| Hirst this season! 02:08 - Oct 18 with 2435 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
What’s going on?
Often has a poor touch this year but then combine it with Preston, Derby and now tonight, he’s cost us points! Missed other chances in games we have won as well.
It’s his job to be taking chances when presented them, or at least have a much better ratio. He does a lot of hard work and running but a very poor few months to start the season. I thought he was primed to have a hell do a year for us. Was really impressed with his second half of the PL season in a struggling team. Hard to think that was the player I saw at Stamford Bridge. Very odd!
Also on penalties, I’m not even sure he meant to put it down the middle against Brum, awful one at at Bromley and when you look at the rest of his pens for Town I guess the record is decent but none of them have been anywhere near un-savable. Tonight he he even looked at the way he was going before his run up FFS!
Without Clake on the pitch we need to be looking else where.
[Post edited 18 Oct 2:22]
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| Hirst this season! on 04:58 - Oct 18 with 2073 views | Benters |
He’s just going through a bad patch lacks a bit of confidence maybe. [Post edited 18 Oct 6:12]
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| Hirst this season! on 06:58 - Oct 18 with 1878 views | PrideOfTheEast |
He should be nowhere near penalties. I’d prefer Szmodics, Jaden, Clarke, Cajuste |  | | |
| Hirst this season! on 07:25 - Oct 18 with 1829 views | Churchman |
He’s just out of form. Hirst is a very good player and will be fine (hopefully soon). As centre forward, if he wants to take penalties, I’d let him. [Post edited 18 Oct 7:43]
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| Hirst this season! on 07:36 - Oct 18 with 1771 views | Dubtractor |
He has been an excellent number 9 for us since joining, either as a starter or sub option, but no avoiding the fact that he is struggling this season. As I posted last night, he is struggling to do the basics well - hold up play, first touch, lay offs, instinctive finishing.
Work rate is still absolutely top notch, but we really need more than that if we're going to trouble the top two.
I wonder if we'll see Azon get a few starts now, he looked sharp again last night, and with two home games he'll see a lot more of the ball to try and impress. |  |
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| Hirst this season! on 07:53 - Oct 18 with 1708 views | ernie |
He is shot ever since he went to play for Scotland, which was ridiculous in itself considering his body’s lack of robustness . The bench is calling for him now then a better replacement in the summer. | | | |
| Hirst this season! on 08:14 - Oct 18 with 1627 views | USA |
Thankfully he’s now lost the awful highlights!! | |
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| Hirst this season! on 08:21 - Oct 18 with 1586 views | FrimleyBlue |
Could someone possibly be able to grab some player maps to help me out with my theory
So....
Hirst 23/24 I loved the way Hirst battled, brought others into the game etc etc, he was and will never be a prolific striker, but he is a forward.
But one thing I always liked about Hirst was that he pressed with sensibility. You didn't need to see Hirst bust a gut and put alot of miles in as he was clever with where he sent defenders with the ball, he guided them to go to places they didn't want to go
I feel this season however he's running alot lot more, is this a reason perhaps for his lack of holdup and other previously positive attributes.
He's running around like crazy which imo is different from his 23/24 season with us.
I remember last season commenting on how fast hirst looked when he played, like he'd gained aload more pace, however this season with each game he appears to get slower despite his arms moving faster, are we asking to much of a press from him?
What doesn't help Hirst though is the partner behind him, it's not sammy, it's not akpom. i don't know who it is in our squad, but sammy s and hirst imo are too similar in the positions they want to be in. |  |
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| Hirst this season! on 08:23 - Oct 18 with 1572 views | Sharkey |
| Hirst this season! on 06:58 - Oct 18 by PrideOfTheEast |
He should be nowhere near penalties. I’d prefer Szmodics, Jaden, Clarke, Cajuste |
Szmodics has taken five penalties in his career, and scored two. |  | | |
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| Hirst this season! on 08:23 - Oct 18 with 1567 views | Kieran_Knows |
| Hirst this season! on 07:36 - Oct 18 by Dubtractor |
He has been an excellent number 9 for us since joining, either as a starter or sub option, but no avoiding the fact that he is struggling this season. As I posted last night, he is struggling to do the basics well - hold up play, first touch, lay offs, instinctive finishing.
Work rate is still absolutely top notch, but we really need more than that if we're going to trouble the top two.
I wonder if we'll see Azon get a few starts now, he looked sharp again last night, and with two home games he'll see a lot more of the ball to try and impress. |
Spot on.
Give the shark a run of games. |  |
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| Hirst this season! on 08:26 - Oct 18 with 1556 views | Churchman |
| Hirst this season! on 07:36 - Oct 18 by Dubtractor |
He has been an excellent number 9 for us since joining, either as a starter or sub option, but no avoiding the fact that he is struggling this season. As I posted last night, he is struggling to do the basics well - hold up play, first touch, lay offs, instinctive finishing.
Work rate is still absolutely top notch, but we really need more than that if we're going to trouble the top two.
I wonder if we'll see Azon get a few starts now, he looked sharp again last night, and with two home games he'll see a lot more of the ball to try and impress. |
Assuming his fitness is 100%, I'd persevere and let him play his way into form. For me there was too much tinkering last season. I accept that today it’s a squad game but while the first choice team are looking a bit like 11 individuals at times, cohesion is only going to come by playing matches. Same with form. We are also ok at home this season. Why mess with it?
And to totally contradict the above paragraph, start Avon in the next away game? | | | |
| Hirst this season! on 08:27 - Oct 18 with 1551 views | Steve_M |
| Hirst this season! on 07:36 - Oct 18 by Dubtractor |
He has been an excellent number 9 for us since joining, either as a starter or sub option, but no avoiding the fact that he is struggling this season. As I posted last night, he is struggling to do the basics well - hold up play, first touch, lay offs, instinctive finishing.
Work rate is still absolutely top notch, but we really need more than that if we're going to trouble the top two.
I wonder if we'll see Azon get a few starts now, he looked sharp again last night, and with two home games he'll see a lot more of the ball to try and impress. |
Yes, but then he got a Scotland call up.
Can't help feeling that we didn't get the depth we wanted in the Summer up front with only Azon an out and out striker which increases the pressure on Hirst. |  |
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| Hirst this season! on 09:27 - Oct 18 with 1411 views | HighgateBlue |
| Hirst this season! on 07:53 - Oct 18 by ernie |
He is shot ever since he went to play for Scotland, which was ridiculous in itself considering his body’s lack of robustness . The bench is calling for him now then a better replacement in the summer. |
January. The summer will be too late. We might still be able to crawl into the top six if we remedy this major problem in January.
There are a good number of clinical number 9s in this division, and sadly we do not have any of them despite having an embarrassing budget. |  | | |
| Hirst this season! on 09:41 - Oct 18 with 1351 views | ArnieM |
Im a massive Hirst fan becuase of his all round play. Yes he coukd and should ge scoring more goals, and as done have alluded too, hes out if form. But what fo yiu do, try and play him through it and keep faith as the games tick by ( 1/4 of the season approaching fast, (or do you rest him and put in Azon who looked Sharon, quick and aggressive when he came on, or Akpom. |  |
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| Hirst this season! on 09:46 - Oct 18 with 1311 views | blueislander |
| Hirst this season! on 09:41 - Oct 18 by ArnieM |
Im a massive Hirst fan becuase of his all round play. Yes he coukd and should ge scoring more goals, and as done have alluded too, hes out if form. But what fo yiu do, try and play him through it and keep faith as the games tick by ( 1/4 of the season approaching fast, (or do you rest him and put in Azon who looked Sharon, quick and aggressive when he came on, or Akpom. |
I thought Hirst was by far the most effective of our front four last night. He offered himself constantly , and generally the ball stuck with him. | | | |
| Hirst this season! on 10:06 - Oct 18 with 1213 views | LankHenners |
Yes I think my issue with Hirst is that he’s playing badly *by his own standards*. As you say he looked sharp back end of last season and throughout pre-season but for whatever reason that hasn’t carried over into the season proper.
He’s looked decent running into channels and harrying defenders at times but he’s not looked after or used the ball nearly well enough for how we need him to (and how we know he can do!). Been bullied by fairly run-of-the-mill CBs that you know he’s got the ability to flip that the other way round.
A goal’s a goal however they go in but let’s be honest the quality of the ones that have gone in hasn’t been very high and he’s made a right hash out of other very presentable chances that you’d expect a top end Championship striker to stick away. The penalty last night wasn’t the worst struck one in the world but I think everyone watching in the stadium and on TV could tell where he was putting it!
Echo others’ thoughts that maybe it’s time to give Azon a proper run out. Never going to see what he can bring to the table properly if he’s limited to sub appearances and games where half the team behind him has changed. |  |
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| Hirst this season! on 10:26 - Oct 18 with 1142 views | reusersfreekicks |
| Hirst this season! on 09:46 - Oct 18 by blueislander |
I thought Hirst was by far the most effective of our front four last night. He offered himself constantly , and generally the ball stuck with him. |
Given how they all played that is no accolade |  | | |
| Hirst this season! on 11:00 - Oct 18 with 1038 views | stonojnr |
| Hirst this season! on 04:58 - Oct 18 by Benters |
He’s just going through a bad patch lacks a bit of confidence maybe. [Post edited 18 Oct 6:12]
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he lacks confidence for sure when he has the ball, but that doesnt explain things like why the ball always pings 2 yards away on his first touch, its become Kuqi'esque, the annoyance being if he'd controlled the ball he'd be in very good positions to use it, so his positional play is fine, but it just pings away and defenders clear it. | | | |
| Hirst this season! on 11:32 - Oct 18 with 953 views | TRUE_BLUE123 |
Unfathomable to me that we didn't sign Richard Kone for 2 million quid. Was exactly what we needed and looks like one of the best 9s in the league. QPR got an absolute bargain. |  |
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| Hirst this season! on 13:15 - Oct 18 with 838 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
| Hirst this season! on 07:25 - Oct 18 by Churchman |
He’s just out of form. Hirst is a very good player and will be fine (hopefully soon). As centre forward, if he wants to take penalties, I’d let him. [Post edited 18 Oct 7:43]
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Why? Whats a CF got to do with it? He’s missed two in a row and he’s missed multiple big chances for us as well. | |
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| Hirst this season! on 13:26 - Oct 18 with 803 views | Smoresy |
I don't think he's miles off his normal game. I wish we had an obvious penalty taker in the starting lineup; finishing isn't his forte and it serves us poorly to highlight that, both for match results and his confidence. I know Szmodics has a low success rate, Sindre is so young, Leif strikes a dead ball inconsistently himself.. if Jaden is the wrong answer then I can believe we don't have a right one.
In 23/24 Hirst also wasn't clinical. He was in the 16th or 20th percentile for Championship strikers converting their chances, relative to their "expected goals" (xG, boo). This season he's in the 10th percentile, in line with his Championship campaigns for Rotherham and Blackburn. This is his lowest ebb for us in front of goal but has he dramatically dropped his standards? Not dramatically for me if we consider the full body of his work, but he did have a freakishly clinical time in the PL and that hasn't carried forward alas. I'd suggest 23/24 edition Hirst would have scored one more goal, not three or four.
His touch has always been rather inconsistent (2.97 'miscontrols' per 90' in 25/26, 3.58 in 23/24). But he works so hard for the team and continues to offer plenty of good alongside the bad. I think he's pretty much the same creative vehicle that he was in 23/24, just the vehicles around him aren't operating in the same way or to the same standards. Frimley's asked for running numbers, which I don't have, but my memory speaks to little change in when and how often he chooses to chase people down, to make his lung-bursting efforts. He loved lost causes back then and overall is a sucker for punishment.
So while I don't wish to pretend otherwise, we're crying out for a more clinical striker up front, Hirst continues to offer a lot in spite of his finishing. Also, importantly, Azón hasn't convinced that this is his forte either. As big an issue for me is how uncomfortable our other attackers are in the centre and right side of the pitch. Consequently the spotlight on our no. 9's finishing is greater than ever, and the over-reliance on a Jaden thunderbolt to break the deadlock has me a little worried. | | | |
| Hirst this season! on 13:33 - Oct 18 with 770 views | Churchman |
| Hirst this season! on 13:15 - Oct 18 by Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
Why? Whats a CF got to do with it? He’s missed two in a row and he’s missed multiple big chances for us as well. |
If he’s a no 9, a goalscorer he should want to take them and score. All decent forwards do. If Clarke is not on the pitch and Hirst pus his hand up, let him take it.
I’m struggling with this elevation of Hirst up the order of scapegoat hate. He’s been and will be again a very good player for us. He’s out of form. Obviously. It happens. But that doesn’t make him a bad player. Maybe some encouragement rather than supporter abuse might help, but he’ll need to move on to another club for that.
Hirst fits the way McKenna wants to play. Actually far better than Delap who was very much a one man band - and had to be with last season’s AWOL midfield. Hirst brings players into the game and makes space.
The problem is that the understanding he had with Burns, Broadhead, Chaplin etc isn’t there at the moment. That’s as much a team issue as it is his lack of form in my view. That understanding of 2/3 years ago did not happen overnight. It took more than half a season, but let’s not let that get in the way of our finest coming up with such tripe as he’s washed up. | | | |
| Hirst this season! on 13:43 - Oct 18 with 731 views | Smoresy |
| Hirst this season! on 13:33 - Oct 18 by Churchman |
If he’s a no 9, a goalscorer he should want to take them and score. All decent forwards do. If Clarke is not on the pitch and Hirst pus his hand up, let him take it.
I’m struggling with this elevation of Hirst up the order of scapegoat hate. He’s been and will be again a very good player for us. He’s out of form. Obviously. It happens. But that doesn’t make him a bad player. Maybe some encouragement rather than supporter abuse might help, but he’ll need to move on to another club for that.
Hirst fits the way McKenna wants to play. Actually far better than Delap who was very much a one man band - and had to be with last season’s AWOL midfield. Hirst brings players into the game and makes space.
The problem is that the understanding he had with Burns, Broadhead, Chaplin etc isn’t there at the moment. That’s as much a team issue as it is his lack of form in my view. That understanding of 2/3 years ago did not happen overnight. It took more than half a season, but let’s not let that get in the way of our finest coming up with such tripe as he’s washed up. |
Getting on Hirst's back is the worst thing the support can do, unquestionably. We need to call it out in the stands if we see it happening around us. He needs inflating not deflating. | | | |
| Hirst this season! on 13:44 - Oct 18 with 725 views | FrimleyBlue |
| Hirst this season! on 13:43 - Oct 18 by Smoresy |
Getting on Hirst's back is the worst thing the support can do, unquestionably. We need to call it out in the stands if we see it happening around us. He needs inflating not deflating. |
in the stands completely agree
however discussion it on the forum is ok, especially when hirst himself as open admitted to not playing well | |
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| Hirst this season! on 13:58 - Oct 18 with 646 views | Smoresy |
| Hirst this season! on 13:44 - Oct 18 by FrimleyBlue |
in the stands completely agree
however discussion it on the forum is ok, especially when hirst himself as open admitted to not playing well |
For sure, why these forums exist imo lol (discussing player and team thoughts with fellow fans) | | | |
| Hirst this season! on 14:00 - Oct 18 with 640 views | FrimleyBlue |
| Hirst this season! on 13:58 - Oct 18 by Smoresy |
For sure, why these forums exist imo lol (discussing player and team thoughts with fellow fans) |
Think that's why this scapegoat tag i dont see as healthy, the end of the day if a performance doesn't result in a win, then there's reasons for it, part of that will be player performances so of course it's to be discussed. | |
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