Town forward Conor Chaplin will be looking to end a lengthy goal famine if he plays at Exeter tomorrow after failing to score in his last 11 games in all competitions.
Chaplin started the current campaign with six goals in his first nine appearances — eight in the league and another as a late substitute in the 1-0 home defeat by Colchester in the Carabao Cup — but since then he has drawn a complete blank.
The 25-year-old former Barnsley player, who left Oakwell for Portman Road in a reported £750,000 deal in July last year, is well aware it has been a long time since he last hit the net — but he admitted: "I don’t know how long it has actually been.
"But throughout my whole career it’s been like this, a purple patch every now and again. The number you end up with at the end of the season is obviously the one that matters most but I’d rather be a bit more consistent in my scoring.
"However, it’s just the way it has been for me since I started in the game, spells where I might score in four or five games and everything seems to be going right for me, followed by spells where I don’t get any goals before it comes along again.
"I’d rather score one here, two there, another one here, that sort of run. But whatever I end up with at the end of the season, if it’s a good number, I probably won’t be too bothered.”
Statistics show that since the start of his career almost eight years ago, Chaplin has scored 60 league goals in his time with Portsmouth (22), Coventry (8), Barnsley (15) and Ipswich (15) from a total of 269 appearances, 110 of which have been as a substitute.
And he’s not alone in going through a lean spell at Town because team-mate Marcus Harness, whose goal tally this season is also six, has failed to find the net in his last seven outings and in only one of his last 13, in all competitions.
Asked if their lack of goals had anything to do with the way opponents are dealing with them, Chaplin added: "I think so, definitely. I’ve realised this season that teams are looking to overload the man-marking when we play them and I feel that’s made a big difference.
"After the start to the season that we had as a team, and individually in the case of me and Marcus, they probably saw the threats coming from these positions.
"There seems to be a lot of man-marking and screening in front of players, which isn’t allowing the ball to get through to us.
"We’re seeing quite a lot of cut-backs this season as well, while a lot of people are risking the ball across the face of the goal and coming on to cut-backs before the cross has even happened.
"But that’s the challenge for me, the challenge for a lot of players, and if you’re doing well teams are going to find ways of trying to make you less effective.
"It’s something that I find quite exciting, to go out on to the training ground and find ways of getting goals when I know opponents are looking for ways of stopping me.
"I wouldn’t say it’s something that the gaffer is working on separately with me, but individually I want to score goals and get assists to help the team. That’s something I am big on, so I’m definitely looking for ways to achieve it.”
Town kick-off in Devon tomorrow at 12 noon and for their FA Cup second round clash at Portman Road against non-league Buxton it will be 5pm before the game gets under way, both times set because of broadcasting commitments. Does it make a difference to the team’s preparations when the kick-off times vary?
Chaplin responded: "Compared to the usual three o’clock kick-off, tomorrow’s time will mean we get one fewer meal beforehand. But I’ll admit I quite like the earlier kick-off because for me one of the worst things alongside the adrenalin of game day is the actual waiting for the game to come round.
"There will be a lot less time to wait tomorrow so I don’t mind it at all. I don’t think the earlier kick-off time disrupts preparation, just the amount of food you eat before the game starts. We eat three hours before the kick-off so it’s usually 12 noon, but tomorrow it will obviously be 9am, so the pre-match meal will be breakfast and not lunch. We won’t be having both!”
Chaplin was also asked about his love of football, his role as an interviewee proving he sees the game as far more than a job. He said: "I’m a bit of a football geek if I’m honest. I absolutely love it and I probably watch every single game that’s on television.
"My girlfriend’s not best pleased about it but she’s used to it by now and she’s okay with it. I don’t just love it; I could also talk about it all day.
"The best part of being a footballer for me is playing the games, which take care of themselves. They give me the best feeling, the adrenalin rush, but I also love training every day. For me that’s about trying to get the very best out of myself and becoming the best player I can possibly be.
"For a lot of people, they love it as a kid and play it every day, but when they get older and they get in and around the politics of football, they lose a lot of love for it.
"But I love it so much that I could watch it and talk about it all day. I watch all sorts — games that I’ve played in for obvious reasons, because I want to learn from my mistakes, plus games where I’m a fan and I’m watching out of interest.
"My knowledge of players is pretty good and that started years ago when I used to play FIFA as a kid. If I want to know about who’s playing for Senegal or Ecuador now, I just ask my little brother because he’s into FIFA now. I think I’ve lost a bit of the geekiness now but I like to think I’m still good on the EFL, definitely.”