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Connor Chapman


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Looking forward to seeing him get a good pre-season and being stronger next year.

We have 2 young kids in the youth team, Cameron Humphries (16) and Tosin Adarabioyo (17) who is the captain. Both are central defenders and look very good players. I would like to see one of them go to Melbourne for a season to play against stronger players and see how they develop.

I'd like Man city players that would improve our squad. Not a dumping ground to help man city give experience to their children

I'd prefer Manchester City young players than aged-30+ old crocks who can't or won't run (or both) just looking for one final boost to their pension fund.

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This bloke avoids so much scrutiny

Agreed. Has been very ordinary over the last month or two. Hopefully with a long offseason and full preseason will come good.

 

 

It comes down to JVS's defensive coaching.  We all forget the mickey mouse defending when we had Good and Hamill in front of Bolton.

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This bloke avoids so much scrutiny

Connor shows grit and determination and at 21yo he will only get better. Impressed by his quality and marked Berisha out of the game in the Christmas Derby which was probably his highlight this season. Impressed.

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  • 5 months later...

Mr Personality: Chapman would love to ask Donald Trump a few questions

 

By Greg Prichard

 20 OCT 2015 

 

Melbourne City central defender Connor Chapman is the latest subject of a regular feature where The World Game has a bit of fun with the game's stars by asking them questions they wouldn't normally be asked and letting their personalities shine.

 

Connor told TWG:

How he had to grow up quickly after leaving home at 15

That he wants to be a property developer when he finishes playing

Where he loves to go for a holiday

What he hopes his life is like at 40

Why Donald Trump would be top of his dream dinner guest-list

What his best advice is for promising young players 

 

TWG: You turn 21 on 31 October. Are you going to have a party or is it just impossible with football to consider?

CC: I might have a little party. Football always comes first, but my birthday comes the day after we've got a home game against Newcastle so I might have a little party with my family, that sort of thing. The family might come down for the game and we'll have a nice dinner. It won't be a massive party, but it will be good to get together with the family.

TWG: You were born in Sydney. Is that where your family is still situated?

CC: Yeah, the family is mostly in Sydney. Through football I lived in Canberra from when I was 15, moved up to Newcastle for two years and now I've been in Melbourne for about two years. My dad lives in Darwin, he's the CEO of football up there, and my mum, brother and sister all live in Sydney.

TWG: When you move out of home at 15, you tend to grow up quickly. Is that how it felt for you?

CC: Yeah, for sure. Moving out of home at 15, at the time you're sort of buzzing because it's a big deal and you get to be around your mates and all that sort of thing. We all lived together at the AIS. Then, moving away from the institute and up to Newcastle you learn that you have to start paying bills and rent and you're looking after yourself. All of a sudden you're playing football to pay for your week-to-week living and all of your money goes towards that. Melbourne is a beautiful city and I really enjoy living here. You do definitely grow up quickly, leaving home so early, and in the position I play in - you have to be quite mature as well.

TWG: Mistakes in the central defence can be expensive.

CC: On the field if you make mistakes you can't be too negative about it, you have to use it as a learning tool. I mean, they say centre-backs have to be experienced, but there's only one way to get experience. If you make mistakes you have to turn it into a positive by learning from it and not doing the same thing again.

TWG: What is it like to play for a club owned by the City Football Group?

CC: Well, if you see our facilities, and it's not only the facilities, it's the feeling around the club. They've got that winning mentality and in everything we do, they give the players no excuse not to succeed, because we're prepared so well. We've got great training fields, great staff and great facilities. They take great care of us and the professionalism at this club is second to none. I think it gives every club in the league the urge to get to that level.

TWG: Are all your friends in football or do you still have friends you grew up with at school?

CC: I went to Westfields Sports High and a few of my mates from there are in the A-League. Other than that I've got a few mates outside of football and you need that because you're whole life can't be football. You know what I mean, or you're just thinking football, football, football. It's good that football is important to you and you concentrate hard on it, but you need things outside of football as well. You've just got to be able to rest your mind from that and it's good to have friends who, when you talk to them, they don't talk about football.

TWG: What do you do on your days off in Melbourne?

CC: It's different to Newcastle, there aren't many beaches down here and that was pretty much my thing in Newcastle, just go to the beach. Here I've got a dog to walk and there is plenty to do with my girlfriend, go to cafes to relax or go down to St Kilda, places like that. It's a great place to live.

TWG: What about movies, music, TV or reading, do you spend much time doing that?

CC: I'm more into properties - I want to be a property developer when I'm older. Right now I've got a few friends who are property developers and are mentors to me in that area. When you're a footballer you have to focus on that, but football only goes until you're 30 or 35 and you need something outside waiting for when you finish football. So that's what I'm into, and to relax it's going to the beach, or playing FIFA, or taking the dog for a walk or spending time with the missus.

TWG: Have you started your own property portfolio yet, or is it too early?

CC: I'm pretty close to getting my first one. The first one is always the hardest and then from there I can learn more about developing and choose what I want to do. 

TWG: If you could go anywhere in the world for a holiday or a major sporting event, with everything laid on for free, where would you go?

CC: Half of the A-League goes to Bali at the end of the season and there's a place called the Gili Islands, just off Bali, and it's got everything. It's a beautiful island and you can relax and enjoy yourself. That's probably where I'd go. My girlfriend has land in the Greek Islands and I've promised I'll go there with her. She says it has the most beautiful water in the world. For a sporting event, I'd probably go to the Super Bowl.

TWG: Unfortunately for you the timing of the Super Bowl, in the first week of February, isn't good, because of football. You might have to wait until you finish playing to get to one.

CC: I know, we finish the A-league season in April or May, so that makes it difficult.

TWG: If you could choose a few people from around the world to have dinner with and pick their brains, who would it be?

CC: It might not be a popular one to pick for some people, but probably pick Donald Trump. I don't agree with some of his views, but he's a property guru and it would be good to be able to ask him a few things.

TWG: You're 20 now. Do you ever wonder what you'll be doing at 40?

CC: Hopefully at 40 I've done well both on and off the field and I'm able to relax a bit and not have to stress about an eight-till-four job and I'm sitting either at Gili Islands or the Greek Islands and smoking a few cigars.

TWG: Finally, what is your best advice for 13 or 14 year-olds who want to know how to get where you're going?

CC: I think the big thing at that age is to realise you're going to make mistakes, but that you can learn quickly from those mistakes and cut them out before you make them too often. If you can do that and keep your head screwed on and never get ahead of yourself and always try to stay grounded, it's a good start, because when you get ahead of yourself in football, the game has a habit of catching up to you. Hard work is obviously important and so is surrounding yourself with good people who aren't going to bring you down off the field. If you do all of that, you'll give yourself the best chance of making it.

 

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2015/10/20/mr-personality-chapman-would-love-ask-donald-trump-few-questions

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  • 2 weeks later...

Our CBs are not the problem... Kisnorbo and Chappy made some great interceptions. Its our fuckin fullbacks.

sorry mate, but you are wrong on this one. Chapman can do lots of things right: positioning, tackling, passing, but a central defender who can't head the ball is like a striker who can't shoot. Needs to be dropped to get the message, as he has to get to at least average in the air or we can't play him.

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sorry mate, but you are wrong on this one. Chapman can do lots of things right: positioning, tackling, passing, but a central defender who can't head the ball is like a striker who can't shoot. Needs to be dropped to get the message, as he has to get to at least average in the air or we can't play him.

The problem is, Shahanga, who the hell do you slot in there? Hughes? We would then have a CB pairing of a 34-y-o and a 35-y-o who will be 36 in a week or so's time.

The whole back line is shot IMO. Both FBs are makeshift. We simply cannot defend. A quick look at the season so far:

Sydney: we go 1-0 up and draw 1-1.

MV: claw our way back to 2-2 and then concede in the last minute.

CCM: we go 1-0 up and concede within a minute. Win 3-1.

Newcastle: we go 2-0 up and then concede three.

After four games we've scored 8, which is OK, but we've also conceded 8, and without a single clean sheet. We could so easily have been sitting on 8 points or even 10.

I'm probably hopelessly wrong, but what about converting Erik Paartalu to a CB?

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The problem is, Shahanga, who the hell do you slot in there? Hughes? We would then have a CB pairing of a 34-y-o and a 35-y-o who will be 36 in a week or so's time.

The whole back line is shot IMO. Both FBs are makeshift. We simply cannot defend. A quick look at the season so far:

Sydney: we go 1-0 up and draw 1-1.

MV: claw our way back to 2-2 and then concede in the last minute.

CCM: we go 1-0 up and concede within a minute. Win 3-1.

Newcastle: we go 2-0 up and then concede three.

After four games we've scored 8, which is OK, but we've also conceded 8, and without a single clean sheet. We could so easily have been sitting on 8 points or even 10.

I'm probably hopelessly wrong, but what about converting Erik Paartalu to a CB?

I agree .  Keyboard warriors who want to sack this person, drop that person aren't faced with coming up with a viable alternative.  The problem you then have (if you bring Paartalu in at CB) is you have no pace in the centre.  Swap one problem for the other.

 I think you drop Chapman to help his development and bring in Clisby (who is no better in the air, i know, but this is about the long term for Connor) and play Paartalu ahead of Melling who just isn't fit enough to start.  Paartalu and Kisnorbo defend the ball in the air.  Now maybe you don't have to drop Chapman but you certainly have to give him extra sessions.  This decision basically comes down to Connor's attitude.

Now of course if we'd signed Safuwan instead of Hughes we wouldn't be having this debate.

Edited by Shahanga
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The problem is, Shahanga, who the hell do you slot in there? Hughes? We would then have a CB pairing of a 34-y-o and a 35-y-o who will be 36 in a week or so's time.

The whole back line is shot IMO. Both FBs are makeshift. We simply cannot defend. A quick look at the season so far:

Sydney: we go 1-0 up and draw 1-1.

MV: claw our way back to 2-2 and then concede in the last minute.

CCM: we go 1-0 up and concede within a minute. Win 3-1.

Newcastle: we go 2-0 up and then concede three.

After four games we've scored 8, which is OK, but we've also conceded 8, and without a single clean sheet. We could so easily have been sitting on 8 points or even 10.

I'm probably hopelessly wrong, but what about converting Erik Paartalu to a CB?

I'm no tactician, but that would seem the obvious move to me, depending on when (did someone say "if"?) we finally see Hughes.

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I made the point early on in preseason that we wouldn't win anything with our current centre backs. Looks like it's proving to be right (coupled with other issues on and off the pitch). Kisnorbo doesn't suit the way we play. Unless he has acres of space to pass the ball he shits himself. Chapman is now being exposed for his lack of quality in the air. And for the millionth time, why didn't we sign a younger visa centre back similar to a Fornaroli up front in terms of quality and age? This was by far the dumbest decision regarding our recruitment, I still can't fathom what the fuck JVS was thinking. 

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I made the point early on in preseason that we wouldn't win anything with our current centre backs. Looks like it's proving to be right (coupled with other issues on and off the pitch). Kisnorbo doesn't suit the way we play. Unless he has acres of space to pass the ball he shits himself. Chapman is now being exposed for his lack of quality in the air. And for the millionth time, why didn't we sign a younger visa centre back similar to a Fornaroli up front in terms of quality and age? This was by far the dumbest decision regarding our recruitment, I still can't fathom what the fuck JVS was thinking. 

I think its everyone's wet dream to have a whole team of Fornarolis with his determination and passion

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I made the point early on in preseason that we wouldn't win anything with our current centre backs. Looks like it's proving to be right (coupled with other issues on and off the pitch). Kisnorbo doesn't suit the way we play. Unless he has acres of space to pass the ball he shits himself. Chapman is now being exposed for his lack of quality in the air. And for the millionth time, why didn't we sign a younger visa centre back similar to a Fornaroli up front in terms of quality and age? This was by far the dumbest decision regarding our recruitment, I still can't fathom what the fuck JVS was thinking. 

This is the bloke that played an 18yo and 19yo CB pairing for a whole season, what do you expect.

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I think its everyone's wet dream to have a whole team of Fornarolis with his determination and passion

I'm not talking about his personality traits, more so his age, ability and physicality. That's the beauty of a visa spot, you have a whole world of players to choose from. We choose a veteran that hasn't been available for us yet. 

Edited by n i k o
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I agree .  Keyboard warriors who want to sack this person, drop that person aren't faced with coming up with a viable alternative.  The problem you then have (if you bring Paartalu in at CB) is you have no pace in the centre.  Swap one problem for the other.

 I think you drop Chapman to help his development and bring in Clisby (who is no better in the air, i know, but this is about the long term for Connor) and play Paartalu ahead of Melling who just isn't fit enough to start.  Paartalu and Kisnorbo defend the ball in the air.  Now maybe you don't have to drop Chapman but you certainly have to give him extra sessions.  This decision basically comes down to Connor's attitude.

Now of course if we'd signed Safuwan instead of Hughes we wouldn't be having this debate.

The problem with playing Paartallu and Kisnorbo is the poor distribution and pass completion into attacking transition from both of them. We may have more options if Hughes is ever fit and playing for us

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It seems people are of the opinion that Paartalu can't pass and Chapman can't head. I don't know the statistics on Chapman, but my impression is that his distribution is not to bad. He's also something like Melling in determination to win the ball.

Convert Chapman into a DM and Paartalu into a CB??

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It seems people are of the opinion that Paartalu can't pass and Chapman can't head. I don't know the statistics on Chapman, but my impression is that his distribution is not to bad. He's also something like Melling in determination to win the ball.

Convert Chapman into a DM and Paartalu into a CB??

Decent idea.  I thought you were against "converted players" though?  

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The problem with playing Paartallu and Kisnorbo is the poor distribution and pass completion into attacking transition from both of them. We may have more options if Hughes is ever fit and playing for us

I don't think Paartalu's passing is the problem as much as there not being enough rotation of players in front of him and he has to take some marginal passes. At Roar he was I think the top passer in the league for 2 years or close to it.

Only Mooy seems to know where to run to receive the ball. Will be interesting when or if Franjic ever gets on the field to see how Erik and him interact.

Regarding being slow I guess it's the trade off being 195cm and probably one of the best headers of the ball versus speed. I don't think CB would work for him.

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I don't think Paartalu's passing is the problem as much as there not being enough rotation of players in front of him and he has to take some marginal passes. At Roar he was I think the top passer in the league for 2 years or close to it.

Only Mooy seems to know where to run to receive the ball. Will be interesting when or if Franjic ever gets on the field to see how Erik and him interact.

Regarding being slow I guess it's the trade off being 195cm and probably one of the best headers of the ball versus speed. I don't think CB would work for him.

Last season he was our third highest passer, iirc.

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6 minutes ago, Tommykins said:

Sorry. You think Chapman is the source of our defending problems?

He has been horrible all season, but escapes criticism because he is #yoof. He isn't as bad as Clisby, but I definitely think it's gonna have to be Kisnorbo and Hughes as our first choice. I know it's scary to think of two old CBs but we'd just have to defend deeper and it was actually working well for a while last season when we had 2 old CBs playing.

Edited by Tesla
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32 minutes ago, Tesla said:

He has been horrible all season, but escapes criticism because he is #yoof. He isn't as bad as Clisby, but I definitely think it's gonna have to be Kisnorbo and Hughes as our first choice. I know it's scary to think of two old CBs but we'd just have to defend deeper and it was actually working well for a while last season when we had 2 old CBs playing.

Yep, tonight showed just how important Kisnorbo is. Just like the FFA cup loss v perth

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2 minutes ago, AaronAV11 said:

Yep, tonight showed just how important Kisnorbo is. Just like the FFA cup loss v perth

"But kisnorbo can only defend really well, we need him to be able to make passes like mooy as well"

Don't know why Kisnorbo has been getting shit all season. The guy is the heart and soul of the team (regardless of how boring his interviews are lol)

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12 hours ago, Tesla said:

He has been horrible all season, but escapes criticism because he is #yoof. He isn't as bad as Clisby, but I definitely think it's gonna have to be Kisnorbo and Hughes as our first choice. I know it's scary to think of two old CBs but we'd just have to defend deeper and it was actually working well for a while last season when we had 2 old CBs playing.

Connors great until the ball leaves the deck, then it's like he's not on the field. He's like a cricketer that can't catch, how can you play him?

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12 hours ago, kingofhearts said:

"But kisnorbo can only defend really well, we need him to be able to make passes like mooy as well"

Don't know why Kisnorbo has been getting shit all season. The guy is the heart and soul of the team (regardless of how boring his interviews are lol)

Agree with this. Don't understand the Kisnorbo hate on here the guy's a weapon.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Got named in 2 Team Of The Weeks:

 

2aezg40.jpg

Connor Chapman (City) - The young defender gets better and better. And he scored in the 5-1 rout of Glory.

 

http://www.a-league.com.au/photo-gallery/hyundai-a-league-team-of-the-week-round-8-1km0dp5fpxi101p6wv328y1ooy/connor-chapman--city----the-young-defender-gets-better-and-better--and-he-scored-in-the-5-1-rout-of-glory-4

 

 

Connor Chapman

Melbourne City, Defender

A maiden A-League goal capped off a solid defensive display.

 

http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/toms-league-team-week-0#:Jcg3ecuMIFA9EA

 

 

Also Chapman is number 2 in the league for clearances with 34.

 

Hitting some good form.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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