I think that there is little room for sentiment in football. A manager survives or falls by the decisions he makes. I cannot see that a manager would have favourites who he would pick to the detriment of the team’s performance. Robin’s has shown he has a ruthless side. Doyle,who has been his right hand man at the training ground, in the dressing room and on the pitch, is no longer getting a game. Ogogo,who if rumours are to be believed has cost an enormous amount in signing on fee and salary (4K a week I have been told) has also not been playing. The only reason I can see that Robins is picking Chaplin is because he believes he is the best option for the team and believes he will come good. Perhaps he doesn’t feel that about Ogogo. Both seem to be Robin’s signings.Both cost,for us, a lot of money but one plays and the other doesn’t. I would have thought, given the financial outlay on Ogogo, there is as much pressure on Robins to play Ogogo as Chaplin.
Last season he stuck by both McNulty and Biamou when both were getting dogs abuse for not scoring. Both came good. That is no guarantee that Chaplin will, but it is just proof that if Robins has faith in a player he will stick with him. This is due to faith in a player’s ability not down to he likes this lad better than that one. As stated, his survival as a manager comes down to picking a winning team, not pleasing his “mates” by picking them.