been switched to a different position over the last two games.
Featuring on the right of the attacking three in a 4-2-3-1, it’s the first time in his career that the left-footed 28-year-old has been handed that responsibility.
The move has allowed John Swift to be pushed further forward to serve as the attacking midfielder, with skipper Marlon Pack coming back into the side as a number six.
Nonetheless, despite the unfamiliarity of his new role, Chaplin is determined to learn and do his ‘absolute best’.
‘I will try to do my absolute best’
He added: ‘I’ve never played on the right before, it’s new, but one the manager wants me to play at the moment and one I will try to do my absolute best to have an impact on the team in that position.
‘It’s a learning curve for me and a new team. If you see the starting XI, there are still a lot of new players in the team, it takes time, you see that throughout the league if you have a lot of new players.’