| The downfall of George Hirst 21:17 - Jan 24 with 2164 views | The_Romford_Blue |
What on earth has happened there then? It can’t all be confirmed surely?
Injuries? He certainly looks a yard slower than before. Even his first touch these days is like a fridge.
He’s gone from one of our most reliable players since all the way back to the league 1 days to now almost always looking a shadow of his former self and nowhere near a promotion chasing championship side.
Azon needs a run of games and let’s just pray we get someone else through the door to join him. |  |
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| The downfall of George Hirst on 21:20 - Jan 24 with 2008 views | Kieran_Knows |
2 years ago we couldn’t barely play without him, now he’s almost a hindrance.
It’s a massive shame as I’ve been a really big fan of his, but he’s poor incredibly poor this season. I said it a few weeks back, but it’s more the basics for me. We know what a fully fit and firing Hirst can give us, but if you can’t do that then at least do the basics right. Sort your first touch out, hold it up, get us up the pitch.
The ridiculous fake jump he does to make him look like he’s attempting to jump for the ball when in fact he’s doing nothing just infuriates me. |  |
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| The downfall of George Hirst on 21:23 - Jan 24 with 1965 views | The_Romford_Blue |
| The downfall of George Hirst on 21:20 - Jan 24 by Kieran_Knows |
2 years ago we couldn’t barely play without him, now he’s almost a hindrance.
It’s a massive shame as I’ve been a really big fan of his, but he’s poor incredibly poor this season. I said it a few weeks back, but it’s more the basics for me. We know what a fully fit and firing Hirst can give us, but if you can’t do that then at least do the basics right. Sort your first touch out, hold it up, get us up the pitch.
The ridiculous fake jump he does to make him look like he’s attempting to jump for the ball when in fact he’s doing nothing just infuriates me. |
I know the exact jump you mean. It’s Oscar worthy levels of ‘fake’ trying. At least Azon puts himself about a bit.
It makes me sad tbh. He’s absolutely gone at the game imo. That first touch almost always is 5 yards away from him rather than just a confident, comfortable control of the ball and then look for a pass. It’s panic, panic, panic. | |
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| The downfall of George Hirst on 21:25 - Jan 24 with 1917 views | FrimleyBlue |
| The downfall of George Hirst on 21:20 - Jan 24 by Kieran_Knows |
2 years ago we couldn’t barely play without him, now he’s almost a hindrance.
It’s a massive shame as I’ve been a really big fan of his, but he’s poor incredibly poor this season. I said it a few weeks back, but it’s more the basics for me. We know what a fully fit and firing Hirst can give us, but if you can’t do that then at least do the basics right. Sort your first touch out, hold it up, get us up the pitch.
The ridiculous fake jump he does to make him look like he’s attempting to jump for the ball when in fact he’s doing nothing just infuriates me. |
That fake jump is catching tho too egeli does that. Really bugs me.
Im really hoping tho we get the old hirst back. I pleaded with km to play him last season as we missed him imo. But he just seems to get worse every game. There's got to be a reason. You dont just become a worse player. If its Injury etc fine. But lets miss him for a while and bring him back when he can be what he was.. otherwise as you say its becoming more of a hindrance when he plays. |  |
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| The downfall of George Hirst on 21:28 - Jan 24 with 1867 views | portmanking |
| The downfall of George Hirst on 21:20 - Jan 24 by Kieran_Knows |
2 years ago we couldn’t barely play without him, now he’s almost a hindrance.
It’s a massive shame as I’ve been a really big fan of his, but he’s poor incredibly poor this season. I said it a few weeks back, but it’s more the basics for me. We know what a fully fit and firing Hirst can give us, but if you can’t do that then at least do the basics right. Sort your first touch out, hold it up, get us up the pitch.
The ridiculous fake jump he does to make him look like he’s attempting to jump for the ball when in fact he’s doing nothing just infuriates me. |
If Hirst plays even a 50% better through pass for Clarke at 0-0, he's in one on one and may score. Moments later we're picking the ball out of our net. In away games where we need to stand up and be counted, Hirst just alleviates any pressure we build with awful link up play.
If we aren't bold and don't provide more competition for him this week then autos are off the table. It's that serious IMO. It's not like it's a month of poor form. He's sucked since August. |  | | |
| The downfall of George Hirst on 21:35 - Jan 24 with 1768 views | Wacko |
It might also be because he’s no longer a young player trying to impress but is now a “big dog”. That “it’s what I do” celebration at Birmingham was embarrassing | |
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| The downfall of George Hirst on 21:52 - Jan 24 with 1628 views | cressi |
| The downfall of George Hirst on 21:35 - Jan 24 by Wacko |
It might also be because he’s no longer a young player trying to impress but is now a “big dog”. That “it’s what I do” celebration at Birmingham was embarrassing |
Rise and fall of George Hirst like Reginald Perrin | | | |
| The downfall of George Hirst on 21:55 - Jan 24 with 1594 views | LankHenners |
Curious and I do feel for him as, like you say, he's been a big part of our team since he's been here but cuts a very forlorn figure at the moment. Ended last season well and looked razor sharp in pre-season but, other than the odd outlier, has looked well off it for most of the season.
Not that he's awful now or anything but the ratio of 'good things' to 'bad things' is getting far too high in one direction, and, while he's not the only reason for this problem, it's hard for us to release some pressure or beat a press when the ball's getting lost most times you play it into your central striker.
Naturally taken a while for Azon to get to grips with things but he was stellar on Tuesday and today looked an improvement when he came on. The shirt's his for now as far as I'm concerned and maybe taking Hirst out of the spotlight for a little bit will take a bit of weight off his shoulders. |  |
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| The downfall of George Hirst on 21:55 - Jan 24 with 1583 views | RobTheMonk |
His holdup play was so off today. Last game he literally tripped over his own feet. It's almost like he's got a case of the yips at the moment. |  | | |
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| The downfall of George Hirst on 22:00 - Jan 24 with 1509 views | ITFC_84 |
It’s a real shame.
I think there is a little bit of a misconception that people think we are asking for a 25 goal a season no.9. Those kind of a strikers don’t really exist anymore (except Haaland).
I understand a striker in a McKenna system needs to win headers, control the ball and bring others into play. Unfortunately, Hirst’s days of doing that regularly feel over. He is WAY off what’s required for a top end championship club IMO.
Another no.9 is a must in the next week. | | | |
| The downfall of George Hirst on 22:10 - Jan 24 with 1451 views | jas0999 |
We’ve spent tens of millions on wingers. Okay we paid out in Delap … but nothing else. George is a great chap … below average championship player sadly. A failure to sign a top striker may cost us promotion. | | | |
| The downfall of George Hirst on 22:12 - Jan 24 with 1413 views | pointofblue |
| The downfall of George Hirst on 22:10 - Jan 24 by jas0999 |
We’ve spent tens of millions on wingers. Okay we paid out in Delap … but nothing else. George is a great chap … below average championship player sadly. A failure to sign a top striker may cost us promotion. |
He wasn't in our last Championship season. He was a key component to promotion.. but something has certainly happened this time around. | |
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| The downfall of George Hirst on 22:24 - Jan 24 with 1301 views | Melford |
| The downfall of George Hirst on 21:23 - Jan 24 by The_Romford_Blue |
I know the exact jump you mean. It’s Oscar worthy levels of ‘fake’ trying. At least Azon puts himself about a bit.
It makes me sad tbh. He’s absolutely gone at the game imo. That first touch almost always is 5 yards away from him rather than just a confident, comfortable control of the ball and then look for a pass. It’s panic, panic, panic. |
It's a World Cup year, if he puts in a good second half of the season the could put himself in the reckoning to start up top for Scotland. They way he's been playing he won't make the squad. |  |
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| The downfall of George Hirst on 22:25 - Jan 24 with 1289 views | Smoresy |
I think space plays a big part. Our attacking players used to enjoy more of it. We played high-octane stuff and weren't suitably respected. With our keeper-cum-playmaker, two genius midfielders who dovetailed beautifully.. I don't think it's a coincidence that Chappers also failed to flourish, or that Leif's numbers are a long way off 23/24. They often had acres to drive into and dangerously unmarked options in the middle or out wide. A touch within 5 yards of himself used to give Hirst a good chance of retaining the ball, then he had easier passes to make too. Does anyone recall the West Brom away game when Corberan took our attacking spaces away from us? Yikes that was a painful watch.
Memory also. Hirst for instance has a higher conversion rate than he did back then, hard as it may be to believe. He's also winning more duels, aerially and on the ground, both in number and percentage. My eye tells me he doesn't run the lost causes like he used to, but a man of his size was arguably set up for injury in how he used to tear about the pitch.
And a bit of lost form too, just not by as great a degree as many believe imo. | | | |
| The downfall of George Hirst on 22:33 - Jan 24 with 1204 views | football |
He was not good today, a shadow of his former self. But he wasn't the worst on the pitch - I'll save that for Greaves | | | |
| The downfall of George Hirst on 22:36 - Jan 24 with 1168 views | Swansea_Blue |
| The downfall of George Hirst on 22:33 - Jan 24 by football |
He was not good today, a shadow of his former self. But he wasn't the worst on the pitch - I'll save that for Greaves |
Taylor and Egeli want a word. Not that there was a lot in it. All 3 were very, very poor. (Edit - oh, and Walton who was awful). The rest just poor. [Post edited 24 Jan 22:37]
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| The downfall of George Hirst on 22:43 - Jan 24 with 1102 views | thecheek |
For a team pushing for promotion having a player who is playing so poorly starting most games seems ridiculous.
Regardless of whether he is scoring we need someone up front who can hold on to the ball as Azon did so well last time. |  | | |
| The downfall of George Hirst on 22:50 - Jan 24 with 1020 views | E_I_E_I_E_I_O |
He really is atrocious and people all around me were just laughing at him today. Not to be mean I don't think but he's just that bad that have to laugh rather than cry. He make's almost every wrong decision and struggles with simple things. Look at when Egeli goes through.....he is so slow catching up and then has the audacity to ask Walle where was the pass.
I've always been confident but we won't go up with him a mainstay.....what I find so strange is what Kmc see's in him that almost every fan does not at the moment. | | | |
| The downfall of George Hirst on 23:00 - Jan 24 with 923 views | Blueschev |
I thought he was decent first half on Tuesday. Appreciate many people didn’t see it that way. |  | | |
| The downfall of George Hirst on 23:05 - Jan 24 with 882 views | mrfixit426 |
| The downfall of George Hirst on 23:00 - Jan 24 by Blueschev |
I thought he was decent first half on Tuesday. Appreciate many people didn’t see it that way. |
Errrr.....is this a whoosh? |  | | |
| The downfall of George Hirst on 23:05 - Jan 24 with 873 views | Zx1988 |
Was talking about this on Tuesday with a chum.
It feels as if he's got the PL salary (minus a relegation reduction), number 9 shirt, and a place in the Scotland squad, and is quite happy with his lot in life. | |
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| The downfall of George Hirst on 00:09 - Jan 25 with 608 views | Rimsy |
Even more worrying, McK continues to pick him when everyone can see he's miles off the pace at the moment. How Azon did'nt start today i'll never understand. |  |
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| The downfall of George Hirst on 00:12 - Jan 25 with 598 views | Churchman |
| The downfall of George Hirst on 00:09 - Jan 25 by Rimsy |
Even more worrying, McK continues to pick him when everyone can see he's miles off the pace at the moment. How Azon did'nt start today i'll never understand. |
If you read McKenna’s comments after the game, you might understand the rationale even if you don’t agree with it. |  | | |
| The downfall of George Hirst on 00:16 - Jan 25 with 586 views | itfcsuth |
He’s missing Broadhead, Burns and Chaplin more than I am. |  | | |
| The downfall of George Hirst on 00:24 - Jan 25 with 564 views | Hugoagogo_Reborn |
| The downfall of George Hirst on 21:52 - Jan 24 by cressi |
Rise and fall of George Hirst like Reginald Perrin |
We can always hope for a Fall and Rise series 2, then....? |  |
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| The downfall of George Hirst on 00:36 - Jan 25 with 522 views | bournemouthblue |
| The downfall of George Hirst on 22:00 - Jan 24 by ITFC_84 |
It’s a real shame.
I think there is a little bit of a misconception that people think we are asking for a 25 goal a season no.9. Those kind of a strikers don’t really exist anymore (except Haaland).
I understand a striker in a McKenna system needs to win headers, control the ball and bring others into play. Unfortunately, Hirst’s days of doing that regularly feel over. He is WAY off what’s required for a top end championship club IMO.
Another no.9 is a must in the next week. |
For me he has never been amazing at the hold up or link play, where he excelled in was pressing and pinning defences back
Azon does a lot of things better than him, he's smarter, he uses the ball better and his movement is better but his finishing and composure isn't so much there
Hirst isn't without hope but his touch seems to have deserted him, perhaps the slower more patient tempo this new group, limits his game as well |  |
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