Angry Shed SexFrom Despair To Where? My feelings with HRK is that after the promise of 2011-13, he's not progressed as a player. Maybe it was the bulking up that did for him, maybe it's the tactics or the role that he's being asked to play, I don't know but his play seems to lack that drive or directness that we saw previously.
Stats are misleading. The stats tell me that HRK has had more impact than Pog this season. The evidence of going to games is that when things aren't going for Pog, he still puts in a shift and tries to make things happen, he occupies the defender and gives him something to think about which, in itself, can have an influence on the game. When things aren't going for HRK, it's like we're playing with 10 men.
Maybe it's a languid style that makes it look like a lack of effort but fans will forgive players a lot of things if they are seen to be putting in the effort and HRK, for all his good qualities, doesn't come across like that and that is the root cause of all the antipathy towards him, a perceived lack of effort, it's like he's playing within himself.
Balanced argument there FDTW and broadly fits in with my feeling. The touting of his services like a cheap hooker by his agent/brother after we were relegated also didn't do him any favours with the fans (IMHO).
I agree with the point about his agent/wages and it certainly left a bad taste in everyone's mouth. He has that millstone round his neck. If you are in the top three earners at the club, there is an expectation that you are one of the top 3 performers
Nothing would please me more than to see him contribute 15 goals and assists a season and we know he has the potential to achieve that year in, year out. The trouble is thought that he's nearly 26 so he should be starting to hit his prime but he's not half the player he was at 23, and in the context of the squad, he is a senior player both in age and experience At what age do you stop being a player with potential and become one who's not reached his potential.