'He's adored': Why Ipswich supporters are mourning Conor Chaplin's departure - and what Portsmouth can expect
Ipswich expert on why Portman Road supporters are sad over Conor Chaplin’s departure.
Ipswich fans are mourning the departure of a huge favourite ‘adored’ at Portman Road.
Yet Conor Chaplin returns to Fratton Park an even better player than the one who departed seven years ago.
That’s the verdict of Stuart Watson, chief football writer with the East Anglian Daily Times, who reveals there has been an ‘emotional response’ to the striker’s loan departure.
Chaplin won two promotions and scored 55 goals in 174 appearances since Paul Cook recruited him for the Tractor Boys in July 2021.
He will now spend the season with Pompey, despite having started Ipswich’s 2-2 draw with Derby at the weekend.
Yet many Ipswich supporters have been upset over the decision to loan out the 28-year-old, who remains highly regarded at Portman Road.
Watson told The News: ‘The reaction is more sad than angry. This is a club where he is adored, so there was always going to be an emotional reaction.
‘Conor is someone who the fans have such a connection with, having played such a big part in the incredible journey the club has been on. The sensible ones are questioning whether too much change has happened this summer.
‘His departure caps a summer where that promotion-winning core has been obliterated. There’s a picture doing the rounds of when Ipswich celebrated promotion to the Premier League and there’s about four of the players left.
‘Luke Woolfenden, a home-grown Ipswich lad, went to Coventry on deadline day, Sam Morsy went earlier in the summer, Nathan Broadhead moved to Wrexham. These are key players in that squad which fans built a real emotional connection with.
‘So there was always going to be a response to this one as well. Conor has certainly been a firm fans’ favourite over the last few years. He was top scorer in the League One promotion season, he was joint-top goalscorer in the Championship promotion season.
‘It’s that cumulative effect of him leaving on top of all the others. Everyone is still getting to grips with this being a new group being built now.
‘Ipswich have splashed the cash over the last few windows and the proof will be in the pudding whether this new group is better than the previous one.’
Chaplin started 10 Premier League matches last season, totalling 22 league appearances, while scored in a 2-1 defeat against Bournemouth in December.
However, a knee injury ruled him out for three months around the turn of the year, before returning in April to make seven more outings.
And Watson is convinced the former Coventry man’s game has substantially improved during his productive time at Portman Road.
‘He’s now a better, more rounded person’
He added: ‘In his early days at Ipswich, Chaplin talked about he still saw himself as a second striker, but Kieran McKenna quickly turned him into a number 10, someone who drops into the pockets and links play with clever movement and one-touch passing, but still Johnny on the spot.
‘A lot of his goals for Ipswich have been pull-backs from Leif Davis down the left, with Chaplin holding his run to the penalty spot and producing first-time finishes. That was the hallmark of both promotions.
‘He will certainly say he’s a better, more rounded player than he was earlier in his career. He has obviously always been a goalscorer, but his all-round play has developed now.
‘Chaplin was injured for the second half of last season. He picked up a knee injury leading up to Christmas which kept them out for a bit which is a shame because the team looked like he functioned better with him in it.
‘He was someone who knitted the attacking play together and that is probably the controversial element of him leaving.
‘However, Ipswich now have two Championship golden boot winners in Chuba Akpom and Sammy Szmodics ahead of him. I would imagine he can see his pathway blocked for minutes.’