Portsmouth boss John Mousinho responds to growing criticism over Ipswich loanee Conor Chaplin role
The Ipswich loanee has yet to get off the mark in his second Fratton Park spell
John Mousinho reflected on Conor Chaplin’s much-debated positional switch and insisted: It has definitely worked at times.
But he admits Pompey have still to see the best of the Ipswich loanee, who is without a goal or assist in seven appearances.
Chaplin has occupied an unfamiliar right-wing role in the last five matches and noticeably has struggled to find his customary attacking spark.
Despite starting the opening two games of a season-long loan in his favoured number 10, the 28-year-old was moved to accommodate John Swift and then Colby Bishop in the position.
Inevitably, Chaplin’s selection on the right flank has drawn growing criticism, yet Mousinho continues to back his decision.
‘We want him to play in a certain way’
The Blues head coach told The News: ‘Whether we have found his right position or not, we have found a position for Chappers and we want him to play in a certain way.
‘In terms of where we are with attacking options at the moment, we have shuffled the deck a bit and tried to fit a few players in - and it has definitely worked at times.
‘The first game we started on paper with Chappers out on the right, we drew to Watford where we were an attacking threat with the goals we scored. Then we beat Middlesbrough, then we drew with Leicester. So we looked a good side then, it's just the last couple that haven't maybe worked out.
‘With some players, if you play them completely out of position, things can seem very foreign to them in terms of where they receive the ball - and this has nothing to do with Conor.
‘My take with good footballers is that, no matter where you play them on the football pitch, there are basics of the game that they as players can still execute really well.
‘We will always try to put players in effective positions for us, but it’s not always possible, we have to shuffle the deck a bit. Sometimes you have to find different solutions, depending on what the circumstances are in front of you. But there are still real basics we expect to see in footballers.
‘We are not asking Chappers to stand wide and get at full-backs, we are asking him to pop into pockets and receive the ball a lot of the time as that right-sided 10, which I think is his natural position.
‘If he started as a 10, a lot of the time he’d end up drifting into that right-side 10 spot, rotating out a lot into those wide full-backs areas as well, which he did brilliantly well for Ipswich.
‘There are a lot of factors as well. We’re playing a different way to what he’s used to, there’s different personnel around him, and that takes a bit of adjustment. That’s a key thing, whenever we put players into any position, we are still asking them to play to their strengths and do what we think will help the side.
‘When we ask Murph to go on the left, we ask him to get chalk on his boots and get at the full-back every time, staying wide and not really drifting into pockets too much. With other players, it’s different.’
Nine Premier League starts last season for Ipswich
His most prolific season in football was with the Tractor Boys in League One in 2022-23, when he plundered 29 goals in 41 appearances - with 36 of those outings being as a number 10.
Portsmouth boss: ‘We haven’t seen the best of Conor yet’
Mousinho added: ‘Chappers has had a real impact in the training ground, a real impact in certain games. Certainly against Coventry he looked more likely to get the goal that we so desperately wanted to see.
‘Ultimately, there has been a combination of injuries at the top of the pitch which mean maybe we haven’t seen the best of Conor yet. I don’t think he’s hiding behind that, I think he’s fully aware of it.
‘If we can help him get there and he can keep going with his own form and keep on top of himself, I am sure we will see it.’