Chaplin: I'd Sacrifice All My Goals For Success at the End of the Season Sunday, 5th Mar 2023 09:30 by Dave Gooderham Conor Chaplin might be enjoying his best goalscoring season to date, but he admits he would sacrifice every one of his 19 goals if it meant Ipswich Town were promoted. The 26-year-old grabbed another brace during Town’s comprehensive 4-0 win over Burton Albion - with Nathan Broadhead and the returning Freddie Ladapo also scoring to make the result safe at half-time. A third straight win and two more goals for his personal tally pleased Chaplin, but he was quick to focus on the whole team. He said: “I was very pleased with my goals — and a fourth clean sheet in a row was also very pleasing. I need to say a big thank-you to the lads who are putting them on a plate because some of the passes and some of the chances I am getting is ridiculous in terms of how easy some of the chances have been for me to put it in the back of the net. “Leif [Davis] and Wes [Burns] today, as they have been all season, have been different gear in terms of chance creation. Wes got another assist, I don’t know how many he has got now, but his numbers have been really good. “And Leif is exactly the same — his numbers have been frightening as well. For two wing-backs, who are really instrumental in the way that we play, a lot of thanks goes to them. “I know I have sat here before and said I pride myself on those numbers and I do. It means a lot to me. But I would sacrifice 19 of those goals if it meant we were successful as a team at the end of the season.
“I’m not just saying that, I genuinely mean it. It means everything to me to bring success to this club and be a part of that. “That’s something that’s in my head — if I can help with goals, then I am delighted. If I can’t, and someone else is doing it, then I am delighted as well. I couldn’t care less who it is, as long as we get this club in the next division.” Summarising the game, Chaplin felt Burton had their moments but Ipswich’s number 10 was delighted with the performances all over the park. He said: “It was an important win, an important clean sheet, and I’m very pleased. It was a tough game and now on to Tuesday. “The prep was bang on all week but we were expecting to start a bit quicker than we did. It was tough, but sometimes it’s going to be a bit like that. It’s not always going to be plain sailing. “It’s about standing up to that and being resolute and doing your individual roles that you are expected to do and as a team standing strong — and I think we did that really well. “Like I said, it’s never going to black and white, plain sailing, come and score in the first 10 minutes, we are not naïve to think that. So it was probably pleasing that we saw that out really well without chances or more moments and spells of pressure for them. It was pleasing we saw that out and then took over from there. “The first goal is important in our games in terms of not letting anyone get anything to hold on to. And then when we score, they have to come out and be more expansive and play a lot more. “But in terms of defending set pieces and things like that, we were 3-0 up at half-time but we knew they were a threat. I think there was a spell in the second half, early doors, where it felt like 24 corners in a row. “There were throw-ins, corners, they are big moments for us. Cam [Burgess] has made an unbelievable last-ditch tackle, Leif’s made an unbelievable last-ditch interception at the end — they are big, big moments. That’s something I am proud of the boys for sticking in and doing that, because that’s what it is going to take.”  While promotion rivals Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth both won, Ipswich made it four clean sheets in a row to keep the pressure on. Chaplin admitted the defensive improvements were just as pleasing, saying: “Everyone is really buying into it, everyone knows there is a lot of quality in the squad and if we keep a clean sheet, we have a really good chance to win a football game. “That is something we have worked on and I think we have been brilliant in those four games. “Don’t get me wrong, there have been times where we have felt really unlucky in terms of goals conceded, but if we keep doing the right things over and over again - training, games, training, games — we are going to keep clean sheets as we are an honest bunch.”
Chaplin’s most prolific season - he said his previous highest tally for a campaign was 13 - still sees him search for his first hat-trick, yesterday’s double was his sixth brace of the season. But he understood manager Kieran McKenna’s reasoning for taking him off. When asked about the substitution, he joked: “That’s a question for him, not me. We have got such a good squad that there is such an importance for everyone at training being bang at it. “And then it comes to matchday, there are lads who deserve to play, for the way they are training during the week, who aren’t even in the squad. “Honestly, I couldn’t care [about being taken off]. It’s important we are winning football games and everyone feels involved in what we are doing. “And I think everyone feels that, that they can play and contribute. Because the quality in the squad is frightening.”  Chaplin also picked up some standout performers — both during yesterday’s win and over the last few weeks — including three of McKenna’s January signings. He said: “It was nice to get an assist as well — I don’t get too many of them. That’s definitely pleasing today. Freddie [Ladapo] with a great finish and off the shoulder, he was a threat the whole game. “He was absolutely brilliant, such a great platform for us, him and Hirsty [George Hirst] have been fantastic. They don’t always get the tap-ins and the goals where maybe it is easier for the lads who are arriving late in the box. But the platform and their willingness to work and run for the team is second to none. It’s top, top class. “They have got different qualities, for sure, just like any player. We all know what they are and what they can bring to the game. It’s about using that. “They both work so, so hard for the team. Of course, they are strikers, they are number nines, and they want to score goals. But there’s more to it when you play for this Ipswich team. “That needs to be appreciated as well, as they are doing some unbelievable things that not a lot of people will see or recognise. But it’s important everyone knows as it makes it a lot easier for the rest of the team.” Backing up the two strikers is Broadhead who continued his bright start to life at Portman Road with another goal. Chaplin said: “I can’t speak highly enough of him as a lad and a player. He is so, so clever. I think it doesn’t come natural to him, in terms of the other side of the game, but I think there are so many times where he has worked so hard that he has got cramp. “He has been in positions that isn’t natural to him in terms of picking up second balls, but it’s the league for that. It’s a tough league but if you win those battles, I think it is massive and he has been incredible in the way he has applied himself and done that. “He is such a great lad and fitted in seamlessly. He’s a funny guy, he doesn’t mean to be, but he’s a great guy to be around.” The quintet of individual player compliments was rounded off with Chaplin singing the praises of centre midfielder Massimo Luongo. Chaplin said: “I think everyone thought Mass would settle in. He’s not played at the level he’s played at, internationally and in the Championship his whole career, if he can’t fit in a top team in League One. “I knew that was going to be easy and normal for him. He’s a great guy to have around, so calm and collected. He’s experienced it. He knows what it takes and he is such a good addition to the squad. “Credit to the club for sorting that so early in January because he’s been so good and he gets his reward today, in terms of game time and having such a big impact.” Looking ahead to the home game against Accrington in a couple of days’ time, Chaplin added: “I can’t wait for Tuesday night. The message after the game was straight onto Tuesday. Rest, recover, do what you can and make sure you are doing the right things and eating the right things. “Make sure we are ready to go again on Tuesday. I think all the lads have only got one aim. We are all pulling in the right direction, as we have all season. When it comes down to the run-in, I think that intensifies. Everyone is looking forward to Tuesday.”
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