Gary O'Neil and Conor Chaplin

[No Shot Sherlock]

If only....

[Blue Walter]

If only....

Yes, if only Paul Cook & Kenny Jackett hadn't had thought Connor Chaplin was duff. I, and lots of other people, always thought he would score goals given the chance.

[Pompey1984+1]

Chaplin is having an excellent season but he's hardly been a goal machine before this season.

[Blue Walter]

Chaplin is having an excellent season but he's hardly been a goal machine before this season.

Maybe not a goal machine but good enough to be wanted by Coventry, who were willing to pay half a million for. Didn't score a hateful of goals but was good enough to attract an offer in excess of that figure from then Championship Barnsley. Again scored goals but not prolifically but Ipswich were willing to pay in excess of a million pounds for him. So he has improved season on season since he left a mid table League One club where successive managers didn't rate him as good enough. He said himself that he didn't want to leave Pompey but needed to go for the sake of his career. Chaplin really is one that got away.

[Pompey55]

If only....

Yes, if only Paul Cook & Kenny Jackett hadn't had thought Connor Chaplin was duff. I, and lots of other people, always thought he would score goals given the chance.

Rubbish I can remember Cook saying that Chaplin was one of the best natural strikers he had seen it was Jackett not him who let him go

[Blue Walter]

If only....

Yes, if only Paul Cook & Kenny Jackett hadn't had thought Connor Chaplin was duff. I, and lots of other people, always thought he would score goals given the chance.

Rubbish I can remember Cook saying that Chaplin was one of the best natural strikers he had seen it was Jackett not him who let him go

What do you mean, rubbish? Cook rarely played him. Chaplin was nearly always on the subs bench, in fact Chaplin was very unhappy with the treatment he got from Cook at times. You are right it was Jackett that got rid of him. It caused quite a bit of surprise when Cook took him to Ipswich and even more of a surprise that Chaplin joined up with Cook after his, apparent, discord with Cook.

[Pompey55]

I always felt Cook didn’t want to rush him as it was very much his breakthrough season and signing him for Ipswich never surprised me given his comments when here

[Mickemo]

I always felt Cook didn’t want to rush him as it was very much his breakthrough season and signing him for Ipswich never surprised me given his comments when here

That’s how I recall the situation too plus of course Cooks insistence of playing only 1 striker.

[Pompey1984+1]

Pretty sure Chaplin doesn't refer to himself as a striker either.

[Kingo]

I always thought he was most dangerous when he was allowed on the pitch. And I think G o'N and MT were shown the door because Arry couldn't cope with them being more idolised than him. We are good at shooting ourselves in the foot.

[No Shot Sherlock]

As nobody else has, I'll mention the job Gary O is doing at Bournemouth. After a difficult start he's got them playing with real passion and not a little flair. Five wins from their last nine and with games to come against several of the relegation threatened sides (including Saints next week), they're suddenly looking a good bet to stay up (hope I've not just jinxed that!).

[PeteM]

As nobody else has, I'll mention the job Gary O is doing at Bournemouth. After a difficult start he's got them playing with real passion and not a little flair. Five wins from their last nine and with games to come against several of the relegation threatened sides (including Saints next week), they're suddenly looking a good bet to stay up (hope I've not just jinxed that!).

I'd second that - especially since Scott Parker left having basically said that his squad wasn't good enough to stay in the league. I think most people expected them to be relegated this season so it would be a great achievement in his first managerial job. Also like that they have really had a go and tried to win games rather than trying not to lose them.

[No Shot Sherlock]

As nobody else has, I'll mention the job Gary O is doing at Bournemouth. After a difficult start he's got them playing with real passion and not a little flair. Five wins from their last nine and with games to come against several of the relegation threatened sides (including Saints next week), they're suddenly looking a good bet to stay up (hope I've not just jinxed that!).

I'd second that - especially since Scott Parker left having basically said that his squad wasn't good enough to stay in the league. I think most people expected them to be relegated this season so it would be a great achievement in his first managerial job. Also like that they have really had a go and tried to win games rather than trying not to lose them.

Absolutely

[Blue Walter]

I always liked Gary O'Neil as a player and I met him a couple of times. Oddly enough I was chatting to him at the pre season friendly we had with Bournemouth at the beginning of the season we went up to the Premiership. He was out injured and he was telling me how excited he was about the club getting into the Premiership. I remember him and Matt Taylor celebrating a Pompey goal in front of Saints fans in the Milton End.

As has already been said he is making a remarkable job of keeping Bournemouth in the Premier League. I think that Bournemouth have shown the way on how to stay in a league where they are punching well above their weight.

It's strange how things change and we could well find shortly that Bournemouth will be the highest placed side in the trio of clubs in our area. Once it was little old Bournemouth that were the lowest placed club in the lower leagues. Now it is them striding around as top dogs with Saints below them and Pompey as the lowest club, yet we still get near on double their crowds. It just goes to show that every dog has their day.

[Jack_Tinn]

As nobody else has, I'll mention the job Gary O is doing at Bournemouth. After a difficult start he's got them playing with real passion and not a little flair. Five wins from their last nine and with games to come against several of the relegation threatened sides (including Saints next week), they're suddenly looking a good bet to stay up (hope I've not just jinxed that!).

I'd second that - especially since Scott Parker left having basically said that his squad wasn't good enough to stay in the league. I think most people expected them to be relegated this season so it would be a great achievement in his first managerial job. Also like that they have really had a go and tried to win games rather than trying not to lose them.

Absolutely

Well done to GoN. Doing a terrific job at Bournemouth and should be a contender for manager of the season. I think his success demonstrates that Scott Parker is over-rated as a manager, something I had suspected for a while. Keep up the good work GoN and I hope his side beat Saints later this month.