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Town have signed Millwall midfielder Richard Chaplow on a month's loan but with an agreement for him to stay for the rest of the season. The 30-year-old has been training with the Blues this week.
“I’m delighted with that one,” manager Mick McCarthy said. “He’s played a number of positions, either wide positions or centrally in midfield.
“He’s showed what a capable, comfortable player he is at this level training with us, he’s just come in and fitted in. Like Luke Varney, he’ll cover the play-offs."
He says neither Chaplow or fellow new loanee Varney, who are both out of contract in the summer, have been promised anything beyond the chance to impress him or other managers between now and the end of the season.
“I don’t promise anybody anything,” the Town boss said. “Once they come under the roof, they’ve got a chance.
"If they do really well and they shake the place up and they score goals and they get in the team, that’s the opportunity but I don’t tell them lies to get them down here.
“It’s ‘I want you on loan, that’s the opportunity because you’re out of contract, whether it’s me, whether it’s somebody else’.
“They both want to play. And the other thing is that we’re in the best position that if they do rip it up and they are under the roof and they might want to stay. It’s a good position to have for us.”
Chaplow, who will wear the Town number 14 shirt, has fallen out of favour at the Den with the last of his 10 appearances this season having come in Millwall’s 4-0 FA Cup replay defeat at Bradford City a month ago.
The midfielder says the switch ends his time at the Den: "My loan move to Ipswich pretty much brings my time to an end at Millwall.
"Things never really got going, if that be last year through injury or this year year by lack of opportunities.
"I'd like to go on record to thank everyone that welcomed me from the start and I have faith that results can be achieved and survival reached. But I have a new challenge and I can't wait."
Chaplow started his career with Burnley before moving on to West Brom in 2005. The Accrington-born midfielder spent time on loan at Southampton while a Baggies player, prior to joining Preston in 2008.
Another spell on loan with the Saints followed in 2010, before he made the switch more permanent in January 2011.
A former England U19, U20 and U21 international, Chaplow moved to Millwall initially on loan in March 2013, signing a two-year deal with the Lions that summer after his Southampton contract was terminated.
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Burnley fan told me this guy was incredible when he first burst onto the scene, real box to box player who will give you 100% each game, typical MM player really. If he can recover that form will be a decent signing and with Hyam still out certainly good cover.
Can I please just add - there are some totally stupid fans on twitter today over the signing of Chaplow and Varney. Please, don't be judgemental before they've even played. Just stupidity.
There are one or two on here who think that Messi and Ronaldo are going to sign for Ipswich as bench players and if they don't then it's because the owner doesn't spend enough money. Chaplow and Varney are squad players, that's all. As squad players they are good acquisitions. We might be pleased of them if the first choice players get injured. Hope they do well.
Clearly not signed with a view to jump the queue in front of our other midfielders, but to provide experience, good cover and that little bit of extra competition.
A one month initial loan is also very sensible so if he doesn't play or impress in any game time he gets back he'll have cost us very little.
He and Varney should both be chomping at the bit to get playing again, so with the added enthusiasm may just add a little extra to our promotion/play-off push.
Lets get behind these players rather than lower the mood - Mick has done exceptionally well with nearly all signings so far (Bajner and Sammon the only obvious flops, Collison was never fit).
You have to hand it to MM he does not hang around with his signings. This acquisition will do us no harm at all and could be a very useful squad player for the run in. He works hard and has had some good spells in his career so lets hope this is another.
Hope i am proved wrong look i want to see town promoted as much as anyone been supporting for over 40 years.We need quality like Jonny williams if we are to be serious about going up.
Some high grade flouncing about our 2 loanee signings today.
Pathetic.
We have signed 2 decent back up players on short term deals to bolster the squad at an important time of the season.
The reactions of some would have us thinking we'd broken our club record signing fee, that we're paying them 100k a week apiece, and that we've decided to stick two fingers up to FFP.
Having cover is clearly better than not having cover... But I was naively optimistic that some young energetic useful attacking midfielder would be brought in, at least on loan. I would die for an Alan Mahon or a Dos Santos right now. *sigh*
plenty of room on the tractor if they are willing to fight for their places and nobody is safe and coyb lets cross that finishing line with a premiership place
Welcome Richard. Town seem to have become quite adept at signing players which get a negative reaction both on here & Twitter yet a good proportion of these then go onto to prove the doubters wrong. Hoping today's 2 additions follow that trend. But whatever happens they are ITFC players & deserve our help & support whilst on the pitch
People moan about a thin squad and then question why we sign someone with obvious Championship experience at decent teams like WBA and Southampton. Players like Varney and Chaplow have a point to prove with us and ultimately a contract to earn. Think Bullard etc. Much better than loaning a Prem youngster with 'quality' who isn't toughened to first team football, has a secure future and who will never play for us long-term.
What it does do is bring forward the skill of the management team in getting the best out of the resources at their disposal.
I have no problem with either of these signings and am 100% behind FFP. Let's enjoy the benefit's of having the best coaching team in the division and seeing these players flourish.
Two experienced signings that we can only benefit from. Mick has been very good at picking out suitable players that have the right attitude and not to come in as big time Charlie's who could disrupt the tight knit squad we have.
Connor Sammon had his critics but from what I saw he gave his all and was very much putting the effort in for us. I see no reason to see any different from Richard Chaplow and Luke Varney.
West Brom paid £1.5M for Chaplow. Charlton paid £2M for Varney. McCarthy brings them both into ITFC to add to our squad for nothing, so let's not be unhappy about that. Mick knows what he is doing and if they don't work out, nothing has been lost.
We don't have loads of central mids so Chaplow brings good cover there and with his workrate could be a decent player for us, as long as he's playing with a good technical/passing mid i.e. Bishop or Bru. I wouldn't be excited to see him on the wing though.
I'm a bit disappointed about Mick's comment "he'll cover the play-offs." I am still hoping for automatic promotion.... There's obviously nothing wrong in being prepared and ensuring he can still be here for the play-offs, but saying this publicly seems to state that the play-offs are our target, and not any higher.