Awful without the ball. Not a team player and not better than Clayden.
Certainly needs to track back better.
Was extremely telling today when Cheltenham scored their first
He was jogging back whilst Gunter had to keep an eye on both their Full-Back and Winger, funnily when Kirk / Gunter did get forward it was impossible to get anywhere because the Cheltenham duo opposite them were working together
We were 'warned' by the Crewe experts that defensively he's not that good. Which wouldn't matter so much if he was looking dangerous going forward
Quite hard to judge when you’ve got two full backs who seem to need 4 touches before deciding what to do with it and a midfield who keep lofting the ball aimlessly towards Stockley.
Quite hard to judge when you’ve got two full backs who seem to need 4 touches before deciding what to do with it and a midfield who keep lofting the ball aimlessly towards Stockley.
It wasn’t the midfield it was the back 4 the midfield didn’t want the ball - which meant the back four only had one option
Quite hard to judge when you’ve got two full backs who seem to need 4 touches before deciding what to do with it and a midfield who keep lofting the ball aimlessly towards Stockley.
It wasn’t the midfield it was the back 4 the midfield didn’t want the ball - which meant the back four only had one option
I watched Ben Watson hopeless lump the ball upfield over 10 times in the second half alone
Kirk came from Crewe, a club who always look to play good passing football.
We're not that club at the moment. We don’t know our best formation and starting 11, we haven’t got a style of play and we have new signings who weren’t ready to start (or even be included in the squad in Arter’s case).
Kirk’s shown at Crewe that he can score and create at this level, but he needs support and movement around him. He's got the ability to link up with players like Lee but that was difficult today with our lack of possession (he's partly to blame for that, no sign today of the high press that's been talked about).
The recent interview with Gilbey was reminder of the factors outside of football that can impact performances. Kirk may be lacking confidence stepping up to a bigger club, while also dealing with losing his dad and living somewhere new. On the pitch we know playing ahead of Gunter isn't helping, and our central midfield needs to improve, we're heavily relying on Arter being what we need and Gilbey continuing last season's form.
From what I have seen, scarily, Washington is a better option that him on the left. If we have to persist with 433, CBT & Leko should start next game.
But perhaps we ought to give Kirk a chance and play him as he likes. Today he was obviously told to hug the touchline. That is not his game. Totally stupid. If you asked WAshington to do that he also would be awful. Just give them some freedom please
You have to wonder about our recruitment, this season so far has been poor.
I’d suggest it’s the way they are being set up that’s the problem. I reckon Dobson and Clare are duds but I reckon your see more from the others if they were playing for a good manager in a better system.
That said, wingers are inconsistent. If Kirk was a phenomenal wide player , with endless end product , he wouldn’t have been playing for Crewe for so long and he wouldn’t have come to another league one team
The bungled way we went about the summer transfer business is partly to blame for his and our collective start imo. After a strong end to last season momentum was with us and I personally thought we were set for a Powell style summer transfer plan - get the best of the division in early and hit the ground running to ‘storm the league’ or whatever was said. We even had an MBE Director of Football bloke (is that Roddy’s title?) who was said to have already identified targets. We then spent most of the summer not signing the players we needed and not giving the ones we did sign time to gel and form a way of playing. The net result is the team doesn’t have any identity. And this is the problem for Kirk. He doesn’t look to me like he knows what his role is. Is he a supporting winger/forward for Stockley, so tucking in closer to him? Or an out and out winger with chalk dust on his boots supported by an overlapping left back like at Crewe? For the latter, he’s got an over the hill right back playing behind him (again, see the crap slow transfer plan).
It’s all very well buying young talent but Kirk has spent his short career playing one way. It’s all he knows and now it looks like he’s got mixed messages about a new style. It’s not good overall. Adkins has a week to ponder and get a clear message of how he wants to play and that includes making it clear to Kirk what his role is. Personally, I don’t think we can play with Kirk and DJ as it leaves our ponderous midfield woefully exposed, as was shown yesterday.
After reading some of the comments here of “poor recruitment” and “faulty product”, I’m possibly in the minority, but I have a lot of time for Kirk.
It’s very early days in to a 4-year contract. Personally, think he deserves some patience, and I’m well aware that due to our poor start to the season that’s more to ask for than usual with a new young player.
Mentioned it in the match thread that I've been very underwhelmed by him so far.
On the face of it - seems to have very little pace, only wants to cut inside on his right but does not have a trick to get past a player and does not track back.
After reading some of the comments here of “poor recruitment” and “faulty product”, I’m possibly in the minority, but I have a lot of time for Kirk.
It’s very early days in to a 4-year contract. Personally, think he deserves some patience, and I’m well aware that due to our poor start to the season that’s more to ask for than usual with a new young player.
With all that’s gone on in his personal life, and moving away from home for the first time, I can certainly understand if he’s not at his best at the moment.
The difference with Leko was obvious, Leko is really happy to be back and is really comfortable here
I’m not going to get too worried about Kirk just yet. I think with a proper left-back behind him he will be much more effective. Persisting with Gunter in that LB for so long has been a massive issue, but Souare might make a big difference to the team generally once up to full fitness, but specifically he might allow us to get the best out of Kirk.
Comments
I'll judge him then
We're not that club at the moment. We don’t know our best formation and starting 11, we haven’t got a style of play and we have new signings who weren’t ready to start (or even be included in the squad in Arter’s case).
Kirk’s shown at Crewe that he can score and create at this level, but he needs support and movement around him. He's got the ability to link up with players like Lee but that was difficult today with our lack of possession (he's partly to blame for that, no sign today of the high press that's been talked about).
The recent interview with Gilbey was reminder of the factors outside of football that can impact performances. Kirk may be lacking confidence stepping up to a bigger club, while also dealing with losing his dad and living somewhere new. On the pitch we know playing ahead of Gunter isn't helping, and our central midfield needs to improve, we're heavily relying on Arter being what we need and Gilbey continuing last season's form.
So far he’s doubled up on pretty much every time he gets the ball. Means he can’t cut inside as easily.
No point signing him if we don’t have the system for him.
After a strong end to last season momentum was with us and I personally thought we were set for a Powell style summer transfer plan - get the best of the division in early and hit the ground running to ‘storm the league’ or whatever was said. We even had an MBE Director of Football bloke (is that Roddy’s title?) who was said to have already identified targets.
We then spent most of the summer not signing the players we needed and not giving the ones we did sign time to gel and form a way of playing.
The net result is the team doesn’t have any identity. And this is the problem for Kirk.
He doesn’t look to me like he knows what his role is. Is he a supporting winger/forward for Stockley, so tucking in closer to him? Or an out and out winger with chalk dust on his boots supported by an overlapping left back like at Crewe? For the latter, he’s got an over the hill right back playing behind him (again, see the crap slow transfer plan).
It’s not good overall. Adkins has a week to ponder and get a clear message of how he wants to play and that includes making it clear to Kirk what his role is.
Personally, I don’t think we can play with Kirk and DJ as it leaves our ponderous midfield woefully exposed, as was shown yesterday.
Play to your players strengths or get the negative that has always been the case in football.
Hales was brilliant for Charlton because we had Powell & Flannigan providing the quality early cross he fed off. He didn't get that at Derby or WHU.
Seen enough
The difference with Leko was obvious, Leko is really happy to be back and is really comfortable here
Given his personal life on arrival he gets some time from me.